The Codger Pole - Colfax, WA
Posted by: 
saopaulo1
N 46° 52.681 W 117° 21.924
11T E 472157 N 5191672
A large totem pole in Colfax, WA.
Waymark Code: WMVY62
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 06/09/2017
Views: 3
The 65 ft sculpture features the faces of the players of a rematch football game that took place 50 years after the original. The story is a local legend.
The plaque reads: "ARMISTICE DAY 1938, OUR COACH SAID, "WELL, MEN,. IT'LL BF A WHITE FIELD WITH BLACK LINES," WHICH WAS -Tr.7-er HIS WAY OF TELLING US THE GAME WAS STILL ON. WE SENIORS WERE ANXIOUS TO PLAY IN SPITE OF THE SNOW, WE'D HAD A POOR SEASON AND IT WAS OUR LAST CHANCE TO NAB A LITTLE GLORY IF ANY WAS TO BE HAD. SO WE SCROUNGED HEAVY SOX AND LONG-JOHNS, SLAPPED MUD-CLEATS ON OUR OLD WORN-OUT HIGH TOPS, GRABBED A LEATHER HELMET AND WENT OUT THERE. OUR TINY CHEERING. SECTION SAT THERE IN THEIR HAND-ME-DOWN DEPRESSION DUDS, TRYING TO IGNORE THE BITING COLD WHILE THEY WATCHED PETE CHRISTENSEN, THE ST. JOHN FULLBACK, PILE-UP ALL THE POINTS THAT AFTERNOON. WE HOBBLED OFF THAT FROZEN FIELD MUTTERING HOW WE'D LIKE TO GET 'EM BACK OUT THERE AGAIN SOME DAY. I GUESS THAT'S WHEN THE CODGER BOWL WAS CONCEIVED. IT HATCHED FIFTY YEARS LATER WHEN I GOT THE BOYS OF '38 TO COME BACK TO THE SAME FIELD AND REPLAY THAT GAME. AND THAT WEEK IN SEPTEMBER OF '88, THE BAND PLAYED "YOU'VE GOT TO BE A FOOTBALL HERO" AND SIXTY OLD BUCKS WENT LIMPING BACK THROUGH A TUNNEL OF MEMORIES TO EMBRACE THE YEAR 1938. MASTER CARVER, JONATHAN LABENNE'S SUPERB TALENT AND WHIMSY CAPTURED THE WARMTH, FUN AND LOVE COLFAX AND ST. JOHN SHARED WHILE WE CODGERS CAVORTED ABOUT THE FIELD IN. SCHOOL COLORS WEARING OUR NUMBERS FROM A HALF-CENTURY AGO. THE GHOSTS OF OUR YOUTH REVEALED GLIMPSES OF GRIDIRON BRILLIANCE, UNFORTUNATELY BRIEF AND I.' FEW BUT EVEN SO, THAT GLORIOUS AFTERNOON OF FUN GAVE US GUYS A CHANCE TO FULFILL THAT DREAM EVERY SEVENTY-YEAR-OLD KID SECRETLY HANGS ONTO: PLAYING ONE MORE GAME. AND HOW MANY OLD RASCALS EVER GET TO DO THAT? ??"
What's the Real Story?:
The game was played 50 year after the original game. The totem pole is popular in town with sign along the road marking it.
Additional Requirement?: Not listed
Website Source: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Visit the location. If an action is required, test the action. Post a story and photograph of what happened. Do your best to keep your GPSr out of the photos.