In central Washington, is the small town of Leavenworth. I just happened to be driving through on my U.S. highway 2 route. Those few minutes were enough to stir my interest.
One of the first things to get your interest upon entering Leavenworth is the architecture. It is European like an old Bavarian Alpine village. The downtown area is definitely unique.
I also noticed some of the signs. Even some of the national companies had modified their logos for the town. I, personally, have a pretty strong interest in respecting logos and trademarks. So it was quite interesting to see the McDonalds “M” much smaller and in a different typeface. Other stores and businesses had adapted as well. Without the normal logos, it was difficult to recognize some of the businesses. There must be something special going on in this town to have these companies willingly violate their own corporate branding standards to do business here.
There are many cities and towns that celebrate ethnic heritage. Most of these communities have kept emigrant traditions and traditional buildings for a century or longer. Locally, perhaps you have experienced some of the ethnic festivals. New Ulm, Germantown, and New Berlin have German background. Decorah Iowa has Norwegian things. Pella and Orange City in Iowa celebrate being Dutch. New Glarus Wisconsin is a “Little Switzerland.” Mora Minnesota has Swedish connections. And there are many more ethnic connections in the upper Midwest. I assumed Leavenworth was similar to these others.
Websites like http://www.leavenworth.org helped me learn general information about the area today. But as I learned more, for me, the history is much more intriguing. The story is not like all those other immigrant communities at all.
Critical Decisions With Great Risks
Like thousands of other small towns and cities across the country, Leavenworth appeared to be dying in the early 1960s. Railroad rerouting, industries leaving, and other factors had contributed to the decline over several years. Their future as a community looked grim.
Their story may sound familiar. At least from my observation, most struggling small towns pretty much die over time. The countryside has numerous unincorporated villages that are almost like ghost town shadows of their once more prosperous days. The local citizens are concerned. But hope is difficult to find with few feasible options for positive change.
Leavenworth was at a point needing change. One of the few points of success in the area was a restaurant. They had designed it with an Alpine theme. A friendly bear helped make the restaurant even more entertaining and popular.
The restaurant owner envisioned the possibilities if the whole town became attractive for tourists. A radical change was proposed. The LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone) committee was formed. Business owners took great risks and expense in changing the architecture of their buildings for an Alpine theme. People began taking greater pride in their community. And little by little the town became more attractive as a unique destination and a special place to live. Some of the before and after photos at http://leavenworthhistory.com/ show dramatic changes to the buildings.
With Christmas festivals, Oktoberfest, and other seasonal events, thousands of people came to support the town and enjoy the unique atmosphere. Now two million people visit the town annually.
Transformation Waiting for Us
Most of my readers are not from Washington and will probably never visit Leavenworth. But I believe we can all find some inspiration from this story.
There may be villages and cities struggling near you. There are church congregations in decline all over the country. Perhaps you know of one or two. There are community organizations becoming less relevant in their area. There are businesses with dim futures. There may be relationships where we have given up hope that it can ever be better. And, individually, we may have parts of our lives badly in need of a revival.
What if we were open to drastic changes for the chance of something greater and better? Will we take risks? Do we believe that God is able to help bring about good things? Are we willing to let go of practices of the past and embrace new ways of success? Are we ready to dream? Do we dare have vision for a better world? Will we create an environment where people are encouraged to share fresh ideas and insights?
Are we willing to join together with others focusing on what is good and what good things are possible? Or will we settle for the easy route of complaint and hopelessness?
There are numerous situations like Leavenworth, Washington. We can assume the past struggles must inevitably lead to more of the same or worse conditions. Or we can make choices for a new future. Are we willing to change our ways and have hope once again?
Some Leavenworth references:
http://leavenworthhistory.com/ - photos and videos telling the transformation story
http://www.leavenworth.org/ - Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce site
http://www.leavenworthwa.net/leavenworth-history.php
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