Saturday, October 22, 2005

Blue Town is Area 59 Now!

It's called Area 59 by the powers that be (See City of Sherwood RESOLUTION 2004-098), but we always knew it as "Bluetown." It's where Edy Road and Elwert Roads intersect, on the North side of Highway 99. The people who live here have lived virtually all their lives in Bluetown. Their farmyards have a distinctly European feel, reflecting the shared heritage of these folks. They even have their own folklore. One of the great mysteries is why this neighborhood got to be known as "Bluetown" in the first place. The house photographed here is on the Labahn property, in the middle of Bluetown. It's owners believe it was painted blue once a long time ago. The Sherwood Historical Society investigated and found hardly any paint at all on the weathered cedar boards. So it's hard to tell. The mystery endures. What was so disturbing about the color blue that it caused these German-Lutheran/Catholic immigrants of Area 59 to name the whole community after it?

2 comments:

JayCeeSmock said...

Never heard of the guy, unless he had something to do with the Sherwin-Williams paint store located on Railroad Avenue in the 1890s. The firm was established in 1892, same year as Sherwood. (I only know this from that old OHS photo on display at Morback House.)

JayCeeSmock said...

The Historical society's relationship with the local government has been positive so far. I won't compare them to a sci-fi thriller. The term "Area 59" is defined in City of Sherwood RESOLUTION 2004-098. (Get there via the link on this posting.)

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