Good Bye Tunnel, Hello Future: Opinion

It was finally time to say the formal goodbye today to Ruston's last visible piece of the Asarco smelter that built this little town. It was a different crowd than our usual gatherings these days, drawing the few left in town who had ties to the old days rather than the new families (although there were a few in attendance). The News Tribune has a nice article about the event here...

It was a beautiful sunny day filled with memories and stories of days-gone-by; when the smelter whistle would echo through the streets calling kids home, employees to work and the fire department to action. No watch was needed in those days, everyone knew the time by the length and pattern of the whistle. The whole family went to the smelter doctor if needed, for free. Most walked to work from the adjacent neighborhoods. Community connected with industry just fine.

There were some today that joked about our past and ridiculed our industrial heritage. I understand the viewpoint, and much of the current change is good and necessary. But we forget the hard work that goes into our easy lifestyle and often dismiss the value of those who labor in places like a copper smelter. Smelting and refining metal is dirty, challenging and more complex than most realize. But we affirm the need for it every time we flip a light switch or start the car.

Most important to me are the people who gave their lives to this town and proudly worked at the Tacoma smelter. Their work was good and valuable and important - to this town and to society. They worked hard to purify copper and then came home to work hard to build this town. There may be those who look down on our blue collar past, but its a valuable heritage. It was that blue collar blood, sweat and tears that gave us Ruston. So to the Dockerys and Schonekers and Hights and Lomis' and Campbells and Tallmans and Pudlos and countless others... Thank you for your gift. You done good...