Editing Concrete, Washington (section)

==Notable buildings and landmarks==
Concrete is home to a number of historic buildings and engineering milestones.<ref>All information on these buildings and landmarks have been referenced from the local history book, ''"So They Called The Town Concrete,"'' written by [[Charles M. Dwelley]], published by ''[[The Concrete Herald]],'' 1980; reprint 2004, 2009. It contains reputable knowledge of Concrete.</ref>

===Henry Thompson Bridge===
[[File:Baker River Bridge (2006-07-06), 02.jpg|thumb|left|Henry Thompson Bridge]]
Built in 1916–1918 and so named for the Scottish immigrant, local settler, and Skagit County Commissioner who promoted its construction. The naming occurred after Henry Thompson was killed by a logging train in 1918.<ref name="Baker River Bridge HAER No. WA-105">{{cite web|url=https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/wa/wa0400/wa0461/data/wa0461data.pdf |title=Baker River Bridge HAER No. WA-105 |publisher=tile.loc.gov |date=August 1993 |access-date=June 7, 2024 }}</ref> At the time, its graceful arch was the longest single-span reinforced concrete bridge in the world<ref>{{cite book |last1=Croft |first1=Catherine |title=Concrete Architecture |date=2004 |publisher=Laurence King Publishing |isbn=978-1-85669-364-6 |page=14 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UVRlfzWEnFIC&pg=PA14 |access-date=June 7, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> or perhaps just in the West<ref name="Baker River Bridge HAER No. WA-105"/> and has been listed on the Washington State and National Historic Register since 1976.<ref>[https://www.dahp.wa.gov/gis/pdfs/901.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723023100/http://www.dahp.wa.gov/gis/pdfs/901.pdf|date=July 23, 2011}}</ref>  Until 1972, when the Washington State Department of Transportation re-routed Highway 20 (then known as Star Route 20) outside the town, the Thompson Bridge was the only connecting thoroughfare across the Baker River and into eastern Skagit County.

The bridge was originally designed by Bowerman and McCloy Consulting Engineers  and built by J.R. Wood Contractors (both of [[Seattle]]).<ref name="Baker River Bridge HAER No. WA-105"/>  It underwent a complete rehabilitation in 2003-2004.  The engineer for the rehabilitation was Entranco, Inc. of [[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]] (who has since been acquired by [[AECOM]]) and the contractor for the rehabilitation was One Way Construction of [[Sedro-Woolley, Washington|Sedro-Woolley]].

===Concrete High School===
[[File:Concrete High School.jpg|thumb|right|Concrete High School]]
Concrete High School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.concrete.k12.wa.us/hs.html |title=High School |publisher=Concrete.k12.wa.us |access-date=February 15, 2013}}</ref> was built in 1952.  Constructed with the typical and necessary scholastic appointments and one visible and unusual difference:  the central portion of the building was built over the road leading to it.  To make the best use of the property, South Superior Avenue passes beneath the building. The building replaced the previous high school building in the center of town.  The hallways and the wood shop were used during the filming of the [[Michael Caton-Jones]] film, ''[[This Boy's Life (film)|This Boy's Life]]'' in 1993.  Concrete High School's school colors are purple and gold and their team mascot is the Lion.  CHS's sports teams participate in the Northwest 1B/2B league under the [[Washington Interscholastic Activities Association]]. Concrete's [[Future Business Leaders of America]] was the fastest growing in the state during the 2012-13 school year.<ref>{{cite news|last=Shelton-Jenck |first=Gordon |title=MEMBERSHIP GROWTH! |url=http://www.wafbla.org/membership-growth/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416034728/http://www.wafbla.org/membership-growth/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 16, 2013 |newspaper=FBLA Newsletter |date=January 28, 2013 }}</ref>

===''Concrete Herald'' building===
{{main|The Concrete Herald}}
[[Image:Concrete herald building.jpg|thumb|right|Concrete Herald Building]]
Located in the heart of Concrete Town Center on Main Street, the Concrete Herald Building was originally built in 1918 as a [[Model T Ford]] garage complete with a gas-station out front. When the building was later converted to be the Brommer Logging facility, a large apartment was added to the upper story. It was shortly after this that ''[[Concrete Herald]]'' owner and editor [[Charles Dwelley|Charles M. "Chuck" Dwelley]] took over the building and made it into a modern printing facility and new home of ''The Concrete Herald'' (established in 1910). When Robert and June Fader purchased the newspaper upon Dwelley's retirement in late 1970, the building remained the home for the weekly. When the building and newspaper were sold in 1990, the facility became a printing shop until the current owners turned the first floor into a liquor store franchise through the [[Washington State Liquor Control Board|state liquor control board]]. The Concrete Herald Building has remained a liquor store to this date. As for ''Concrete Herald'', Concrete Mayor Jason Miller has given rebirth to the newspaper after purchasing the ''Upriver Community News'' from another local resident. As of May 6, 2009, ''Concrete Herald'' began a monthly publication schedule. The newspaper is sold in various locations throughout [[Skagit County]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.concrete-herald.com/ |title=concrete-herald.com |publisher=concrete-herald.com |access-date=February 15, 2013}}</ref>

===Town Hall===
[[Image:Concrete town hall.jpg|thumb|left|Concrete's Town Hall]]
Originally built in 1908 as a grade-school, this wooden, clapboard building was originally located on Main Street across from the bank where classes were taught until 1910.  When the building was no longer used as a schoolhouse, it was moved to its present location on West Main Street, next to the current [[United States Postal Service|post office]].  In its present location, the building has served alternately as a library, senior-citizen center, the city's current town hall with a satellite office for the [[Skagit County]] Sheriff's Department.

===Concrete Theatre===
Originally built in 1923, the stage of the Concrete Theatre has entertained audiences with vaudeville, boxing matches, silent films and later what were known as "the talkies". The building is listed on the Washington Heritage Register <ref>[https://www.dahp.wa.gov/pages/HistoricSites/WashingtonHeritageRegister.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727191506/http://www.dahp.wa.gov/pages/HistoricSites/WashingtonHeritageRegister.htm|date=July 27, 2011}}</ref> Over the decades, the theatre changed hands many times but retained its original layout as a one-screen movie theatre. In 2009, it was purchased by new owners and refurbished. The venue now seats 130, has a full stage and dance floor, and a refurbished balcony that seats 8. In 2012, the community helped raise funds to purchase a digital projector to keep the theatre alive. In 2021, the Concrete Theatre expanded by purchasing the building next door. Originally the Monrad Grocery built in 1915, the expanded space now features an ice cream parlor, as well as the theatre box office and an additional meeting/screening room.

===Lower Baker Dam===
[[Image:Lower baker dam.jpg|thumb|upright|Lower Baker Dam]]
At the time [[Lower Baker Dam]] was completed in 1925 and two years later raised to {{convert|293|ft|m}}, it was the highest hydroelectric dam in the world.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}}  It is currently owned, operated, and maintained by [[Puget Sound Energy]].

[[Image:Concrete post office.jpg|thumb|left|Concrete Post Office]]

Author [[Tobias Wolff]] spent a large part of his teenage years in the Concrete area.  Wolff's memoir ''[[This Boy's Life]]'' chronicles his early life living in eastern Skagit County and attending Concrete High School (referred to as "Chinook High School" in the novel). In 1993, the novel was also turned into a [[This Boy's Life (film)|feature film]] starring [[Leonardo DiCaprio]], [[Robert De Niro]], and [[Ellen Barkin]].  The movie's exterior scenes of Concrete (as well as some interior scenes) were filmed in the town of Concrete and the surrounding area and a number of local residents were used as extras. In order to fit the "look" of 1950s-era Concrete, the town itself was transformed back in time "Hollywood style" for the weeks that filming took place in 1992.