Books and Belt Buckles and Misprints – Oh My!
Good Morning and happy Thursday! The holiday weekend festivities are in full swing, and this morning on my way in to the store I got a little sense of that “calm before the storm” feeling that comes before the crowds roll in. I suppose that’s a little ironic considering the unexpected morning rain – but that sunrise was certainly impressive!
Today I’m excited to share some more of the rodeo memorabilia that hides in various places throughout Fitterer’s. We have so much stored away that its almost overwhelming to choose which pieces to take a closer look at. From buttons to posters, books and belt buckles – the spirit of the Ellensburg Rodeo is alive and well in our cabinet all year long.
The little odd ball pieces I dig up are always my favorite, so I was happy to see an old rodeo ascot in the cabinet of history that was a little off. I picked it up and smoothed some wrinkles, smiling at the graphic and chuckling at the words printed below. “Allensburg, Wash.”
I had to look and at it three or four times to be sure I wasn’t reading it wrong. I even double checked with Brad , who also laughed and confirmed it must be a misprint.
It didn’t feel right to exclude “The Tradition Lives” from this one. It’s been shared before, but recently we acquired a pristine hardback copy ofthis 75 year history and I wanted to get a photo. This book is full of details and photos outlining 75 years of rodeo in Ellensburg. We have a few paperback copies of “The Tradition Lives” in our cabinet, so if you’re in town and interested, stop by and take a look!
Then last but not least, I chose a few things that always catch my eye as I walk by in the mornings. The first is Brad’s 2002 Rodeo Board name tag. For those who don’t know, the Fitterer family had a long history with the Ellensburg Rodeo, including Brad who served on the Ellensburg Rodeo Board for a number of years. I love things like this. For me they’re great reminders of how much the Fair and Rodeo shape the community here.
To be perfectly honest, I have no idea if this belt buckle has anything to do with rodeo. I just think its really cool. Its a red white and blue 1976 centennial Liberty Bell belt buckle and its in tremendous condition. The very minor imperfections in color let you know that it was likely handmade, and with great care. I’m not sure if its been here for the last 43 years or if it made its way down over time, but I thought it was kind of fun and unique.
Whether you are planning to join in on the Rodeo fun, take the kids up to the hills for a camping trip, working hard with the extra crowds or relaxing at home, we hope that you have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend! We will be closed Sunday and Monday , but hope that you stop in and say hello while you’re Downtown on Friday and Saturday – or today, of course!