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From Out West #23, July, 1993
See updates at end of article By Chuck Woodbury, editor If you are 55 and older and are looking for Shangri-La, look no further than Ryderwood, Wash., one of the most idyllic places in the West. A sign on Morse Street reveals a lot about the town at the dead end of state route 506: "Ryderwood: Not Just More Years To Our Lives But More Life To Our Years." It looks like many other small towns in the Pacific Northwest with its modest wood homes along tree-lined streets. The difference is that all 390 residents are senior citizens. Newspapers in the 1950s called Ryderwood "the first successful retirement community in America." Originally a Long Bell lumber camp, Ryderwood was converted into a retirement community in 1953 by businessman Harry Kem. The local lumber supply had all but played out, and Long Bell sold the town's 184 surviving houses and other buildings to Kem for $90,000. Ken's idea was to provide a place where retirement age folks could live comfortably on their Social Security. He would sell a home only to elderly couples with incomes of $125 to $250 a month. Homes, most with two bedrooms and one bath, sold for $2,500 to $3,500. Today, they sell on average for $35,000 to $45,000, with an occasional fixer upper a little less. A few on the market have price tags over $70,000. The town is 56 miles north of Portland, Ore. I first visited Ryderwood six years ago after reading a newspaper article about Jewel Santineau, a member of the town's now-defunct Gray Angels Motorcycle Club. "You hardly ever see a car coming up the Not much has changed today, although the population has swelled by 40 and real estate prices have increased. The Ryderwood Cafe remains the town headquarters. Residents show up each day to exchange information, dine on Carla Hollinger's homemade pie, and celebrate birthdays. Afterwards, the ladies can walk across the street to Rita's Pink Paradise Salon for a perm. Ryderwood is so peaceful that deer occasionally feed on apples in residents' trees. The howl of a coyote can often be heard from the nearby forest. And it's safe. The town has its own Cowlitz County deputy sheriff (in his 70s), and residents take turn patrolling the town at night in their CB-equipped cars. They call themselves Citizens On Patrol. The entire town is run by volunteers; not one person gets paid except for several employees at county-operated facilities. They paint buildings, mow the park's lawn, take care of clerical chores at the community club, maintain the library, and do a hundred other chores. And they organize a myriad of community events -- barbecues, bridge games, dances, craft fairs -- even an annual bluegrass festival.
America's Best RV Prices Progressive Insurance Arizona Life Free Travel Brochures Want your business here? Email for information. Some of the residents are widows who didn't leave town after their husbands died. "It's been a wonderful place to be alone," said Lorene Harber, who lost her husband more than 20 years ago. "You're only as lonely as you want to be." If Ryderwood sounds too good to be true, well, it is for some, who pack up after their first long and soggy Pacific Northwest winter. It's no Sun City! GRANDPA FIRE BRIGADE The volunteer fire department is a bunch of old geezers, by most standards. The average age of the brigade is about 65, making it perhaps the oldest fire fighting force in America. Not a single home has burned in more than 20 years, which is good news for the firefighters. Still, they hold regular training drills and respond to more than 50 emergencies a year -- mostly grass and chimney fires. Ken Grant, 74, is the fire chief and one of three Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) assigned to the ambulance; the youngest EMT is 65. He and his partners call themselves the "oldest, meanest, ugliest ambulance crew in the county." Last year, they responded to a plane crash a few miles out of town in the forest, rescuing the lone survivor and carrying her out through knee-deep snow. Another time they responded to an elderly man who was suffering a heart attack. Later, Grant jokingly referred to the victim as an "old buzzard." His partner reminded him that the "old buzzard" was five years his junior. The ambulance service is cheap: residents pay $40 a year for unlimited service. Although most homes at Ryderwood are not for sale, about a dozen a
There are no motels in Ryderwood, but RVers are usually invited to camp for free at the city park. Drop a hint at the general store and you'll probably get invited. ©2000 by Out West Newspaper UPDATE (AUG., 1998). The Ryderwood cafe/store burned down in 1997. So much for the fire department's perfect record.
UPDATE JAN. 2001) "You should see Ryderwood now! The store/cafe is close to completion and lots of activities still going on — potlucks, festivals, parades, bingo, card games and of course lots of volunteer workers. We are still a 55+ community and would love to see others join us. We have a beautiful lake and park, post office, fire department, beauty shop, library, VFW and other groups, and deer walk through your yard and squirrels play in the trees. It's a lot for the person looking for peace and quiet." -- Clarine Meeks Read more stories like this in Out West, "the newspaper that roams. Only $12.95 a year. Order online or get more information. ©2000 by Out West Newspaper BACK TO FAVORITE FEATURES PAGE BACK TO OUT WEST HOME PAGE Out West, 9792 Edmonds Way, #265-A, Edmonds, WA 98020. 800-274-9378. |
street," she told me. "If you see two in a row, that's traffic." Santineau and her husband moved to Ryderwood in 1986, paying $22,000 for their three-bedroom home.