— from GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press —
TENINO, Wash. (AP) — The blue-cheese salad dressing, butter, ground turkey, cans of grain-free dog food and new toothbrush came to $24.97.
In this May 21, 2020, Loren Ackerman holds a piece of wooden money he printed on an 1890s-era press in Tenino, Wash. In an effort to help residents and local merchants alike get through the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the small town has issued wooden currency for residents to spend at local businesses, decades after it created a similar program during the Great Depression. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)© Provided by Associated Press In this May 21, 2020, Loren Ackerman holds a piece of wooden money he printed on an 1890s-era press in Tenino, Wash. In an effort to help residents and local merchants alike get through the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the small town has issued wooden currency for residents to spend at local businesses, decades after it created a similar program during the Great Depression. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Laurie Mahlenbrei handed the cashier a slice of wood marked $25, and walked out.
The wooden currency is good only in the small city of Tenino, Washington, part of an effort to help residents and local merchants alike get through the economic fallout of the pandemic. Decades after it created a similar program during the Great Depression, the city is dipping into its emergency accounts to give people in need up to $300 per month in wooden currency to spend.
In this May 21, 2020 photo, Loren Ackerman prints wooden money on an 1890s-era press in Tenino, Wash. In an effort to help residents and local merchants alike get through the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the small town has issued wooden currency for residents to spend at local businesses, decades after it created a similar program during the Great Depression. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)© Provided by Associated Press In this May 21, 2020 photo, Loren Ackerman prints wooden money on an 1890s-era press in Tenino, Wash. In an effort to help residents and local merchants alike get through the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the small town has issued wooden currency for residents to spend at local businesses, decades after it created a similar program during the Great Depression. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Just about every business in town, from the gas station and auto-body shop to Don Juan’s Mexican Kitchen, is accepting the wooden scrip. The currency, made of maple veneer, is about the thickness, size and flexibility of an index card and printed on the same 1890s-era press that once printed the Depression currency and the local newspaper. It can’t be used for alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
In this May 21, 2020 photo, Loren Ackerman cleans the ink plate of the 1890s-era press he uses to print wooden money in Tenino, Wash. In an effort to help residents and local merchants alike get through the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the small town has issued wooden currency for residents to spend at local businesses, decades after it created a similar program during the Great Depression. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)© Provided by Associated Press In this May 21, 2020 photo, Loren Ackerman cleans the ink plate of the 1890s-era press he uses to print wooden money in Tenino, Wash. In an effort to help residents and local merchants alike get through the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the small town has issued wooden currency for residents to spend at local businesses, decades after it created a similar program during the Great Depression. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
The businesses can redeem the scrip for real dollars at City Hall — or sell them on the side. Some merchants said they’ve been offered three times the face value from coin collectors around the country.
“The city could have given out debit cards or cash, but we don’t know where that money is going to go,” said Tyler Whitworth, past president of the local chamber of commerce. “This is one of the ways we could keep the money here in the community.”
Tenino, population 1,800, is about a 25-minute drive south of the state capital, Olympia. Around the turn of the 20th century it became a boom town, with four hotels and 11 saloons, as the stone from its several quarries was in demand to help rebuild Seattle and San Francisco following devastating fires.
Nowadays there are no hotels; the quiet downtown is a row of single-story shops.
“We’re a small community that relies on a lot of tourism during the summer,” said Mayor Wayne Fournier, who devised the plan to use the wooden currency again. “Now everything’s been shut down. Our businesses, our restaurants, antique stores, they’re not going to have the traffic. There’s no assistance available for them. We are on our own.”
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This is too ****ing cool.
Awesome!
Orcas did it’s own currency once before… 20-25 years ago I recall. Chris printed the script at his print shop (using his old press).
Michael:
Indeed you are correct on Chris printing the “Orcas Currency” I believe it was Michael Sky who was the one behind the idea and implementation. I believe Michael Sky`s idea was more of a bartering type of use- get Orcas $ for work and can use with business or individuals that accept these “Orcas $”.
But its been a while since I was aware of the concept, I am a bit rusty on the details. Perhaps others that were aware of Michael Sky`s concept and idea can chime in.
Jim, I believe you are correct about the Michael Sky connection. The account didn’t ring true with me (as in I don’t remember such thing happening), but now I get it. It was a barter thing.