Remembering the Appleyard Explosion of 1974 at People of Our Past
An Exciting Living History Performance at the Wenatchee Valley Museum
The Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center is returning unique living history theater performances Friday to Sunday, March 18, 19 & 20. Local history comes alive as local actors, including Julie Kuntz, Kylee Boggs, Brain Higgins, Kaden Devereaux and Matthew Pippin, portray real people whose lives were impacted by the Apple Yard Explosion in Wenatchee on August 6, 1974.
Living historians will perform short monologues and give the audience a snapshot into the lives of everyday people who were in Wenatchee that day – including: Terry Pippin, autobody painter; Rose Gunkle, nurse; Jim Doll, photographer; Patricia Pippin (Arndt), police dispatcher; and Clyde Ballard, ambulance driver.
August 6, 1974 was a day that few would ever forget. That was the day train cars loaded with Methylammonium Nitrate (PR-M) exploded in the Apple Yard on the south end of town. While the devastation was horrific, it could have been much worse. Wenatchee came together to help. People of our Past will focus on this event from five different witnesses from one of Wenatchee’s darkest days.
Performances are Friday, March 18, Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20 all performances begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased online at wenacheevalleymuseum.org or by calling the museum at (509) 888-6240.
Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center
At the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center we gather, engage, and educate people to celebrate and preserve the history, arts, sciences, and rich diversity of our region. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates with the support of the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, as well as private donors. The Museum is housed in two historic federal-style downtown buildings that served early Wenatchee as the Post Office and Annex. For more information, check the Museum’s website at wenatcheevalleymuseum.org, follow us on Facebook @wenatcheemuseum, join us on Instagram @wvmuseum, or contact the Museum at 509-888-6240.
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