Crawford named Fourth parade grand marshal

CLARK FORK — Shirley Dawson Crawford was 6 years old when she arrived in the city with her parents.

Now 91, the long-time resident has been selected as the grand marshal for the community's Fourth of July parade.

In many ways, Crawford exemplifies the community and Fourth of July organizers knew she was the perfect selection of serve as the parade's grand marshal.

"Shirley says through it all she loves Clark Fork and would live nowhere else," Bob Hays, one of the organizers of the community's Fourth of July activities, said.

That love for the community and her deep roots in Clark Fork made Crawford the perfect pick for this year's celebration. 

While past participants have ridden in a convertible, Hays said Crawford plans to ride in a Ford Model A once owned by one of her brothers. One of 11 siblings, Crawford came to Clark Fork in 1939, Hays said. 

A cowboy, her father was on the last trail drive from Texas to Mile City, Mont., when he and two others decided to ride to a ranch in British Columbia, Canada, for work. A stop at Lake Louise would let to Ed Dawson meeting his future wife, Viola Heritage. While it took a bit to convince her family that a cowboy and rancher was a suitable husband, the couple married in 1916 in Banff, Alberta, in Canada.

After marrying, the couple traveled in covered wagon, working odd jobs and on ranches up and down the West Coast before ending up in Clark Fork, where they settled down for good, Hays said.

Crawford, who wrote "The Legend of the Wampus Cat," which details the legendary wampus cat which serves as the school's mascot.

The tribes in the area told of a wild cat often seen stalking its prey along the banks of the Clark Fork River. Resembling a cougar, the cat had a spiked ball on the end of its tail that it would swing around to strike its victims. In the summer, prey was plentiful and in the winter, it was reduced to "snow snakes" that hid high in the mountains.

Crawford attended school in Clark Fork all 12 years, active in both basketball and as a cheerleader. 

"Shirley's life was not easy," Hays said. "They lived 3 miles from town in the mountains and the bus only went a mile out of town then. The kids walked the rest of the way to meet the bus, even in deep winter snow and the road not plowed too often."

She worked as a waitress at a cafe in town before going to work at a cafe in Priest River after she graduated. That's where she met and married her husband, Roy Crawford, in 1955. The couple had five children, all of whom graduated Clark Fork High School.

Like Crawford, the Fourth of July events are a celebration of community, starting with the parade the Filling Station Youth Center’s 5K Freedom Fun Run at 7 a.m. at 108 First Ave. Participants can run or walk 

Following is the parade, which begins at 9:30 a.m. with participants starting to line up on Stephen Street about 8:30 a.m. From there the parade, which has no fee to enter, travels along on Highway 200 at Stephen Street at 9:30 a.m., turns right on Main Street and ends at the Clark Fork High parking lot, 502 N. Main St.

From 10:15 a.m. to noon at the school, the Booster Club will serve up plenty of food and foot races are available for all ages.

The celebration shifts over to Veterans' Memorial Park, on Ninth Avenue between Cedar and Pine streets, at 1 p.m. Candy and other items will be dropped from an airplane, followed by turtle races, a watermelon eating contest and more games. At 3 p.m., pole climbing, ax throwing and other timber competitions are held.

At dusk, the community fireworks celebration takes place.

Proceeds from the group's annual raffle fund the Fourth celebration. With prizes from rifles and pistols to air fryers and kayaks, there is something for everyone. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Chevron station and local businesses.