Red Men Hall (Index, Washington)

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Red Men Hall

| location= 530 Index Avenue, Index, Washington, 98256 U.S.

| image=Index, WA. (1702484342).jpg

| caption=The former building in 2007

| map_caption = Location within Washington

| coordinates = {{coord|47|49|18|N|121|33|14|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Washington#USA

| built = 1903

| architect =

| architecture = Western false front

| added = April 13, 1973

| demolished = 2009

| refnum = 73001889{{NRISref|2009a}}

}}

The Red Men Hall, also known as the Redmen Wigwam, was a meeting hall in Index, Washington originally for the Improved Order of Red Men. The building, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, collapsed on New Year's Day 2009.

Organization

The Red Men are a fraternal lodge which imitate perceived Native American traditions and call their local lodges "wigwams".{{cite book |title=Playing Indian |author-link=Philip J. Deloria |author-last=Deloria |author-first=Philip J. |pages=59–65 |publisher=Yale University Press |year=1998}} The Index Tribe #68 of the Great Council of Washington constructed the building in 1903 which included a stage and kitchen.{{cite web |url=http://www.nw.epls.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/Properties/id/1 |title=Northwest History Room Archives |date= 1986 |publisher=Everett Public Library |access-date=2014-10-29}} The building was the largest structure in the small logging and mining town and served as a center of social activities including vaudeville shows, weddings, and political gatherings.{{cite web |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9143 |title=Index - Thumbnail History |last=Lindgren |first=Louise |date= 2009-09-04 |publisher=HistoryLink |access-date=29 October 2014}}

Building

The building was a two-story wood-frame structure built with local lumber a narrow, country-store style with an arched roof and a false front. A bracket-supported slope-roofed porch spanned the entire front of the building.{{cite web |url={{NRHP url|id=73001889}} |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Red Men Hall |last=Warner |first=JoAnn |date= January 10, 1973 |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=May 2, 2024}} Despite several efforts at restoration, the building was long since abandoned by January 1, 2009 when it collapsed from the weight of the snow from a major storm in the high elevation.{{cite news | title = Index Landmark Collapses Under Weight of Snow | newspaper = Sky Valley Chronicle | location = Monroe, Washington | publisher = Sky Valley Media Group, LLC | date = 2009-01-04 | url = http://www.skyvalleychronicle.com/INDEX/INDEX-LANDMARK-COLLAPSES-UNDER-WEIGHT-OF-SNOW-4172 | access-date = 2014-10-29 }} No trace remains of the building today.