Club History

About 60 years ago the Yakima community raised a million dollars in stock subscriptions and borrowed another million, secured by a first mortgage, to complete the Chinook Hotel.  When the completed bids came in, there was not enough money to do everything desired and a part of the mezzanine floor, labeled Room 26-A on the blueprints, had to be left unfinished.  A self-appointed committee of three, Randolph Cunningham, Arthur Coffin, and John Bloxom, decided to raise $37,500.00 by forming a participating group, each member of which would subscribe $500.00 to complete Room 26-A for use of the subscribing members.  The first 75 names were chosen by this committee.  

The group, calling itself 26-A, later substituted Steve Moser for John Bloxom because the latter, as president of the Chinook Hotel, had to negotiate for the hotel with the committee on terms of a lease for the room the group was completing and equipping.  At a much later date, Jim Warren was substituted for Arthur Coffin on the committee of three and the committee headed the group until the hotel was about to close.  

When it looked as though 26-A as a group, and its hotel facilities were going out of existence, a new committee incorporated 26-A and found new quarters for the group.  the committee became a Board of Directors of 26-A.  Members were George Corbett, Arthur Coffin, Mike Korach, Gene Shields and John Bloxom.  This Board entered into a long-term lease with the Towne Plaza for the area the club now occupies.  The furnishings belong to the club, as they always have from the start, and the membership has grown from the original 75 to the present 100. 

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