9-11 Memorial: Relic of World Trade Center Arrives at New Home in Edmonds

It may have looked simply like a one-ton hunk of steel. But as was made abundantly clear on Tuesday in Edmonds, it’s much more than that.

The 8-foot long steel beam, a relic from the destroyed World Trade Center, protected by a motorcade of Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and Edmonds and Lynnwood police departments as it traveled to its final resting place: the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Park at Fire Station 17 on Sixth Avenue North.

At the public ceremony marking the arrival of the steel—which will be part of a permanent memorial—firefighter Dave Erickson struggled with his emotions as he talked about traveling to New York last week to take ownership of the steel beam on behalf of Snohomish County Fire District 1, which provides fire service to Edmonds.

“I’m humbled to bring this powerful artifact back home,” Erickson said. The firefighter, when talking about 9/11, praised the efforts of as part of the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling also spoke at the ceremony, recalling where he was and his emotions of that day more than a decade ago. “When I saw that steel coming down the street, it was a dose of reality of what happened that day,” he said. “We should be proud to have a piece of history from that day in our city.”

Many cities across the country have incorporated relics from the World Trade Center into public memorials. All the relics are housed in Hanger 17 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. New York firefighters transported the beam bound for Edmonds to a FedEx facility, which shipped the artifact to the Pacific Northwest for free.

Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes says the plan is to have the city’s memorial in place in time for the 11th anniversary of 9-11.

Current fundraising efforts for the Sept. 11 memorial construction fund includes two hand-blown glass fire helmets created by Whidbey Island artist Dimitri Michaelides. Valued at $2,000, they will be raffled off with $50 tickets. You can get a ticket by by mail (check only, include phone number and contact info) from the Fire 1 Foundation, PO Box 12915, Everett WA 98206. The winner will be announced Dec. 21, so those interested should purchase their tickets right away.

Donations can also be made to the Fire 1 Foundation.

Tuesday’s ceremony at Fire Station 17 featured a presentation of the colors and flag-raising by the Fire District 1 Honor Guard and music by the Snohomish County Firefighters Pipes and Drums. Debbie Dawson, Edmonds Police Department's senior animal control officer, played taps.

The construction of the memorial will be a cooperative effort involving Fire District 1, the City of Edmonds, IAFF Local 1828, the Fire 1 Foundation and the community.