NORTH BEND, Wash. — He may not have been the Mayor, but David Lynch may have left an imprint on North Bend more than anyone in recent memory.
“I wouldn’t be here without David Lynch,” said Max Spears, as he sipped on a cup of black coffee at Twede’s Café, made famous in the show “Twin Peaks.”
The filmmaker chose the Snoqualmie Valley to play a starring role in the cult classic back in 1990, including the café known in the show as the “Double R Diner.” Across the street, Lynch’s name was on the marquee of the North Bend Theater to announce his death. Lynch’s family said he had passed away Thursday at the age of 78.
“I don’t think North Bend would be the same without David Lynch and Twin Peaks,” said Sam Burrows, who helps run the theater and recalls hosting Lynch for screenings and other events. “He’s impacted the whole town.”
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Local historian Cristy Lake made the argument that Lynch’s decision immeasurably helped the town.
-“The logging industry was coming to an end,” she said. “Twin Peaks really came in at that time. It became a major draw for tourists from around the country and internationally as well and helped revitalize Snoqualmie and North Bend when it was struggling.”
Spears called Twede’s the heart and soul of the Twin Peaks universe, with people traveling from all over the world “to get a little piece of the show, the coffee that’s a black as a moonlight night, a slice of cherry pie.”
On Thursday, someone placed flowers on the corner of the café to honor Lynch.
Washington-native Kyle Maclachlan, who starred as Agent Cooper in the show, wrote in part on Instagram, “Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie. He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognize. I owe my entire career and life really to his vision.”
The Snoqualmie Valley will continue to host the “Real Twin Peaks” festival next month.
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