< PreviousCASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 40 forests created an ideal living environment. In pre-historic and historic times, coastal tribes often were separated from each other by dense forests, mountains, and water ways. They typically lived in small, isolated villages and had minimal contact with others. Each tribe represented several families or villages located in proximity. The tribal leader was the chief and the shaman or medicine man was the spiritual leader and healer. Tribal history, legends, and beliefs were passed orally from generation to generation and also incorporated into traditional songs, chants, dances, totem poles, pictorial drawings, and works of art. Salish art, which often depicts animal spirits, is famous for its distinctive character. The coastal tribes designed colorful blankets, ceremonial clothing, and masks, which were worn for celebrations (such as potlatches and marriage and burial ceremonies), as well as goods such as canoes and other timber products in Salish art motifs. Coastal tribes used local materials for clothing and utensils, such as shredded cedar bark, animal skins/leathers, and grasses. They would carve bowls from wood and stone and would frequently wear cedar bark capes, skirts, and ponchos. When the weather turned cool with more rain they would wear layers and often added blankets and robes to their wardrobe. Cone- shaped hats were favored to keep heads dry and protective mats made from reeds, moss, cattails and other materials also helped to keep the ground dry during the wet winters. Food sources were abundant, including salmon, otter, seal, whale, razor clams, oysters, smelt, abalone, halibut, cod, shellfish, crabs, and many other types of seafood, as well as trout and other fish from rivers and streams of the Cascade foothills. The sufficient food and water allowed coastal tribes to build permanent homes and villages near either saltwater or freshwater. Coastal tribes also ate meat from sea and land mammals (deer, elk, bear, sheep and mountain goats), waterfowl, and berries and wild fruit from the uplands. They used smoke houses, open pit fires and heated rocks to cook, and they often baked or smoked salmon and steamed clams. Salmon was the coastal peoples’ most important food source. Many coastal tribes lived in large longhouses, permanent structures made from cedar logs and planks, or in smaller plank houses. Longhouses were typically 40 to 100 feet long and 20 to 30 feet wide with shed-like roofs, no windows, few doors, and a small opening in the ceiling to let out the smoke. Several related families would share the same longhouse with several longhouses or other house forms existing in a village. Woven mats or cattails were used to cover the shelters. Coastal peoples typically walked or canoed when traveling. Even after the Spanish introduced the horse in North America, the coast tribes would rarely ride horses and preferred travel by dugout canoe. Coastal Native Americans were excellent canoe makers, dedicating months of hard labor and careful craftsmanship to each one. A tall cedar tree was selected and cut to a desired length then bark and limbs were removed. An adze or ax was used to sculpt out the wood and often the inside of the canoe would be burned out. After shaping the canoe with braces and smoothing the outside surface, decorative paints would be applied and the bow would be carved in a distinctive form to represent a particular group. Dugout canoes were made in all sizes with some over 30 feet long and were used to transport people, hunt and fish, and haul goods and supplies. Coastal tribes had differing rituals and ceremonies related to puberty, marriage, and burial. Some tribal elders would send youth into the wilderness upon reaching puberty, called the “Spirit Dance” by some. After fasting, boys around 15 years old typically would walk alone to find and meet with the spirits. Marriage ceremonies were very different among tribes. Sometimes an elaborate potlatch ceremony was held. The Potlatch (Chinook word meaning “to give”) brought relatives and guests together. Potlatch hosts would lavishly distribute gifts to show generosity and display wealth. Columbia Plateau Tribes Plateau tribes east of the mountains were larger with hundreds of members, but organized into fewer tribes or groups. A single tribe could have control over large expanses of land. Many of the ancestors of the Plateau peoples in proximity to the Cascade Loop are now part of the Colville Confederated Tribes. The Yakama, Nez Perce, and Wanapum are other tribes of the Columbia Plateau. In pre-historic and historic times, these interior groups were more likely to live in seasonal villages because food was less abundant, and they traveled seasonally to hunt and fish and sometimes would compete with each other Pilchuck Julia of the Pilchuck Tribe2. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 41 for control of these areas. Located between the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains the Plateau’s more extreme temperatures created a harsh environment for the Native Americans, with windy, snowy, and cold winters, and hot and dry summers. Plateau tribes often had to travel to find water and food, and as such were semi-nomadic or nomadic. Plateau tribes lived within a group social structure, where they worked together to bring the necessities of life to the people such as shelter, food, water, and security. Family members shared food, transportation, and homes. Men typically fished and hunted, while women were responsible for digging roots, gathering fruits and berries, preparing food, and making clothing. Tribal organizations included chiefs, tribal councils, and a council of elders. It was the responsibility of each tribal chief to maintain peace among the tribe and provide security from attacks. The chief served as judge in disputes, hosted guests, and often led the process of trading for food, goods, and grazing areas for livestock. During wartimes, the chief also served as the military leader. Larger tribes had several chiefs, each with different responsibilities. Clothing was made from animal skins, furs, hair, and also from grasses and rushes. Thick leather moccasins and leather leggings were worn to protect legs and feet from the various thorny plants of the Plateau. Females made and wore decorative dresses, typically from hides and animal skins with beads and shells as decoration. They also made elaborate headdresses from feathers as well as colorful blankets and robes, which often were worn during tribal ceremonies, special celebrations and at times of war. Jewelry was crafted from beads, shells, stones, bones, copper, bear claws, feathers, and other materials into necklaces, earrings, nose rings, and other decorations. Food and water were often scarce and difficult to find, which contributed to the need to travel throughout each season for hunting and fishing. They would hunt deer, elk, horses, rabbits, mountain goats, sheep, beaver, buffalo, dogs, snakes, and other meat sources, as well as grasshoppers, crickets, and other insects. Buffalo hunting parties had to cross the Rocky Mountains to reach the Great Plains, which was a difficult and dangerous journey. Plateau tribes made use of all foods available and were excellent gatherers of berries (blackberries, huckleberries, chokeberries, etc.), nuts, seeds (especially sunflower seeds), as well as camas bulbs and bitterroots that were cooked in earthen ovens, mashed, boiled, and dried into flat cakes. They also made pemmican from processed animal fat, berries, camas root, and fish. Pemmican was an important source of nutrition that was baked, boiled, or eaten raw. Salmon was a very important source of food for Plateau tribes, abundant in inland rivers and streams especially during the spawning season. Because they were always on the move, Plateau tribes used a form of shelter that was easy to put up and take down. This included tepees for much of the year, which were cone-shaped shelters formed by several long poles with woven mats or animal hides as a covering. The tepee had no windows and typically a single flap of animal hide was used for the entrance. Fires often were built in the middle of the tepee, and smoke would flow out through an opening at the top. During cold winters, Plateau peoples often would live in caves or pit houses built five to six feet deep and approximately 30 feet in diameter. A framework was constructed above the pit and covered with animal hides and mats made from organic materials such as plants like the tule, a bulrush that grows abundantly in local ponds, springs, and sloughs on the Columbia Chief William Shelton of the Tulalip Tribe, 1868-1938CASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 42 Plateau. Tules were tied together to create mats to cover winter homes as well as summer tepees and were particularly popular near the Columbia River where tules were abundant. Often constructed on the leeward slope of hills away from the cold winter winds, pit houses provided comfortable protection from harsh winter weather. Horses were highly valued after their arrival on the Plateau in the early 18th century. Horses greatly enhanced the tribes’ ability to migrate and do their tasks more efficiently. Plateau tribes often captured and broke wild horses and increased their own herds by trading and breeding. Horses were special gifts and the number of horses an individual or tribe owned was considered a measure of wealth. Horses and dogs were used to pull a travois, which hauled possessions and people from place to place. Consisting of two long poles of equal length, the travois was attached to the shoulders of the animal by leather straps with woven mats or animal hides covering the space between the poles. A travois could carry a family’s belongings or the ill, wounded, elderly, or very young children. Tribes of the Columbia Plateau spoke as many as 100 dialects or languages in what is now Washington State. In order to trade with other tribes and later with fur traders and Euro-American settlers, communication was important, so many Plateau tribes spoke Interior Salish, Sahaptin, or Chinook, often in addition to their own language. The Wenatchi-P’squosa people, who inhabited the area around what is today known as Wenatchee, were Salish-speakers. They were semi-nomadic, wintering along the Columbia River and moving up the Wenatchee River in spring to dig camas roots, hunt deer, pick berries, and fish for salmon. They hosted large gatherings of tribes at Wenatshapam (near today’s Leavenworth) for the salmon harvest. Northwest tribes also used a variety of sign languages and particularly during the time since Euro- American exploration many tribes began using Chinook jargon, a mixture of Chinook, French, and English words, as a common language for communication. The Vast Tribal Trade Network The trade network of Pacific Northwest tribes was vast and sophisticated, extending hundreds of miles as goods traded hands between interior and coastal tribes and eventually with Euro-American fur-traders and explorers. Plateau tribes traded their horses as well as their beadwork and leather goods, often for furs, weapons, supplies, and a variety of foods. Fireweed, a native plant that can be found blooming in summer throughout the Loop Learning about Tribes while Visiting the Cascade Loop The previous text describes historic characteristics of native peoples of the Northwest, but it is important to remember that many tribes live around the Cascade Loop today and carry on various traditions and ways of life. Their cultural histories, as well as their present-day stories are told in interpretive centers and museums in each region of the Cascade Loop. Modern place names of many Cascade Loop destinations, such as Chelan, Skagit, Snohomish, and others are derived from Native American words. Native American tribes of today are working hard to preserve their cultural traditions and heritage. Through educational programs as well as annual events and celebrations, the tribes honor their past traditions and their commitment to maintaining these into the future. The annual Canoe Journey is one of these events, where coastal tribes travel together in canoes following a specific itinerary each year. 2. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 43 Geography Flowing northwest, the Snohomish River begins at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Skykomish Rivers, near present-day Monroe, and ends about twelve miles downstream where it empties into Port Gardner Bay (part of Puget Sound) north of Everett. Approximately 14,000 years ago, this river valley was created when glacial Lake Snohomish drained through the Redmond Delta and the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, and Skykomish Rivers were incised into the valley floor. The Snohomish River Valley is wide and flat, created through thousands of years of glacial movement and flowing meltwater. The valley is bounded by moraine outwash hills with steep sides and is often described as a "bathtub" in scientific literature. After thousands of years of glacial activity, the sea level did not stabilize in the Puget Sound region until around 5,000 years ago and at that time salmon runs and shellfish beds became established. The marine shores, peninsulas, points, and islands of Puget Sound took the form that is still mostly recognizable today, except where altered by human settlement and industrial development. Native American Life, Early Exploration, and the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855 For thousands of years, Native American tribes have lived in this area where the abundance of seafood and the temperate climate offered a comfortable quality of life. The name “Snohomish,” now the name of the river and city, honors the people who lived in this area prior to Euro-American settlement. They spoke a dialect of Lushootseed, which translates from Snohomish to “man and people,” and they lived in a permanent winter village on the land spit and adjoining salt marsh that later became Mukilteo. The meaning of Mukilteo is also derived from Lushootseed and roughly translates as “to swallow” or “narrow passage,” which is consistent with the meaning given by Chief William Shelton of the Tulalip Tribe of “a throat, or neck, or a narrowing in a body of water.” Throughout time Mukilteo was a favorite place to camp and meet with others, and today, it is still a favorite place to gather for meetings. Later, the Snohomish people moved north to the mouth of the Snohomish River, where they built the village of Hibulb (also spelled Hebolb). Members of the Snoqualmie Tribe lived further to the east around Monroe and in the Snoqualmie River Valley. In 1792, British Captain George Vancouver anchored his ship the Discovery at the site that later became Mukilteo. Lieutenant William Robert Broughton and botanist Archibald Menzies briefly went ashore for exploration. They named the place “Rose Point” for the many wild roses growing there. Remnants of rosa nutkana can still be found along the shoreline in this area. Later, in 1841, US Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes anchored at the same location and officially changed the name from “Rose Point” to “Point Elliott” on American charts, in honor of midshipman Samuel Elliott. This name stuck and continues to be used today. On January 22, 1855, territorial Governor Isaac Stevens met with 82 Native American leaders including Chief Seattle at Point Elliott (in the vicinity of Mukilteo). Native leaders signed a treaty to cede their lands to the United States government in exchange for relocation to reservations, retention of hunting and fishing rights, and an amount of cash. History has shown that some tribal leaders may not have clearly understood the full terms of the treaty even though they signed their mark in front of many witnesses. REGION 1 Located between the shores of Puget Sound and Stevens Pass Greenway, this region of the Cascade Loop Scenic Byway is influenced by the characteristics of the broad valley of the Snohomish River and is the most urbanized of all the regions, with the biggest cities and towns and a wide variety of cultural entertainment. Seattle NorthCountryCASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 44 The treaty greatly changed the way of life for native people as many had to move from their villages to live with other tribes and bands on reservation lands. The Tulalip Reservation was established by the 1855 Treaty and by Executive Order of President U.S. Grant dated December 23, 1873. The reservation was established at Tulalip Bay to provide a permanent home for Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skagit, Suiattle, Samish, and Stillaguamish Tribes and allied bands living in the region. Pioneers, Settlement, and Growth of Communities Euro-Americans and other settlers came to the area in response to government granted homesteads and in hopes of extracting the area's natural resources of timber and ore. Mukilteo, situated on Possession Sound, was one of the first settlements in Snohomish County and the first county seat. The nearby peninsula at Port Gardner Bay was settled as the City of Everett and later became the county seat. In the fall of 1891 land was cleared to build a new industrial boomtown (Everett) that would be supported by wealthy east coast and regional investors. The investors hoped this spot would be where the Great Northern Railroad would first touch western tidewater. The nearby town of Snohomish was also established in the mid to late 1800s and eventually grew to become the economic and cultural center of the county, and served as county seat for 36 years, until it was moved to Everett in 1897. Named after the son of investor Charles Colby, Everett’s diverse economic base in the beginning, included a paper mill, a nail factory, a bargeworks, and a smelter to refine ores. Lumber and shingle mills also started up near the waterfront. Everett was incorporated in the spring of 1893, but the region and country soon fell into a serious depression and Everett's boom was curtailed. During the next five years, many community services such as hospitals, schools, and libraries were established, and by 1900 a new economic boom established Everett as the industrial city it was initially intended to be. By World War I, the lumber-shingle trade was well established and the city’s importance as a regional and international waterfront port was solidified by the 1920s. Snohomish, also located in Snohomish County, was established after settlers filed claims on both sides of the Snohomish River in 1859, thinking that traffic on a new military road would cover the cost for a ferry crossing service. Although ferry service didn’t happen, a steady increase in steamship service brought loggers and supplies to camps up and down the river, followed by family farmers. River travel was instrumental in the settling of Snohomish since in the early days there were no roads, only winding muddy paths through the woods. Later logging and mill operation contributed to the town’s growth. The Seattle Herald reported in 1884 that “Snohomish was an old town of about 700 inhabitants, with a two-story courthouse, a new sawmill producing 20,000 feet of lumber each day, one good school building, six saloons, and one church (and that church had a bell).” Products as listed by the newspaper were “fruit, logs, hay and skating rinks” (two skating rinks in fact). When the first train pulled into the new Snohomish station on Lincoln Street four years later, the city boasted a million dollar economy, the fourth largest on Puget Sound. Meanwhile, in Mukilteo, early entrepreneurs established the first salmon cannery in Washington Territory and one of the region's earliest breweries in the late 1800s, while the lumber industry also grew. Japanese workers of the Crown Lumber Company and their families were an important part of the Mukilteo community from 1903 to 1930. Many of the Japanese families lived in company housing in what became known later as “Japanese Gulch,” and today is a recreation destination with an extensive trail system and beautiful parks and open space. Most of the Japanese moved away after the Crown Lumber Company closed in 1930. Mas Odoi, who was born in Japanese Gulch stated, “When we moved away, we never found a place as nice to live.” Odoi was responsible for creating a monument in memory of the Japanese community at Mukilteo and their harmonious relationship with other Mukilteo residents. Monroe, located at the east edge of the Snohomish River Valley region of the Cascade Loop, was established after US Army scouts came to the area in the mid-1800s to find an outpost. In 1860, Henry McClurg, the first settler, claimed land where the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers met to form the Snohomish River. Four years later, he moved inland about a mile and founded the settlement of Park Place (now a Monroe suburb west of town). Near this same time, Salem Woods staked his claim northeast of present-day Monroe along the creek and in the prairie that still bears his name. In 1864 Charles Harriman claimed land in the Tualco Valley south of the rivers. The area was known as "The Forks" and the name Tualco came from the Native American word "squa'lxo" meaning "meeting place of two rivers." The coming of the Great Northern Railway through the area in 1893 greatly influenced the valley’s growth and development. The railroad also boosted Monroe's commerce. A Great Northern Railway superintendent said, "The Company does more business at Monroe than any other point on the line, outside of larger towns." The Weyerhaeuser Lumber Mill, Everett Waterfront, early 1900's2. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 45 Peter N. Christiansen, first lighthouse keeper at Mukilteo Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul (Milwaukee) line joined the transportation scene in late 1910, paralleling the Great Northern tracks to Monroe. The Milwaukee trestle across the Skykomish River at Monroe was the longest covered railroad trestle in the world. In the early days, a hotel and store served as the hub of the town, and when the local citizens petitioned the government for a post office, they found they needed a name. McClurg as one of the first settlers chose the name “Monroe.” Monroe eventually incorporated in 1902. Logging was the another mainstay of Monroe's economy for many years, and as the logging industry waned, agriculture grew, with berry farms taking the forefront, along with a proliferation of dairy farms, which in 1908 began supplying milk to Carnation Milk. The Washington State Reformatory was established in Monroe in 1907. Monroe has hosted the Evergreen State Fair for decades. After building fairgrounds at the south end of town in 1903, the fair became known as the “Cavalcade of the Valleys” and prospered into the 1930s. Eventually the event transitioned into the Evergreen State Fair, held in Monroe every year from late August until early September. Since World War II, Mukilteo’s and Everett's proximity to Paine Field has greatly influenced the local economy and how the communities have grown. Mukilteo annexed and grew to the south, and although expansion shifted the commercial center to Harbour Pointe, Mukilteo still retains a strong sense of its "Old Town" roots. Everett continued to grow into a large, bustling city, and as the timber industry began to decline regionally, the arrival of Boeing and aerospace in the 1960s was welcomed and has been an important and stabilizing economic force for the region ever since. In the 1990s, the United States government established a Navy homeport in Everett, which commands a prominent place on the city’s waterfront and also contributes significantly to the region’s economy. Air flight also has roots in Snohomish. In 1991, Noble Harvey (who established a family-owned airfield in 1945, Harvey Airfield) hosted the first airplane flight in the county. Fred J. Wiseman, who held the record for a sustained flight of more than six minutes, arrived by train with his Curtiss-Farman-Wright biplane, billed as the “Fastest Machine in the World.” Wiseman’s flight in Snohomish was cut short by rain-soaked, fabric-covered wings and it ended in a muddy but safe nose-dive after reaching only 60 feet in altitude. The plane was repaired and is currently hanging in the Smithsonian Postal Museum as the first plane to carry the mail. The Mukilteo ferry landing has been an important passenger ferry hub since the 1900s. Car ferries began in 1919 with the Whidbey I and the Central I making regular runs between Mukilteo and Clinton. For the next three decades ferry service was maintained by ships of the Puget Sound Navigation Company (the Black Ball Line) until 1951 when the company was purchased by Washington State Ferries. The nearby Mukilteo Lighthouse, completed in 1906, is now on the National Register of Historic Places and stands near the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry dock. Several historic landmarks also exist in Everett including various structures along Hewitt Avenue, several residential areas, and the city’s public library and City Hall. Since 1973, a 26-block area in Snohomish has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today’s Characteristics Today the communities of Mukilteo, Everett, Snohomish, and Monroe are part of a growing urban area that supports a healthy regional economy and offers full scale services and abundant cultural and recreational activities. Mukilteo’s population as of the 2010 census was 20,254, and the city ranked as number 9 in Money Magazine’s 2011 list of top 100 small towns of America to live in. As home to the Future of Flight Aviation Center, Boeing Tours, and other aerospace tourism destinations, Mukilteo also draws thousands of visitors each year. The ferry terminal still carries passengers back and forth from Whidbey Island each day, and the waterfront community offers a variety of activities for citizens and visitors. In Everett, the Center for the Performing Arts is located alongside the historic Everett Civic Auditorium and the CASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 46 original Everett Theater. Everett’s population as of the 2010 census was 103,019, making it the sixth largest city in the state and the fifth largest in Puget Sound. Everett is also home to the largest public marina on the West Coast. Boeing’s assembly plant for the 747, 767, 777, and 787 is known for being the largest building in the world by volume at 116.5 million cubic feet. Aerospace, telecommunications, computer technology, electronics, health care, tourism, education and government business, the paper products industry, and numerous small businesses serve as the economic base for the region. Everett has a large workforce totaling approximately 88,000 workers. Principal employers include Boeing, the US Naval Station Everett, Snohomish County, several hospitals and medical centers, and the State of Washington. Snohomish's population of 9,098 (based on the 2010 census) prides itself for its historic downtown and being known as the “Antique Capital of the Northwest” due to its many antique shops. The Snohomish National Historic District includes several preserved homes and structures including the Blackman House, which is also a year-round museum. The Harvey Airfield is still in operation, less than one mile southwest of downtown Snohomish. Monroe’s population as of the 2010 census was 17,510, and the community continues to grow. Now a busy commercial hub, Monroe not only serves the daily needs of its residents but also serves as a jumping off point for visitors seeking adventure in the region or on their way to the Cascades. Everett Waterfront at sunset, 20192. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 47 REGION 2 Stevens Pass Greenway is a designated National Scenic Byway that follows the Great Northern Railway’s Iron Goat Trail and the thundering Skykomish and Wenatchee Rivers. This region of the Cascade Loop is located between the eastern boundary of Monroe over Stevens Pass to Coles Corner along state Route (SR) 2 (although it should be noted that the designated National Scenic Byway extends to Peshastin). Several small rustic towns welcome visitors along this segment, where they can enjoy hiking, skiing, white water rafting, kayaking, fishing, wildlife watching, and many other recreational activities. Stevens Pass Greenway Geography Stevens Pass Greenway follows rugged terrain through the Cascade Mountains, beginning at an elevation of 62 feet above sea level in Monroe and climbing to an elevation of 4,055 feet at Stevens Pass, 52 miles east. Much of the 90-mile length of this National Scenic Byway is surrounded by a scenic forested landscape and managed by the US Forest Service as the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest for 27 miles on the west side of the summit, and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest for 34 miles on the east side. There are also several open areas as well as settled areas at small towns along the highway route such as Sultan, Startup, Gold Bar, Index, Baring, Grotto, Skykomish, and Coles Corner. Stevens Pass Ski Resort, located 50 miles east of Monroe and 35 miles west of Leavenworth, offers snowboarding and skiing (including night skiing) in the winter and hiking and mountain biking in the summer, including Washington's only lift-served downhill bike park, set in a spectacular alpine environment. Native American Life The Native American tribes known to have lived in this region included the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and Wenatchi Tribes, with the Snohomish occupying the western edge, the Snoqualmie in the vicinity of Monroe and southward through the Snoqualmie Valley, the Skykomish along the Skykomish River, and the Wenatchi on the east side of the pass. The Skykomish people wintered along the river between where Monroe and Index are today and established summer camps throughout the hills seasonally. They fished for salmon, hunted, and gathered throughout the area and commonly traded with other tribes east of the summit as well as coastal tribes. Per the Treaty of Point Elliott, signed in 1855, the Snohomish, Skykomish, and other tribes were subsumed into the Tulalip Tribes and many moved to the Tulalip Reservation. Of those who remained, intermarriage, assimilation, and diseases brought by settlers greatly reduced their numbers so that by 1950 there were very few native people living locally. Today, Pacific Northwest tribes are working hard to maintain their distinctive traditions and cultural ways of life throughout the region. There is some written evidence that Native Americans may have used Stevens Pass to cross the mountains. According to a study of prehistoric and ethnographic elements of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, “it seems likely that there was at least intermittent use of Stevens Pass as a travelway.” Other historical texts indicate that the Great Northern Railroad route followed an ancient trail.CASCADE LOOP SCENIC BYWAY 2. Past and Present Conditions 48 Pioneers, Settlement, and Growth of Communities When Euro-Americans first arrived in the Pacific Northwest, they explored the more easily accessible coastal areas. With the introduction of fur trading, more inland explorations occurred, and the Cascade Mountains attracted transient traders who harvested the area’s beaver and other fur- bearing animals in the 1800s. In 1846, the British boundary in the Northwest receded to the 49th parallel, opening the land that comprises current-day Washington and Oregon for American settlement. In the mid-1800s mineral prospecting drew Euro- Americans to this region. Along the Stevens Pass Greenway, the towns of Sultan and Gold Bar developed during the 1850s in direct response to the arrival of miners. Five miles north of Sultan, the remains of the Horseshoe Bend placer mine provide a tangible reminder of the economic and historic importance that mining had in the development of the area. After the US federal government encouraged settlement of the west during the 1850s and with the introduction of the Donation Land Claims and Homestead Acts that offered land to individuals if they resided on a piece of property and cultivated it for four years, many more homesteaders came to this region. As more people began to live in towns of this region, a greater need arose for more reliable transportation. This, coupled with competition for international trade and valuable mail route contracts, prompted the need for a shorter railroad route to the Pacific. James J. Hill, the founder of the Great Northern Railway, competitively sought a more direct route than had been provided by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883 (which stretched from Duluth, Minnesota to Tacoma, Washington, crossing the less severe Snoqualmie Pass). In 1888, a Great Northern Railway engineer, John F. Stevens, surveyed a more direct route from St. Paul, Minnesota to Everett, Washington, crossing the 4,055 foot Cascade Mountain pass. After recognizing the Nason Creek route as the best location for the Great Northern Railway, Stevens sent his assistant C.F.B. Haskell to confirm it. Haskell went to the headwaters of the Skykomish where he blazed the words “Stevens Pass” into a tree. Later in 1893, photographer Anders Beer Wilse found and photographed the blazed words while documenting the building of the railroad. The rugged landscape of the Cascade Mountains challenged railroad builders, who responded with innovative, although somewhat precarious designs. Under pressure from Hill to develop the railroad as quickly as possible, Stevens developed switchbacks as a temporary alternative to more costly and time-consuming tunnels. The switchbacks that connected two points only three miles apart on each side of Stevens Pass wove precariously over 13 miles of track and trestles. Another of the Great Northern Railway’s engineering feats was the Horseshoe Tunnel, which turned 170 degrees. As passengers at the front of a long train emerged from the tunnel, they could look back and see the train’s caboose entering it. By 1900, the Great Northern Railway simplified travel over the pass by replacing the switchbacks with the two-mile-long Cascade Tunnel. Due to remaining hazards in winter, including the Wellington Disaster—an avalanche in 1910 that resulted in many deaths after burying two trains— a new, longer Cascade Tunnel was constructed, extending eight miles from Berne to Scenic (historic railroad stops that cease to exist today). Historical remnants of the railroad route over Stevens Pass are listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Stevens Pass Historic District, covering approximately ten miles along the SR 2 corridor. The American Society of Civil Engineering has also listed this portion of the grade as a National Civil Engineering Landmark. Construction of the railroad brought an influx of laborers and changed the way people traveled across the pass, as well as the geography of towns and cities in the corridor. Compared to perilous winding wagon roads and trails, travel by rail was more efficient, and towns popped up along the line. The railroad helped to expand the logging industry, enhancing the economy of several towns as loggers cut timbers in the mountains, floated them down river, and loaded them onto rail cars headed for mills located in the bigger cities. Since the late 1800s, the US Forest Service has been the primary government agency responsible land management along Stevens Pass. In 1893, the federal government set aside 2.25 million acres of forest reserve land in Washington and closed it to settlement and resource development. The Early Settlers on the Skykomish River, Sultan, 19092. Past and Present ConditionsCORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN 49 government later modified the law to allow citizens to mine, log, and farm on lands suitable for such uses. With the growth of the timber industry the US Forest Service sold timber to individuals or companies that had land holdings next to public property. The Forest Service then became increasingly responsible for managing fire suppression to protect the valuable timber, building fire lookouts throughout the forests of what are today the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests. Recreationists began using the area after the railroad provided easy access through the mountains. Resorts catering to railroad tourists were established at Skykomish and Scenic. After the Stevens Pass Highway was completed in 1925, the area became increasingly popular for hiking, fishing, skiing, hunting, and other recreation. Modern Characteristics and Communities Stevens Pass Greenway today is a popular destination for city-dwellers on both sides of the Cascades, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. While many small, mountain towns dot the corridor and provide places to stop and eat along the scenic byway, there are many relics of the past history of railroad, mining, and logging that can be found with greater exploration. Many historic towns of the past (Wellington, Berne, Scenic, etc.) have since disappeared, with few remaining buildings and structures to mark their past existence. The economy of the Stevens Pass region has moved away from these earlier industries, shifting to forestry, fishing, agriculture, and tourism. The overall population of this region has shrunk considerably in the past 50 years as the logging and mining boom of the early 1900s collapsed in the area. Although the populations of towns have decreased from earlier boom times, several have remained stable, shifting towards tourism and recreation-related industries. Trails, recreation and camping areas, and ski resorts are popular attractions that bring numerous visitors each year. In fact, Stevens Pass Ski Resort attracts over 400,000 visitors per season. Sultan, founded in 1905 as a logging, mining, and farming town, today is a small commercial hub serving the valley with a population of 4,651 (based on the 2010 census). Sultan also has become a popular bedroom community due to its proximity to the Seattle-Everett metropolitan region and access to outdoor recreation opportunities, and as such experienced a 39 percent population increase in the past ten years. Startup, located east of Sultan, with a population of 676 in 2010, is another recreation-focused community with year-round and vacation homes. Gold Bar’s population has remained fairly stable over the past 10 years, with a population hovering around 2,075 as of 2010. Index, situated along the edge of the Skykomish River at the base of Mount Index, a 6,000-foot peak at the western edge of the Cascade Range, has a population of 178 (2010 census). Index was established in 1907 and its population peaked at 1,000 after construction of the railroad, but then began to decline in the 1930s with reduced activity in the mining industry. Index has become a popular destination for whitewater rafting and fly-fishing. Skykomish is nestled in the valley of the Cascades following the South Fork of the Skykomish River. The town experienced significant development after its founding in 1909 and during the following years as the timber, railroad, and mining industries boomed in the area. With the decline of railroad and logging, and the eventual routing of US 2 across the Skykomish River away from the town center, the boomtown days of Skykomish waned, but today, the town maintains a stable population of 214 residents and is a well-known traveler’s rest, particularly with Pacific Crest Trail through-hikers. In the Forest Service managed areas of Stevens Pass Greenway, existing interpretive opportunities for visitors include the Iron Goat Trail, which commemorates the railroad history of the corridor and provides an accessible tour of the old Great Northern Railway grade. The trail is accessible from Forest Service Road 6710, located just north of Deception Falls and a trailhead with restrooms has been developed where visitors can park and learn about the history of the John F. Stevens, Great Northern Railway engineer, Stevens Pass namesakeNext >