North Cascades:History Basic Data
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North Cascades:History Basic Data NORTH CASCADES History Basic Data North Cascades N.P. Ross Lake N.R.A. & Lake Chelan N.R.A. HISTORY BASIC DATA By Erwin N. Thompson March 1970 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Office of History and Historic Architecture Eastern Service Center TABLE OF CONTENTS noca/hbd/index.htm Last Updated: 11-Jun-2008 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/noca/hbd/index.htm[11/22/2013 2:18:41 PM] North Cascades:History Basic Data (Table of Contents) NORTH CASCADES History Basic Data TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1, The Indians Skagit Indians Other Coastal Indians Inland Indians Evaluation and Recommendations Chapter 2, Fur Trading and Trapping Evaluation and Recommendations Chapter 3, International Boundary Evaluation and Recommendations Chapter 4, The Army and the Mountains Evaluation and Recommendations Chapter 5, Mining The Skagit Ruby Creek Thunder Creek and Cascade River The Stehekin and Lake Chelan Notes on Mining Evaluation and Recommendations Chapter 6, The Settlers Evaluation and Recommendations Chapter 7, Transportation and Communication The Skagit--Roads The Skagit--Railroads The Stehekin--Roads and Railroads Lake Chelan--Shipping Evaluation and Recommendations http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/noca/hbd/contents.htm[11/22/2013 2:18:56 PM] North Cascades:History Basic Data (Table of Contents) Chapter 8, The Public Domain National Forest Logging Forest Fires Grazing Mountain Climbing Cascade Crest Trail Hydroelectricity National Park Evaluation and Recommendations Endnotes Bibliography Nomination Forms, National Register Illustrations LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS Illustrations 1. Skokomish Camp, by E. S. Curtis. 2. Shovelnose canoes, Coastal Indians, by E. S. Curtis. 3. A Snohomish grave house photographed by E. S. Curtis. The Skagit Indians used similar structures for their dead. 4. International Boundary Commission camp at Sumas, by James W. Alden. 5. Chilliwack Lake, by James W. Alden. 6. Summit of the Cascade Mountains, by James W. Alden. 7. Lt. H. H. Pierce's map of 1882. (PDF format) 8. Mine tunnel at Doubtful Lake, by Paul Sollie. 9. Value mine, North Fork of Cascade River. 10. Old power plant, near Skagit Queen Creek, by Allan May. 11. Davis power plant, Diablo. 12. Tommy Rowland's homestead, Ross Lake. 13. John McMillan's homestead, Big Beaver Creek. 14. Gilbert Landre's cabin, North Fork of Cascade River, by Harry Wills. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/noca/hbd/contents.htm[11/22/2013 2:18:56 PM] North Cascades:History Basic Data (Table of Contents) 15. Kronk cabin, Stehekin Valley. 16. Horton's cabin, Stehekin, by Alfred Downing, 1889 (2 sketches). 17. Field's Hotel, Stehekin, by Asahel Curtis. 18. Lady of the Lake on Lake Chelan, 1914. 19. Lady of the Lake on Lake Chelan, 1970. 20. Railroad trestle at Thornton Creek. 21. Inclined railroad at Diablo. 22. Old Number Six at Newhalem. 23. High lead bringing in logs, by Clark Kinsey. 24. Steam donkey, by Clark Kinsey. 25. Steam donkey, by Clark Kinsey. 26. Gorge power house, Newhalem. 27. Gorge Dam. 28. Diablo Dam. Maps 1. Historic Base Map, North Cascades. (PDF format) 2, 2a.. Mining Claims as of 1899, North Cascades. (PDF format) 3. Mining Areas as of 1956, North Cascades. (PDF format) <<< Previous <<< Contents>>> Next >>> noca/hbd/contents.htm Last Updated: 11-Jun-2008 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/noca/hbd/contents.htm[11/22/2013 2:18:56 PM] North Cascades:History Basic Data NORTH CASCADES History Basic Data North Cascades N.P. Ross Lake N.R.A. & Lake Chelan N.R.A. HISTORY BASIC DATA By Erwin N. Thompson March 1970 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Office of History and Historic Architecture Eastern Service Center TABLE OF CONTENTS noca/hbd/index.htm Last Updated: 11-Jun-2008 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/noca/hbd/index.htm[11/22/2013 2:18:59 PM] North Cascades:History Basic Data (Acknowledgments) NORTH CASCADES History Basic Data ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Historians accept the fact that they will spend much of their lives in a sitting position. Most often their environment consists of badly-lit rooms filled with poorly-designed furniture. Great then is the pleasure when the task at hand calls for hiking through the splendid valleys and magnificent vistas of a land such as the North Cascades. Equally pleasant is the opportunity to meet and talk with the people who live in that land. From such an experience should come an inspired and definitive history. Alas, this report is not inspired, and it certainly is not definitive. But I enjoyed every minute of its preparation, and accept the responsibility for its errors and shortcomings. In preparing the report I met some great people, men and women who love the North Cascades and who generously shared their knowledge of the history of these mountains. My thanks go to all of them. Superintendent Roger Contor, Jerry Hammond, Harry Wills, George Wagner, Jerry Wood, Darell Wilsie, Sy Hentges, Edith Gibson, and Paul Sollie, all treated me royally and contributed much to the report. Neal A. Butterfield, Northwest Regional Office, demonstrated great patience when I fell behind schedule. James Larson, Office of Natural Science Studies, helped make my first visit to the park a memorable occasion. Supervisor H. C. Chriswell and Mr. Donald E. Allen, Mount Baker National Forest, Bellingham, made available the history files of the national forest. James M. Trappe, Principal Mycologist, U.S. Forest Service, discussed at length the history of Stehekin, an area he knows well. Bruce Le Roy, Director, Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma, and his competent staff made available the rich treasures of the Society's library and archives. Mrs. Anna M. Ibbotson, Assistant Librarian, brought to my attention several important documents and illustrations. At the University of Washington Library, Seattle, Andrew Johnson helped me locate material in the Pacific Northwest collections. Thanks to Allan May, reporter on The Everett Herald, this study has a photograph of the power plant in the Skagit Queen area. Mr. May took this picture in a heavy rainstorm under uncomfortable and frustrating conditions. The photographs of Horseshoe Basin would be missing from this report were it not for the kindness of several people. On my way out of the basin, I accidentally left my camera on the trail. Some visitors found it and turned it in to the Stehekin ranger station. Mr. Ernie Gibson, pilot supreme, kindly flew the camera to Chelan in time to catch up with me. A special thanks goes to several historians of the area: Paul Curtis Pitzer, whose study on the Skagit River was indispensable; Bruce Mitchell, Wenatchee, who gave me an afternoon of his time in discussing the Chelan area; and Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Dwelley, Concrete, who publish The Concrete Herald and make the best coffee on the Skagit River. A very special thanks goes to the citizens of Stehekin who told me the history of the valley as they had seen it unfold: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bird, who invited me into their friendly cabin; Mr. and Mrs. Curt Courtney, who set a superb table; Mr. and Mrs. Ray Courtney, one of the great guides in all the mountains of the West; and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Buckner. I shall not http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/noca/hbd/ack.htm[11/22/2013 2:19:00 PM] North Cascades:History Basic Data (Acknowledgments) forget the evening when we strolled over the Buckners' meadow. Golden twilight filtered down from the mountains. A light mist floated up from the river. A mother Canada goose warned us to keep our distance. A deer slipped silently from the trees and walked across our path. I have never been able to explain what Western history is, but it includes all that as well as the traditional aspects. Finally, my thanks go to Mr. Joseph S. De Leon, Seattle City Light Department who generously made available a large amount of material on the history of hydroelectricity on the Skagit River. Erwin H. Thompson <<< Previous <<< Contents>>> Next >>> noca/hbd/ack.htm Last Updated: 11-Jun-2008 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/noca/hbd/ack.htm[11/22/2013 2:19:00 PM] North Cascades:History Basic Data (Introduction) NORTH CASCADES History Basic Data INTRODUCTION Masses of geologically young raw peaks rear skyward. Immense valleys, U-shaped by glaciers, channel swift-flowing streams. Green-black forests protect mosses and flowers. Blue glaciers strain as they tear at granite rock. A notched log decays slowly as a pioneer's cabin returns to the earth. These are the North Cascades, a wondrous, dynamic parkland. The National Park complex consists of the North Cascades National Park proper, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. [1] The Park proper is divided into two separate areas. The northern portion, which leans against the Canadian border, is centered on Mount Shuksan and the Picket Range. The southern unit, which includes Eldorado Peak (a mountain that rises 7,000 feet in less than two miles), Boston Peak, and dozens of other mountains, is separated from the northern one by Ross Lake National Recreation Area. This narrow ribbon includes the Skagit River and seventeen miles of Ross Lake, once a part of the river itself. The southeastern end of the complex is called Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. It encompasses the lower part of the Stehekin River and the upper end of 50-mile long Lake Chelan, the product of a mighty tongue of glacial ice. The mountains do not stop at the park boundaries. To the west and south lies Mount Baker National Forest whose namesake is the tallest peak in Washington north of Mount Rainier.