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• 1876 ×
• Skagit County ×

1. The Unsung Pioneers Clearing the Skagit River

   While the territory hailed the opening of the Skagit Valley to navigation, the men bankrolling the arduous labor of clearing the massive log jam were left bankrupt.

   Dec 4, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSkagit River, Mount Vernon, Skagit CountyWork & Pay

2. Turning Marsh into Gold

   Farmers on the Swinomish flats have completed a massive infrastructure project to reclaim thousands of acres of marshland for agriculture.

   Dec 16, 1876The Northern StarLa Conner, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

3. The Farmers’ Fight to Clear the Skagit River

   When the government refused to fund the removal of dangerous log jams, local settlers and merchants took the job into their own hands, relying on community donations rather than official aid.

   Dec 14, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSkagit River, Mount Vernon, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

4. The Great Diking Effort of Swinomish

   Farmers on the Skagit and Swinomish are transforming thousands of acres of marshland into fertile fields through a massive, coordinated engineering effort.

   Sep 30, 1876The Northern StarLa Conner, La Conner, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

5. The Skagit's Buried Treasure

   A survey of the booming coal prospects near the Skagit River, and the physical toll extracted from the pioneers who first uncovered them.

   Dec 16, 1876The Northern StarSkagit River, Snohomish, Skagit CountyBoom & Bust

6. The Struggle for the Swinomish Slough

   While Washington Territory languished without federal infrastructure support, local steamboat operators were left to navigate a dangerous, shifting channel entirely on their own dime.

   Jul 17, 1876The Daily IntelligencerMount Vernon, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

7. The Settlers’ Plea for the Skagit River

   Without government support, early pioneers are manually clearing massive river logjams to open the Skagit Valley to trade and development.

   Dec 28, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSkagit River, Mount Vernon, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

8. The Log Jam That Held Back the Skagit

   Settlers bet their savings on cutting a channel through a massive timber jam—and begged Sound steamboat captains to link the Skagit to Seattle.

   Dec 16, 1876The Northern StarConway, Skagit CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

9. The Agricultural Transformation of the Skagit Flats

   Decades of diking and draining have turned tide lands into some of the most productive agricultural soil in the world.

   Dec 16, 1876The Northern StarLa Conner, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

10. Taming the Skagit Tide Lands

    Early farmers in the Skagit Valley share sworn affidavits proving the extreme fertility of reclaimed tide lands, boasting of massive grain harvests.

    Dec 16, 1876The Northern StarLa Conner, La Conner, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

11. The Postmaster’s Plight: A Decades-Long Betrayal in Skagit County

    In the midst of a national economic depression, a respected elder and long-serving postmaster in Mount Vernon faces federal fraud charges, sparking a community debate over loyalty versus law.

    Sep 9, 1876The Daily IntelligencerMount Vernon, Skagit CountyCity Hall · True Crime

12. The Struggle to Clear the Skagit River

    Loggers and settlers face a massive, shifting timber jam on the Skagit River, with locals debating the impact of land ownership on the future of the valley.

    Nov 8, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSkagit Valley, Skagit CountyFollow the Money

13. The passing of a pioneer sheriff

    Edwin T. Dodge, a veteran of the California gold rush and early lawman who helped dismantle legendary highwayman gangs, has died at the Occidental Hotel.

    Oct 28, 1876The Northern StarSwinomish, Skagit County

14. The Unluckiest Farmer on the Swinomish Flats

    Samuel Calhoun had already lost a fortune in grain. Then the steamer Dispatch capsized with another $1,000 of his crop aboard.

    Nov 11, 1876The Northern StarLa Conner, Skagit CountyDisasters

15. The Great Cedar Jam: How Settlers Cleared the Skagit River by Hand

    In September 1876, a group of determined farmers and loggers took on the massive timber jams blocking the Skagit River, hoping to unlock sixty miles of navigation for their struggling community.

    Sep 23, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSkagit River, Mount Vernon, Skagit CountyBoom & Bust

16. The Log Jam That Held Back a Valley: Skagit Settlers Propose a DIY River Clearance

    With a massive log jam blocking navigation on the Skagit River, a settler proposes that landowners take matters into their own hands rather than wait for Congress.

    Feb 12, 1876Puget Sound Weekly ArgusSkagit River, Mount Vernon, Skagit CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

17. Harvesting Begins on the Skagit Flats

    Farmers in the Skagit Valley report massive yields, even as they face challenges with potato blight and the historic Skagit River 'jam.'

    Aug 25, 1876The Daily IntelligencerLa Conner, Skagit County

18. The Boom Town of La Conner

    A report from 1878 highlights the explosive agricultural potential and rapid development of the Skagit Valley's 'thrifty little town.'

    Nov 2, 1876The Daily IntelligencerLa Conner, Skagit CountyBoom & Bust

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