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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 13 |
| 1877 | 9 |
| 1878 | 28 |
| 1879 | 3 |
53 stories matching clear
- The Brutal Labor of Clearing the Snohomish River
For over two years, crews braved the most dangerous and grueling work in the territory to clear the river for navigation, battling everything from treacherous snags to a lack of promised payment.
- The River Opens: First Steamboat Conquers the Skagit's North Fork
After settlers cleared the jam at La Conner, Captain Hill’s vessel became the first to navigate the treacherous waters of the North Fork, unlocking a new era for the region.
- The Monopoly That Almost Killed the Nooksack
Before the valley flourished, settlers fought to break the stranglehold of absentee speculators and corporate monopolies that kept the river choked with logs and local trade shackled.
- The Forgotten Colony of 'La Grande Marsh'
Promoters promised a thriving agricultural paradise on the outskirts of Snohomish, marketing deep-water access and fertile soil to lure a new generation of settlers.
- Taming the Snohomish Valley Marshlands
A look at the settlers turning the muddy, fertile banks of the Snohomish River into a bustling agricultural hub through sweat and engineering.
- The Hardscrabble Frontier of the Stillaguamish
A detailed 1879 survey of the Stillaguamish River valley reveals a diverse community of pioneers, Prussian soldiers, and dreamers attempting to tame the wilderness of the upper valley.
- The Magic Well of the Upper Skagit
An 1877 expedition pushes beyond the edge of known maps into the upper Skagit wilderness, encountering glowing tunnels, giant eagles, and the promise of a rugged agricultural frontier.
- The Strange Salvage of the Snohomish River
After days of underwater labor, the sunken hull of a local vessel has finally been raised from the riverbed.
- The Snohomish River's 'Miasma of Decay'
An 1876 editorial decries the hazardous state of the river banks, warning that stagnant water and rotting sawdust are breeding sickness in the growing town.
- Forging the Frontier: The Perilous Push for a Stillaguamish Road
A survey team traverses the wilderness from the Snohomish valley to Kent’s Prairie, scouting a path for a wagon road that promised to open the interior to settlement and trade.
- Turning Marsh into Gold
Farmers on the Swinomish flats have completed a massive infrastructure project to reclaim thousands of acres of marshland for agriculture.
- The Mukilteo Colony Dream
Promoters pitched a 32-tract 'colony' in Mukilteo as a perfect, self-sustaining opportunity for families to own land and work the Sound, promising everything from shipbuilding to fertile marshland farming.
- The Girls Who Couldn't Be Moved
When two sisters refused to budge for a fishing trip, a bizarre and prolonged standoff ensued involving a heavy door and a very frustrated brother.
- The Jam That Stalled a Territory: How Local Men Tried to Clear the Skagit River
In 1876, Snohomish residents rallied to fund the removal of massive log jams blocking the Skagit River, arguing that clearing the waterway was essential for settling the vast timber-rich lands of Washington Territory.
- The Tragic Accident That Stopped a Clock: The Death of Mr. H. Kelly
A promising builder and father of four dies in a freak hunting accident on the banks of the Snohomish River, leaving his grieving widow to raise their children alone.
- 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.
- The Blues of the Black River: A Walk Through Snohomish’s New Frontier
A local resident takes a stroll through the muddy pastures and new homesteads near the Black River, finding beauty in the 'mounds' of ancient history and the promise of a fresh start for settlers.
- The Lumber King of the Snohomish Valley
Before he became a titan of industry, A.J. Pope navigated the rugged, uncertain life of an early Washington settler.
- The Great River Jam of 1877
How three determined settlers cleared a quarter-mile of timber that engineers said would take years to move.
- The Unfinished House on the River
A rare glimpse into the local property market of territorial-era Snohomish, featuring a 'hard-finished' home and a mill site primed for industry.
- The Unseen Agriculture of the Duwamish Valley
A survey of the productive farmland, nascent dairy industry, and pioneering spirit of the families turning the Duwamish and White River riverbanks into a breadbasket for Seattle.
- The High Cost of Being 'Across the River'
In 1878, Sumner settlers faced a familiar struggle: a transportation monopoly that forced them to pay as much to haul freight across the river as to ship it 150 miles by rail.
- The Boom Town That Never Quite Was
A speculative real estate advertisement touts Mukilteo as the next great industrial powerhouse, promising a future of ship-building and commerce that would forever alter the Snohomish County shoreline.
- The Logging Kings of the Snohomish River
A single drive of 300,000 feet of lumber marks the success of the Elwell family, who dominate the regional timber trade.
- The Last Harvest: A Snohomish Dairy Ranch for Sale
A departing farmer puts his well-established dairy operation on the market, offering a glimpse into the agricultural life of 1880s Snohomish.