Opening the Cascade Pass for Commerce
New improvements to the Snoqualmie wagon road are rapidly shortening travel time between the interior and Seattle, promising to boost the city's trade reach.
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Geo. F. Smith arrived yesterday from east of the Cascade Mountains, bringing a drove of 160 head of beef cattle. He reports that the Snoqualmie wagon road builders are making gratifying progress, with a gang of 20 men on the western slope finishing a road capable of handling heavy freight. They have already shortened the distance by two and a half miles. The road, which connects Seattle to Ellensburg, is expected to generate significant revenue once completed in two months, with some estimates reaching $90,000 annually. This route offers a superior alternative to the mud-filled Dalles road, and is essential for Seattle's commercial connection to the inland cattle and mining markets.
“This road enterprise is one that is needed, is one that will pay, and is one that our citizens should further all in their power.”
The quest for a reliable pass over the Cascades has been a central theme in Washington's infrastructure history, from wagon roads to the modern I-90 corridor. The struggle to bypass difficult terrain for better economic access remains a constant in Pacific Northwest regional planning.
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