The Skagit River Breakup
A pioneer logging venture dissolves as a partner exits the river operations to seek his fortune elsewhere.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
May 14, 1878: Donald McDonald having withdrawn from the Skagit Jam Co., he is not entitled to any of the proceeds of the labor of this company subsequent to this date, nor is said company responsible for any of his acts after the date of the same, as said withdrawal is made with the consent of the rest, to enable him to engage in other business. Marvin Minnick, Dennis Storm, Daniel Hinds, Fitz Lebern, Members of the Skagit Jam Co.
“Donald McDonald having withdrawn from the Skagit Jam Co., he is not entitled to any of the proceeds of the labor of this company subsequent to this date.”
This notice captures the precarious nature of early Pacific Northwest logging cooperatives, where success hinged on group cohesion on the river. Today's gig economy and startup culture mirror these 1878 partnerships, where individual liability and resource sharing remain central concerns for small-scale entrepreneurs.
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