The Hidden Wealth of the North Cascades
New mineral discoveries near the head of the Cascade Pass, including the massive QuinnSabie ledge, promise to turn the wilderness into a mining powerhouse as the railroad approaches.
The story, cleaned up
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Prospectors have been exploring the head of the Cascade Pass, specifically near the vicinity of Doubtful Lake. Initial reports indicate several rich ledges of silver and lead have been discovered in the area. The QuinnSabie ledge is the largest yet found, measuring over twenty feet in width, with assays ranging from $124 to $450 in silver and 60 percent lead per ton. The Northern Pacific Railroad, building from Fairhaven to Spokane Falls under the name Fairhaven & Southern, will run through the pass within half a mile of these mines, offering direct access to shipping points in Seattle and Tacoma.
“The present outlook, and in fact every indication, goes to show that they will prove to be the richest galena mines in the Northwest.”
The 'mineral belt' mentioned here refers to the rugged North Cascades, an area later protected as a National Park. The dream of a permanent industrial mining boom in these remote high-alpine zones ultimately lost out to conservation, illustrating the long-running struggle between resource extraction and the preservation of Washington's natural heritage.
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