Up here in the hills there were many "Ground Hog Sawmills' back years ago. A mill could be put up in a short time. In the old days loggers used mule & horse teams to skid logs out of the woods. Much of the mill was built out of scrap steel. The men back in those days were true engineers. Many times forklifts were made from old bus or truck chassis. If you told one of those men something couldn't be done they would prove you wrong.
It is always interesting to learn about the history of where we live.
Here are a few pictures from the late 1800's and early 1900's showing logging, mining and one of the local town streets.'
A gas powered "bus" that ferried workers from Granite Falls to the mines at Monte Christo. Back then the only way in and out was via rail. Today the rails are gone, replaced by a (mostly) paved road that goes to Barlow Pass. The road to Monte Christo is gated now, and gets washed out frequently by flooding and avalanches in the winter. The railroad grade is a trail now, accessible on either side of the South Fork of the Stillaguamish river. The trail on the South side is about 4 or 5 miles, and passes the Lime Kiln. The trail on the North bank runs through the Robe Valley, and is also about 5 miles long. In many other areas the railroad grade is covered over by the Mount Loop Highway.
A one log load.
Downtown Granite Falls, 1940's I think.
The Granite Falls train station, 1900.
One of the mines at Monte Christo.
The Mount Loop highway continues to Darrington from Barlow Pass, and is gravel/dirt. A really nice drive in the summer. We used to take it in the winter with Jeeps, in the snow. Not a drive for the meek, it often involved everyone getting out and digging the Jeeps out of snow 4, 5 or even 6 feet deep, and excessive use of the bumper mounted winches.
Lots of whiskey was consumed on those drives!