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Skagit River JournalThe most in-depth, comprehensive site about the Skagit Covers from British Columbia to Puget Sound. Counties covered: Skagit, Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Snohomish & BC. An evolving history dedicated to committing random acts of historical kindness |
Home of the Tarheel Stomp Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug |
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In the following May [1886], having gone across the range in company with two others, all carrying their provisions, he made a trip [eastward] to the east shore of Lake Chelan and from thence, made their way to Meadow creek and finally by raft to the Indian village of Wapato, being greatly depleted by lack of food. The Indians pleasantly greeted them and a squaw showed them to a canoe crossing of the Columbia river. They crossed to the east side and found a store kept by Chinamen in a dugout, where they were able to procure flour and salt. They returned to the Indian village and got a tub of butter made by the squaws. Securing a skiff from Chief Wapato, they returned to the head of Lake Chelan and arrived at Doubtful Lake in time to celebrate the fourth of July.By 1889, he was back at Doubtful Lake and Hodges and others credit for discovering the galena deposits in that year that became the famous Boston Mine of the Cascade river district. He was again a partner with Jack C. Rouse and another famous early prospector, Gilbert Landre, and together they discovered the ore deposits that were exposed by the glaciers of Horseshoe basin and on the rim of Doubtful basin. One of the early investors was C.W. Waldron, a banker from Michigan, who moved to booming Fairhaven in 1889 and also invested heavily in real estate and a bank there, along with buildings in old Woolley. Although the mines initially showed great promise, the nationwide Depression that began in 1893 cut off capital investment and development of the mines stalled. Back on Sept. 29, 1891, George married Nettie G. Boles at Chehalis, Washington. We are uncertain if they ever had children.
Jack and George Rouse [actually Jack C. Rouse and George L. Rowse] were among the first prospectors in the district and located the Boston mine. The district also had its lost mine like other places. A company of solders came over the pass in the early days and one of them found some rock that reportedly showed much gold. It was later searched for and the Soldier Boy claim was located on what was thought to be the place the gold-bearing rock came from. The only ore I took [from] there showed only iron pyrite. . . .
For in the Cascade valley near Gilbert's [Landre]cabin hundreds of prospectors hacked at outcroppings of Galena ore and silver and lead. The Boston mine was sold for a half-million dollars in cash, others for hundreds of thousands as everybody was going to strike it rich and retire. But alas, silver was devalued overnight and the boom broke. Overnight, also, the town of Marblemount was a deserted village.
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