Everett and Monte Cristo Railway by Woodhouse, Jacobson & Pete w/ dust jacket
Everett and Monte Cristo Railway by Phil Woodhouse, Daryl Jacobson and Bill Peterson
Hard Cover w/Dust jacket Reflections from the lights on some photos.
234 pages
Copyright 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments v
Chapter 1: A Land Rich in Resources1
The 3S Railway 8
Chapter 2: Construction Begins11
The Trout Stream in the Canyon 14
Hardware for the Railroad 21
The Wild West 23
The Rucker Brothers 25
Chinese Labor 30
The "Hundred-Year Storm" 31
Chapter 3: The Railroad's Early Years35
Silverton 40
Another Fierce Winter 43
Preparing for Prosperity 48
The Rockefeller Reorganization 53
More of Nature's Wrath 56
A Rebuilt Rail Car 57
The Floods of 1896 59
A Brighter Outlook 61
Lime 65
The Storms of 1897 66
The Kissing Tunnel 69
Times of Confusion 70
The Rockefeller Power Play 72
Chapter 4: The Northern Pacific Takes Over75
The Smelter Trust 76
New Management 78
A New Beginning 79
Mining Ends at Monte Cristo 81
Quieter Times 85
More Troubles 86
New Business, New Struggles 89
Toward a More Substantial Line 95
The Northern Pacific Pulls Back 99
Restored Service to Monte Cristo103
Chapter 5: The Timber Industry and the Railroad111
The Silverton Nursery 112
Chapter 6: The Hartford Eastern135
More Winter Problems 136
Safety First 138
World War I 139
Keeping the Line Open 140
Competition from the Automobile 142
The Inn at Big Four 143
A Real Power Play 144
New Owners 144
Abandonment 145
Epilogue: The Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad Today 153
Appendix A: A Driving Tour: Hartford to Barlow Pass169
Appendix B: Roster of Equipment179
Everett and Monte Cristo Railway 179
Locomotives 179
Passenger Cars 180
Freight Cars 180
Maintenance-of-Way Equipment 180
Hartford Eastern Railway 181
Gas Cars 181
Appendix C: Bridges and Other Landmarks197
Bridges 197
Milepost Listing of Bridges and Other Landmarks 200
Appendix D: A Monte Cristo Gallery205
Appendix E: Selected Depot Maps and Drawings215
Everett Depot Area 216
Everett Smelter and Vicinity 217
Lowell Depot Area 218
Hartford Eastern Railway Connection to the Northern Pacific Railway 219
Granite Falls 220
Robe Wye and Vicinity 221
Monte Cristo circa 1904 222
Water Tower 223
Turntable 224
Index225
DUST JACKET INTRODUCTION:
That Little Trout Stream...
The locals, including the earliest settlers, had warned them: The South Fork of the Stillaguamish River can turn from a picturesque waterway into a raging torrent in short order.
"Nonsense," said the engineers, pointing out to the locals that they'd been building railroads along eastern waterways for decades. This "little trout stream" was no different, and the railroad was going in.
The railroad did go in, and every subsequent year brought a Chinook in the fall or a heavy snow runoff in the spring, turning the "Stilly" into a furious torrent and damaging or destroying pieces of the railroad, especially in the notorious Robe Canyon. The crews barely had enough time to complete repairs before Mother Nature would strike again.
The Everett and Monte Cristo line came about as the major railroads were looking for a terminus in the Puget Sound area. It was meant to provide access to the newly discovered mineral resources in the remote area known as Monte Cristo, the site of Washington State's gold rush. The gold frenzy went bust in just a few short years, but the line found a new purpose in hauling timber for the logging companies that had worked their way into the mountains. It also enjoyed a brisk passenger business, and in its final years as the Hartford Eastern Railway even sported its own resort destination, the Inn at Big Four.
But the combination of natural disaster, economic woes, financial shenanigans, and ultimately the coming of the automobile spelled the end for the railroad. Nevertheless, the line left an indelible mark on the region, and its fascinating and colorful story is an important chapter in the state's history. Even today, the Monte Cristo area remains as mysterious and inviting as it was when the first prospectors combed its high peaks looking for that telltale glint of gold.
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