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Skagit River Journal

of History & Folklore
Subscribers Edition Stories & Photos
The most in-depth, comprehensive site about the Skagit.
Covers from British Columbia to Puget sound. Counties covered: Skagit, Whatcom, Island, San Juan. An evolving history dedicated to the principle of committing random acts of historical kindness

Noel V. Bourasaw, editor

810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284
Home of the Tarheel Stomp

Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug

Pioneers of the North Cascades, A-L

James Cady and the Chancellor Gold Mine.
Will Leach, Cascade river homesteader and brother of Lucinda Davis.
George L. and William Rowse and 1890s mining near the Cascade river.
North Cascades pioneer profilesM-Z
We plan to build this section in the future. We hope that readers will send us information about their own families. We need copies of old newspapers, especially the Hamilton Herald-Recorder, the Skagit County Logger of Hamilton and the three different newspapers from Concrete, along with obituaries, diaries and letters, along with scans of family photos. See the second part of this story for a map of the area.

James Cady Mount Baker Almanac, 1950 James Cady came into the Slate-Canyon creek area in 1899. He located mining claims on Mill creek and it is reported that the Azurite Gold mine, which was rich in gold, was located on one of Cady's claims. H was vice-president of the Chancellor Gold Mining Co. that built a saw mill and the Chancellor hydroelectric plant at the mouth of Slate creek. His name was permanently recorded in the country where he worked, for: Cady Pass, between Mill and Slate creeks; Cady ridge and Cady point, where a U.S. Forest Service lookout house was built, were all named for him.

Will Leach Mount Baker Almanac, 1950 Will Leach began prospecting in the Skagit valley in 1884, spending his time on Ruby creek and the Cascade river. His cabins on the Cascade were a short distance down the north Fork of the Cascade from the Gilbert Camp [Cabin], which was established by the Frenchman, Gilbert Landre. Gilbert's cabin was [still] standing in 1949.
The Leach place was made famous in 1897 when Gifford Pinchot, chief forester from the Washington office, and party stopped overnight there while on an inspection trip through the newly formed Forest Reserves. Leach, with a cousin, Frank E. Davis, and Jake Neff had claims on the Eldorado and it is reported they were offered $35,000 for them by one of the Remingtons of the Remington Firearm Co. In 1906 a road was being constructed eastward from Marblemount and the prospects of easy transportation from mines to market resulted in a mining boom in the area. The road project failed and one by one of the miners and prospectors moved out. Will Leach left the valley in 1930.
Ed. note: As you can read in our Journal transcription of a story written by Marblemount pioneer Frank E. Davis, Leach may have been most important to us historically because he urged his sister, Lucinda J. Davis, to move out to Washington state after her divorce in Colorado. She and her sons, Glee and Frank, established their Cedar Bar ranch in the upper -Skagit river area, which was a vital waystation for travelers and prospectors. Will's brother George originally homesteaded their property and he drowned in the Skagit in May 1890 in a canoe accident with Dick Touey.

George Logan Mount Baker Almanac, 1950 George Logan staked his claims at the headwaters of Thunder creek [east of Diablo] and on Park creek pass. He went in on his first prospecting trip in the summer of 1896. His main cabin stood at timberline at the edge of the meadows, two miles from the [Cascade] pass. He had no stoves in the cabin and all cooking was done at his stone fireplace, built at one end of the cabin. His staple articles of food were bacon, beans and baking powder biscuits.
The beans were baked in an iron Dutch oven buried in the fireplace and covered with coals. At mealtime he would brush away the ashes and coals, lift the lid of the Dutch oven and dip out the richly browned beans, seasoned with bacon, that were thoroughly enjoyed by the packers that made it a point to arrive at his place, always hungry, at dinner time.
Logan spent his winters in and near Sedro-Woolley, working for money that would grubstake him for the next summer at his mines. For 21 summers he spent his winter's earnings driving tunnels on his claims where he found some favorable-looking ore but none was ever taken out to repay him for all his labor and the hardships he endured. He usually went to his diggings at the first signs of spring by way of Lake Chelan [from the southeast], and over the Stehekin trail to Park creek pass. He stayed until snow halted his work and he hiked down the Thunder creek trail to the Skagit river and his winter home at Sedro-Woolley

Story posted on Sept. 29, 2004
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Heirloom Gardens Natural Foods at 805B Metcalf street, the original home of Oliver Hammer
Oliver Hammer Clothes Shop at 817 Metcalf street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 82 years
Bus Jungquist Furniture at 829 Metcalf street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 36 years
Schooner Tavern/Cocktails at 621 Metcalf street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, across from Hammer Square

Peace and quiet at the Alpine RV Park, just north of Marblemount on Hwy 20
Park your RV or pitch a tent by the Skagit river, just a short driver from Winthrop or Sedro-Woolley

College Way Antique Mall, 1601 E. College Way, Mount Vernon, WA 98273, (360) 848-0807
Where you will find wonderful examples of Skagit county's past, seven days a week

DelNagro Masonry Brick, block, stone — See our work at the new Hammer Heritage Square
See our website www.4bricklayers.com
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Free estimates, reference, member of Sedro-Woolley Chamber

(360) 856-0101

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