North Cascades

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN THE NORTH CASCADES

CORRIDORS OF SETTLEMENT: SKAGIT RIVER

Upper Skagit

There are several other early residents of the upper Skagit River whose homestead locations remain unknown. John Sutter is one of these. Sutter was a miner who first visited the area in 1872 with several other prospectors. Traveling by Indian canoes as far as present-day Newhalem, the party continued on by foot, crossing the river periodically and panning its banks for gold at each opportune moment. At the mouth of Ruby Creek the prospectors found gold, and, as the story goes, Sutter, while washing gravel, found a large ruby stone in his pan. In recognition of his discovery Sutter named the creek Ruby. It is not known when he became a permanent resident or where he actually lived; the only historical reference to Sutter is found in USFS Ranger Tommy Thompson's diary of 1907, wherein he mentioned "Sutters Ranch on the Skagit. [67]

View of Skagit River canyon west of Ruby Creek, 28 June 1919.
(FARC-RG 95-Portland)

Thompson also mentioned going up to Martin's ranch on the south side of the Skagit River in 1907. This ranch may have belonged to Jerome Martin who had a place in the vicinity of Marblemount for over thirty years. In 1905 Jerome Martin's land was valued at only $15, but the farm was not his principal livelihood. [68] Martin operated a pack train of horses which carried supplies to miners in the Ruby Creek and Thunder Creek drainages. [69]

North along the Skagit River from Marblemount, five homesteads were located in Section 7 on the 1894 GLO map; situated alongside the river, an "unknown" homesite, "S. D. [?] Davis," "Emory," "J. Failana" (possibly Fatland but incorrectly recorded) and "M. Clard" were all recorded. [70] Continuing on into the next section to the north (Section 6), "John Buller" located a homestead on the west side of the river, and William McAllister had a "clearing"' directly across the river (T35N R11E, Section 6). This "clearing" was probably McAllister's homestead claim of 131 acres which he purchased in 1896. [71] A 1903 Skagit County directory records McAllister's land valued at $85; it appears that by 1905-6, McAllister had left the area. [72] McAllister was also a miner who attempted to establish a livelihood for himself by prospecting along Thunder Creek. McAllister Creek, a drainage off Thunder Creek, is named after this early upper Skagit resident.