North Cascades

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN THE NORTH CASCADES

CORRIDORS OF SETTLEMENT: SKAGIT RIVER

Newhalem/Diablo

Not until Seattle City Light began construction of their hydroelectric project in 1919 did the upper Skagit River population begin to grow again, and consequently disrupt the linear pattern of settlement established along the Skagit River. The population swelled to an unprecedented level as City Light employees relocated from Seattle to this remote area. This influx of people required the formation of two company towns, Newhalem and Diablo in 1919 and 1927 respectively. These "towns" had a significant impact on settlement patterns within the North Cascades.

When SCL received the permit from the Department of Agriculture to begin their Skagit project, it marked the beginning of intense manipulation and transformation of the North Cascadian wilderness along the Skagit River. Construction of Gorge Dam, the first of three units called for by the extensive program, began in September 1919, and by mid-November SCL had 100 men employed and residing in tents nearby. In a matter of two months the population of the upper Skagit region had more than doubled.

By April of 1920, 500 men were working for SCL and they were living in temporary frame shacks and tents. The need for a permanent camp was obvious. Seattle City Light selected and purchased an area east of Goodell Creek and began construction of a carefully planned work camp. Taking the name of a nearby creek, Newhalem was to have 75 three-bedroom cottages, six bunkhouses, a cookhouse, a warehouse, a general store, and hotel, all arranged along streets paralleling the Skagit River. Particular attention was given to the design of the landscape, and non-native flowers, shrubs, and trees were introduced into the wilderness. [153]

View of Newhalem, Seattle City Light's first company town along Skagit River, n.d.
(Photo courtesy of Seattle City Light)

The transition from urban living to the wilderness was probably not easy for most members of the new community, but SCL administrators attempted to make the move as easy as possible. In addition to recreating an urban setting of buildings, gardens, lighted streets, and sidewalks into the wilderness, SCL provided the newcomers with social and recreational activities. Dinners and dances were held often, basketball tournaments were arranged for the long winters, and baseball games were played in the short summers. As a natural result a close community developed among people who lived, worked, dined, and played together. Their physical isolation, coupled with the upper Skagit old-timers' refusal to accept them as neighbors, further reinforced the formation of a tightly-knit community. [154]

Farther up the Skagit, a short distance beyond Cedar Bar, a second "company town" began to develop. Around 1927, SCL transformed the wilderness of Reflector Bar, located at the base of Sourdough Mountain, into a tamed "modern" residential community for its employees. The two secluded towns eventually were linked by SCL's private railroad, constructed in the 1920s and in operation until the 1950s. Diablo represents the first major break from the linear settlement patterns established historically along the Skagit. The town occupies the entire river bar and is comprised of two building clusters, linked by a road, but each with its own network of streets and sidewalks.

Newhalem and Diablo maintained their "company town" images well into the twentieth century. A major change occurred in 1972 when SCL chose to automate the operation of their power plants. The former company towns lost their company support, and expendable employees were relocated to outside areas. Today, the small communities of Newhalem and Diablo are home to both SCL employees as well as other individuals, but the towns still retain their association with SCL. [155]

View of Diablo under construction, Seattle City Light company town along Skagit River in vicinity of Reflector Bar, n.d.
(Photo courtesy of Seattle City Light)