North Cascades

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN THE NORTH CASCADES

CORRIDORS OF SETTLEMENT: STEHEKIN RIVER

Horton

Early drawing of Stehekin settler John Horton's cabin, ca. 1889.
(By Alfred Downing, NOCA-Stehekin photo file)

The first pioneer to settle at the head of the lake was Major John W. Horton. A veteran of the Civil War from Wisconsin, he became interested in silver mining and found his way up Lake Chelan via rowboat in 1885. [168] Within a few years he had selected a homesite and built a log cabin on the bank of the Stehekin River. [169] Called an "old hermit" by Isaac Tillinghast, a reporter for a St. Paul magazine who visited him in 1891, Horton had a small garden wherein he grew potatoes, sweet corn, beans, and other vegetables. Over his entry a sign declared: "Welcome-our cabin door is open to all square men. Others take warning." [170] Horton was an industrious fellow who made a living in a variety of ways. Along with prospecting, Horton was engaged in logging, rafting the cut timber downlake for marketing. One year 150,000 board feet of logs were cut from Horton's "ranch." [171] In 1898 Horton purchased the shingle mill that had been used to cut his timber, moving it . . . a few miles up the Stehekin River, where there is plenty of cedar convenient, waiting to be converted into shingles. The machine will be run by water power." [172] An advertisement placed by Horton in the Chelan Leader announced:

To the Travelling Public. Having had twelve years experience in the Cascade Range as a miner, prospector, hunter and trapper. I hereby offer my services to tourists, camping parties, miners and all who may be in need of a thoroughly competent guide. Rates reasonable . . ."

It is not known how long this jack-of-all-trades remained in Stehekin but he was still uplake in 1900, residing at a fellow settler's homestead cabin. [173]