North Cascades

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN THE NORTH CASCADES

CORRIDORS OF SETTLEMENT: STEHEKIN RIVER

J. Merritt

John E. Merritt was another early settler who located a homestead near the head of the lake. Arriving in Stehekin in 1893, Merritt found work as a crewmember on the Lake Chelan steamer. [210] He and his family spent summers uplake, wintering in Chelan where his children attended school and he could earn wages. Merritt's homesite was on the east side of the Stehekin River (T33 N R17E, Sections 25 and 36). He had a 4-room frame and log cabin (24' x 28'), a frame barn (12' x 48'), 100 acres of land "under fence," and 5 acres "under plow" by the year 1902. To supplement his income earned from the boat company, Merritt logged timber from his claim and had a sawmill operation. In 1907 the local newspaper noted: ". . . Merritt's portable sawmill saws out all the rough lumber required right here at home." [211] The Merritt property has long since been sub-divided -- the Honey Bear Bakery is the most conspicuous structure in the area of the old homestead today.