North Cascades

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN THE NORTH CASCADES

CORRIDORS OF SETTLEMENT: STEHEKIN RIVER

George/Rice (Rainbow Lodge)

At least eight additional settlers came to Stehekin during the second decade of the twentieth century, locating homesteads along the river near and beyond the Buckner ranch. Directly across the Stehekin valley road from the Buckner ranch was the home of Lydia George. Although not a traditional homesteader, Miss George was an early settler who established a life for herself and remained in the valley for several decades. She was uplake by at least 1905 and employed by Henry Buckner as a telephone operator on Buckner's line which ran between Stehekin and Horseshoe Basin. [232] Stationed at Bridge Creek, Miss George later was ". . . in charge of the culinary department" at the mining camp located there. [233]

Soon to tire of working for others, Miss George hired Henry Buckner in 1910 to build a 6-room house for her on 11 acres of land she had purchased earlier from Bill Buzzard. She opened a hostelry for miners, tourists, and fishermen, providing them with good food and clean beds. The place was named Rainbow Lodge, after the nearby creek and falls, and it quickly became a popular place to board. As a result of the early success of the small lodge, Althea Rice, Lydia's sister, came uplake to help run the seasonal inn. With business steady and profitable the lodge continued to expand, and by the 1920s small individual cabins had been built on the property. This enabled guests to cook their own meals and come and go as they pleased.

Early view of Rainbow Lodge, n.d.
(NOCA-Stehekin photo file)

After Lydia George died, Althea Rice acquired interest in the property and continued to operate the lodge up to World War II. Althea resided in the house with her son Donald until her death in the 1950s. In turn, Donald inherited the property and lived there into the 1970s. [234] Today, the early home of Lydia George can still be found on its original site. Though neglected and deteriorated, it is still occupied periodically. A small shed and root cellar are sited nearby, and scattered throughout the complex are remnants of the cabins which formerly slept guests from as far away as Kentucky. [235]

Rainbow Lodge as it appears today.
(Photo by G. Luxenberg, NPS, 1984)