North Cascades

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN THE NORTH CASCADES

OVERVIEW

Settlement within the remote and rugged North Cascades occurred slowly over many years. Although towns developed, a combination of natural and cultural factors prevented the growth of communities of any size in the region. The difficulties of physical access and the relatively small amount of workable agricultural land were primary deterrents to settlement. In addition, the lack of surveyed lands and the creation of the Washington Forest Reserve in 1897 may also have discouraged individuals from seeking homesteads in the area that is today a national park.

Any discussion of settlement patterns in the North Cascades must begin with an understanding of settlement elsewhere in Washington State. As a region, the North Cascades remained virtually unknown to many pioneers until after the turn of the twentieth century. Over time, as open and accessible agricultural lands were claimed in other areas of the state, settlers were forced to search for other homesites and slowly moved into the foothills and forested territory surrounding the mountains. Moving beyond the shores of Puget Sound and the banks of the Columbia River, they traveled up rivers and lakes until eventually they were stopped by the natural barrier of the North Cascades themselves.

To end this section, we'll detail some of the early settlers of the three major river corridors of the North Cascades: Cascade, Skagit, and Stehekin Rivers, along with some concluding remarks.

• An Overview of Early Settlement in Washington State
  • Outposts
  • Washington Territory
  • West Slope
  • East Slope
  
  
  
• Challenges to Settlement in the Mountains
  • Environmental Constraints
  • Governmental Restrictions
  
  
  
• Corridors of Settlement
  • Cascade River
  • Skagit River
  • Stehekin River