North Cascades

MARKETING THE WILDERNESS: DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Although the North Cascades appear overwhelmingly natural and wild, evidence on the land reveals that this region has been used for commercial purposes for decades. Trapping, agricultural uses, logging, mining, and hydroelectric production were all activities undertaken with intentions of using the land for profit. All of these enterprises transformed the appearance of this area in one way or another. Many of these operations were successful for a time, but most fell prey to the region's inhospitable character. Unpredictable weather conditions, a lack of easy routes into and out of the mountains, and distance from supply centers all worked against many individuals and outfits attempting to exploit and profit from the resources of the North Cascades. People persevered, however, and their efforts are well-documented by the resources they left behind throughout the park.

The history of commercial developments in the North Cascades is one of the significant themes in the context of the park's human history. It should continue to be expressed and interpreted to visitors in park publications, exhibits, and evening programs.

Two sites representing this theme are currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places:

DEVIL'S CORNER
BLACK WARRIOR MINE

It is recommended that an interpretive trail be constructed following the former bed of the Seattle City Light Railroad on the south side of the Skagit River to enable visitors to see, at a safe distance, the remaining series of suspended bridges -- including the locally famous Devil's Corner -- that comprise the Goat Trail. Although a remaining structure has been identified in the 1984 Historic Structures Inventory for the park, it is recommended that it be recorded in greater detail using Historic American Engineering Record standards .

The following resources are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places within the historic theme identified in this chapter:

GILBERT'S CABIN, a ca. 1880s log cabin of dovetail-notched construction, for its association with an early miner and settler in the upper Skagit region. This structure also had a significant role in the development of mining in the North Cascades and was a strategic way-station for early travelers heading into the high country or over Cascade Pass.

MEADOW CABINS EAST AND WEST, two substantial structures of fine square-notched log construction, for their association with mining in the North Cascades .

ROCK CABIN, a log structure constructed against a monolith in the backcountry, for its associations with trapping as a commercial use of the North Cascades, and for its uniqueness of architectural expression.

BRIDGE CREEK RANGER STATION, for its association with mining in the upper Stehekin River valley. This is the only extant building remaining at the confluence of the Stehekin River and Bridge Creek, a location which historically had several mining structures. It is of board and batten, wood-frame construction, and is unlike any other structures associated with mining in the park.

SULPHIDE OR FRISCO CABIN, the only extant structure associated with mining along the Bridge Creek drainage, is a unique example, within the park, of round-hewn, half-notched, log construction. Recommend that immediate measures be taken to stabilize the roof of the cabin which recently collapsed under the weight of a tree.

Because they do not meet the criteria for eligibility, recommend that the following structures and sites not be nominated to the National Register:

CASCADE PASS CABIN
COLONIAL MINE SITE
DEVIL'S ELBOW RAILROAD BRIDGE
DIAMOND / VALUMINES
FERRY BAR BRIDGE
FISHER CABIN
HIDDEN HAND CABIN
PUNCHEON ROAD
RAINBOW TALC MINE SITE
SILVER CREEK MINE AND CABIN
THUNDER CREEK BRIDGE
BOWAN CREEK CABIN
BULLION CABIN
BUTTE CREEK CABIN
COTTONWOOD CABIN
GEM LODE CABIN
SIMMONS CABIN

Recommend that the following structures and sites be studied by a qualified historical archeologist to determine their eligibility for the National Register as archeological sites for the potential information they may be likely to yield:

BOSTON BASIN CABIN
HIMLOCK 2 CABIN
WILLOW LAKE CABIN
FLAT CREEK CABIN
UPPER HORSESHOE BASIN MINE SITE
HAPPY CREEK SAWMILL SITE
ROWSE SAWMILL
SKAGIT QUEEN MINE SITE

Recommend that the following structures and site be considered for the List of Classified Structures:

FISHER CABIN, ROWSE SAWMILL SITE, and the BRIDGE CREEK SAWMILL. Although they do not meet National Register eligibility standards, they do possess considerable historical significance and should be stabilized and recorded for the information they convey. Listing on the LCS allows the NPS to consider all park actions impacting this cultural property. It is recommended that park policy on the treatment of these sites, and their management as cultural resources, be addressed in the General Management Plan for the park complex

Recommend that more thorough documentation and study of :

SKAGIT QUEEN POWER PLANT, ROWSE SAWMILL, and the BRIDGE CREEK SAWMILLL be undertaken by historians and/or historical archeologists qualified in the area of historical technology. Also, recommend that the park stabilize these ruins and monitor them annually.