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Snohomish, Washington is a small community having a population of about 9,000 people and is located in Snohomish County, beautifully located on the slope of the northern bank of the Snohomish River. This river starts some six miles upstream at the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie Rivers, where it empties into Port Gardner Bay between Marysville and Everett, always flowing northwesterly. The name Snohomish City was first used on the plat in 1871, which joined the eastern and western claims at Union Avenue, which, at the time was three blocks long.
In 1859, white pioneers filed claims on both sides of the river believing that the traffic on a new military road would pay generously for a ferry crossing service. However, this never came to pass. Rather, supplies and loggers were brought to the camps along the river by a continuing increase in steamship service. Soon thereafter, family farmers followed. Snohomish grew to become the cultural and economic hub of the county, and for 36 years served as county seat. In 1897, Everett became the county seat. This 26-block region has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.
About 14,000 years ago, the Glacier Lake Snohomish drained the Redmond Delta after running to what is currently known as Everett to Snoqualmie Falls, and then to the south, some 60 miles. The Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Snohomish Rivers were incised into the valley floor. The location of the community is located on a low-elevation landform that is called the Getchell Hill Plateau, which is flanked on the south by the Snohomish River Valley, on the east by the Pilchuck outwash channel and on the west by the Snohomish Estuary. The river valley is flat and wide, and was developed by flowing meltwater as well as thousands of years of glacial movement.
The river itself is characterized by oxbow lakes and meandering arms. This was created as the river flooded and changed its course within the expansive valley. As early as 8,000 years ago, the hunter, fisherman, and gatherer locations identified next to the Pilchuck and Snohomish Rivers human habitation. However, it wasn't until around 5,000 years ago that the sea level stabilized in the Puget Sound area. At that time the shellfish beds and salmon runs became established and eventually be harvested.
An Indian Chief named Pat Kanim, who represented the Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Snohomish Indian tribes in 1855, signed on the Treaty of Point Elliott, underneath that of Chief Seattle. With that signature, the three Indian tribes decided to trade their lands of thick forests, that included the three primary rivers that bore their names, for a reservation of a land known as Tulalip, as well as some cash.
The first white pioneers recorded to have made the 12 mile trek up that dark river that separated the thick forests of western red cedars and Douglas-firs were named Edson Cady, Heil Barnes, and Egbert Tucker. Their mutual objective was to stake claims on both sides of the Snohomish River after reaching the mouth of the Pilchuck River. Steilacoom was established in 1847 and was the location of the oldest military fort in the territory. There a group of frontier businessmen considered the prospect of offering a ferry service across the Snohomish River for the recently funded military road that was headed north to Fort Bellingham.
For reasons unknown, Edson Cady elected to establish a landing several miles downstream, either because the new location was a better location for a ferry crossing or because it was the location of an established Indian camp. In the meantime, Mr. Cady applied for a post office permit with the name Cadyville, which is currently known as Cady Landing, and is a very popular boat launch used for recreational fishing. Mr. Cady also established a trail that headed east, and eventually crossed the North Cascade Mountain Range at a location that is still currently known as Cady Pass.
At that same time, Heil Barnes, staked a claim for a man named Emory Ferguson that was next to Mr. Cady's, which was located further west. There he assembled a small, prefabricated cottage on a high bank that faced down river, near to where it is currently located as a private home, and is beautifully restored. In 1859, the cottage was unassembled and shipped northward aboard the side-wheeler Ranger No. 2. Apprenticed as a carpenter in his native Westchester County, New York, one year later, Mr. Ferguson arrived aboard the same side-wheeler with sufficient supplies to establish a store.
In the meantime, across the river, a man named John Harvey purchased the claim that Mr. Tucker had filed. The regular Army abandoned both Forts Bellingham and Steilacoom and the funding by the government for the military road was no longer available, as the result of the 1861 outbreak of the Civil War, which only left a muddy trail in the woods that stopped at the southern bank of the river. There was no immediate need for a ferry. Mr. Tucker was probably relieved that he received $50 for his claim.
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Snohomish Tidbits
Snohomish, Washington is a small community having a population of about 9,000 people and is located in Snohomish County, beautifully located on the slope of the northern bank of the Snohomish River. This river starts some six miles upstream at the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie Rivers, where it empties into Port Gardner Bay between Marysville and Everett, always flowing northwesterly. The name Snohomish City was first used on the plat in 1871, which joined the eastern and western claims at Union Avenue, which, at the time was three blocks long.
In 1859, white pioneers filed claims on both sides of the river believing that the traffic on a new military road would pay generously for a ferry crossing service. However, this never came to pass. Rather, supplies and loggers were brought to the camps along the river by a continuing increase in steamship service. Soon thereafter, family farmers followed. Snohomish grew to become the cultural and economic hub of the county, and for 36 years served as county seat. In 1897, Everett became the county seat. This 26-block region has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.
About 14,000 years ago, the Glacier Lake Snohomish drained the Redmond Delta after running to what is currently known as Everett to Snoqualmie Falls, and then to the south, some 60 miles. The Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Snohomish Rivers were incised into the valley floor. The location of the community is located on a low-elevation landform that is called the Getchell Hill Plateau, which is flanked on the south by the Snohomish River Valley, on the east by the Pilchuck outwash channel and on the west by the Snohomish Estuary. The river valley is flat and wide, and was developed by flowing meltwater as well as thousands of years of glacial movement.
The river itself is characterized by oxbow lakes and meandering arms. This was created as the river flooded and changed its course within the expansive valley. As early as 8,000 years ago, the hunter, fisherman, and gatherer locations identified next to the Pilchuck and Snohomish Rivers human habitation. However, it wasn't until around 5,000 years ago that the sea level stabilized in the Puget Sound area. At that time the shellfish beds and salmon runs became established and eventually be harvested.
An Indian Chief named Pat Kanim, who represented the Skykomish, Snoqualmie, and Snohomish Indian tribes in 1855, signed on the Treaty of Point Elliott, underneath that of Chief Seattle. With that signature, the three Indian tribes decided to trade their lands of thick forests, that included the three primary rivers that bore their names, for a reservation of a land known as Tulalip, as well as some cash.
The first white pioneers recorded to have made the 12 mile trek up that dark river that separated the thick forests of western red cedars and Douglas-firs were named Edson Cady, Heil Barnes, and Egbert Tucker. Their mutual objective was to stake claims on both sides of the Snohomish River after reaching the mouth of the Pilchuck River. Steilacoom was established in 1847 and was the location of the oldest military fort in the territory. There a group of frontier businessmen considered the prospect of offering a ferry service across the Snohomish River for the recently funded military road that was headed north to Fort Bellingham.
For reasons unknown, Edson Cady elected to establish a landing several miles downstream, either because the new location was a better location for a ferry crossing or because it was the location of an established Indian camp. In the meantime, Mr. Cady applied for a post office permit with the name Cadyville, which is currently known as Cady Landing, and is a very popular boat launch used for recreational fishing. Mr. Cady also established a trail that headed east, and eventually crossed the North Cascade Mountain Range at a location that is still currently known as Cady Pass.
At that same time, Heil Barnes, staked a claim for a man named Emory Ferguson that was next to Mr. Cady's, which was located further west. There he assembled a small, prefabricated cottage on a high bank that faced down river, near to where it is currently located as a private home, and is beautifully restored. In 1859, the cottage was unassembled and shipped northward aboard the side-wheeler Ranger No. 2. Apprenticed as a carpenter in his native Westchester County, New York, one year later, Mr. Ferguson arrived aboard the same side-wheeler with sufficient supplies to establish a store.
In the meantime, across the river, a man named John Harvey purchased the claim that Mr. Tucker had filed. The regular Army abandoned both Forts Bellingham and Steilacoom and the funding by the government for the military road was no longer available, as the result of the 1861 outbreak of the Civil War, which only left a muddy trail in the woods that stopped at the southern bank of the river. There was no immediate need for a ferry. Mr. Tucker was probably relieved that he received $50 for his claim.