Mukilteo, Washington - The City Of "Firsts" - Scene Of Indian Treaty - M. H (part 6 of 14)

At the May, 1863, session the first of the long procession of road petitions was presented. It was signed by FE. H. Thompson and others and asked for a road from Snohomish, down the north bank of the river "to where the seventh parallel crosses said river road." The second petition was by Henry McClurg, et al, and asked for a road "from the point on the Snohomish River where the Military Road crosses, up the south bank to the forks." The first petition granted was that of P. H. Ewell and others for a road from Ewell's house, southeasterly, until it 'intersects the Military road from Seattle to Bellingham Bay." Ewell and George Saunders were appointed as viewers. The first highway to be declared a "County Road" was one "from Fred Dunbar's on the Snohomish River, to Mukilteo."

The report of the viewers of the L-well Road was accepted at the November, 1863, session and at the same time the first record of the rejection of a petition was made; the request for a road "from Brigham's Retreat to or near Thomas Robertson's" being refused on the ground that there were not enough signers. This petition was again presented, and again rejected in May, 1864, but a road "from Fred Dunbar's to Fiddlers Bluff" was granted and J. E. Clark and S. Howe named as viewers. In August, Peter Olson was also appointed to view

The first private road asked of the commissioners was in November, 1864, when Fred Ferker asked for a road "from John Foss' house to the Snohomish River at a point near Charles Short's house." The viewers, John Harvey, William McDonald and George Walker, were ordered to meet in April, but they did not, and in May, 1865, David Willson was substituted for William McDonald, and the viewers were rather crisply ordered to report at the next regular session of the board. The first disputed "hearing" on a road problem was held by the board in May, 1865, on a petition to alter the boundaries of District No. 5, Franklin Buck favoring and Charles Short opposing the change. The board set a much honored precedent by the entry "Laid over," and this was followed by "Indefinitely Postponed,' at the November session. In November, 1866, a petition to alter the road "from McClurg's to Thompson's, in District No. 4," was granted, and it was declared that the road was already "worked and opened" and it was made a,county road. While trails had undoubtedly been cut before this time, this is the first official entry that a road had been ''worked."

In 1867, action was taken by the board in a number of road matters. A petition to vacate a road from Thompson's Creek to Wood's Prairie was granted, as was a petition to establish a road "from the lower end of Cochrane's Prarie, along the west side, to the upper end and thence to Wood's Prairie;" George Allen, Henry McClurg and Charles Harriman were the viewers. William Hawkins, S. Howe and Robert Hughes were appointed to view a road "from Fiddlers Bluff to Fred Dunbar's to intersect the Mukilteo Road," and George Kelsey, Benjamin Stretch and James Hayes were named to view a road from Fiddlers Bluff to the forks of the Snohomish. This was the first mention of the famous sheriff, Benjamin Stretch, in the records of Snohomish County. The first mention of a road to the mouth of the Snohomish River was in November, 1867, when a road "from R. C. Preston's to Fred Dunbar's on the Snohomish River" was granted, and the Preston brothers and A. B. Harding were ordered to view it.

Road work for 1868, so far as the commissioners were concerned, included the establishment of a road in District No. 1 and in District No. 2 as "county roads ;" the refusal of the petition for a private road "from George Allen's to the Skykomish," the refusal to discontinue District No. 3, and the allowance of the first bills ever paid by the county to a road supervisor. These payments were: to J. P. Voisard, $15, and to P. J. Fields, $32. The county tax levy for this year was fixed at seven mills, but there was no special road tax. In November, 1868, a petition by George Allen for "a private road to the river, near McClurg's was

First Road Tax

The first tax to be devoted especially to road purposes was levied in 1864, this being a tax of $2 '"'on all persons liable to perform labor on roads," and, in 1869, "a tax of 25 cents on the $100 for road purposes" was added. This year was also notable for the first mention of county aid for the construction of a bridge. Charles Short and others were those who had the temerity to be the first to ask Snohomish County to help build a bridge. The petition was laid over, then granted, and John Harvey, John Little and Charles Taylor were instructed to relocate the road in District No. 5, when necessary "in view of bridging the Pill Chuck." Their report was accepted and the road "located," with the provision that "so much of the old road that does not come in the line of the road as relocated between a point commencing at or near the blacksmith shop and the bridge across French Creek be vacated." <A road was also granted "from Johnsons on the Skykomish to Sines, on the Snoqualmie."

The foregoing is practically the complete record of the board of county commissioners so far as roads and bridges are concerned, from the founding of the county up to May, 1870. From various references one may read between the lines that much road work of a kind was being done by the settlers, without help from, or reference to, the county fathers. The pioneers cut trails from their cabins to the river as a part of their clearing operations and neighbors slashed their way from one to the other, until connected trails were built. The reader will note that the "bridge across French Creek" is spoken of as a bridge already built, although no previous mention appears in the record. It would seem therefore that this was the work of private citizens. The commissioners were not to blame for this, however, as the total tax receipts were but a few hundred dollars, until they were increased in 1869 by more than $1,000 from liquor licenses.

Road Districts Of 1870

By 1870, it had become necessary to redistrict the county and these districts are of interest as they show the direction of settlement and introduce a number of new names of settlers who were to become more or less prominent in later years. There were seven of these districts, which, with names of first supervisors, were as follows:

No. 6 - From Point of Rocks, at end of District No. 5, to line between claims of W. B. Sinclair and I. C. Ferguson (at Snohomish). Robert Barrett.

New district created, in May, 1872, increased the number to fifteen, several districts being divided. The big district to the north was divided by the creation of district.

No. 13 - Division of No. 9. From south county line, on south bank of Snoqualmie, down to upper line of L. Stretch's farm. James Hayes. (New supervisor for No. 9, John Kreischel.)

No. 14 - Division of No. 10. From lower line Packwood's farm, east bank Ebey Slough, to intersection with road to Snohomish City. S. T. Packwood. (New supervisor No. 10, Willard Sly.)

These later district boundaries appear confusing as the entire system was redistricted at this time. The road supervisors of 1873, in numerical order of districts (save that no one was named for No. 7, which then included "all roads between the Skykomish and the Snoqualmie') were as follows: M. H. Frost, Robert Young, E. D. Smith, W. H. Ward, Byron Young, John Kreischel, Charles Taylor, Robert Barrett, O. F. Murhard, Thomas F. Marks, George Walker, Robert Parker, Harry Merrill, B. F. Stafford, Thomas Overnell, John Pike.

No. 21 - Established May, 1877. From southwest corner township 28-27, following west- lines of townships 28-29-30-7, to the Sultan River, east to the Skykomish.

In 1883 the entire system of road districts was revised and as this was done almost annually thereafter, to attempt to follow the many divisions and redivi- sions would be an unprofitable and almost impossible task. It 1s interesting to note, however, how these districts gradually extended. .\t first confined to the Snohomish Valley, the road system reached out, to the Stillaguamish, in 1871, to the north and south county lines in 1872, and to the Sultan River by 1877.

Home Rule A Failure

This system of local supervisors was the most extravagant and ineffectual that could have been adopted and road construction amounted to little until it was abandoned. Some of the supervisors were efficient and some were not. Some made intelligible reports of expenditures, and some did not. Most of them were honest, but a few were not. They were autocrats in their own districts and there were constant differences between them and the commissioners and residents of the road districts. There were many vacancies to be filled from time to time, and often a district was without a supervisor for several months. All this made for waste and chaos, and had it not been for volunteer work and cash contributions by the settlers who demanded outlets from their ranches to their markets, very little would have been accomplished. Nevertheless the people clung to this "local self-government" long after its inefficiency had been proven and it took many years of argument and education before the people could be induced to vote for the bond issue which made possible the unsurpassed road system which the county enjoys today.

While there was much talk of roads, and many road activities prior to 1871, what was called a road would hardly have been recognized as such today. The most ambitious "road" up to this time was a slashed trail through the woods, not to exceed sixteen feet in width, skirting the big trees and the marshes and fording the streams. This describes the best road. The average road was barely wide enough for a single ox or pack horse, and many of them could only be travelled on foot. There were a few primitive bridges, or culverts, over the lesser streams.

The first mention of a sixty foot road was in May, 1871, by viewers of the proposed road from the Stillaguamish to the mouth of the Snohomish. The road from Fiddlers Bluff to William Daniels' place was also located at this time, to be sixty feet wide; "except along and parallel to the slough through the claim of B. Stretch, where it shall be thirty feet." The road from Snohomish to Priest Point was also established as a sixty foot road. But all this was on paper only, at the time.

The first structure which arose to the dignity of a "county bridge" was one over the Pilchuck. In June, 1870, W. B. Sinclair and William. Romines were appointed commissioners to collect subscriptions and superintend the construction of this bridge "over the Pill Chuck at the point where the county road crosses said stream". The county agreed to appropriate not to exceed $250, but in no event was the amount given by the county to exceed the amount raised by popular' subscription. This bridge proved a scandal and an eyesore, rather than a blessing, for many years. In November, 18/0, the board appropriated $170.50 for the construction to date. But in 1874, the commissioners refused payment of the balance on a contract made in 1871, and at the same time voted $30 for the repair of this bridge. In 1875, the auditor was ordered to advertise for sealed bids "for the completion of the Pilchuck Bridge" and, in July of that year, the auditor was ordered "to post more notices for bids". In November M. T. Wight was appointed to "investigate" the Pilchuck Bridge, and in 1876 he was named as the first "Bridge Commissioner," to let contract and superintend this construction. George F. Kyle was next appointed, in like capacity to superintend a bridge across Hatt Slough on the Stillaguamish and Priest Point Road. In September, 1876, Benjamin Stretch was paid $450 "for work on the Pill Chuck Bridge'. This completed the bridge - except that it was not floored, and in February, 1877, the auditor was ordered to get sealed bids "for covering Pill Chuck Bridge with two-inch plank or split cedar puncheon, also to cover bridge over Hatt Slough and for a new bridge across French's Slough on the Skykomish Road". S. Giddings secured the contract to cover the Hatt Slough Eridge and the French Slough Bridge was let to G. T. Sorenson, for $150, covering not included, but the Pilchuck contract was not let, the district supervisor being ordered to "cover Pillchuck Bridge and repair same out of district funds as soon as possible", at the same time the old supervisor was ordered "to pay over funds to successor," as his money had "not been legally spent". It was not until September 1, 1877, that the glad news was printed '" Pillchuck Bridge 1s now covered and teams have passed over it." A few weeks later, October,1877, it was reported that 'The settlers on the Snohomish turned out and covered the bridge across Frenchy's Slough and it is now as good a bridge as there is in the county." Prior to the completion of this bridge, a boat connected by a rope to each bank served as a ferry for passengers. Horses and cattle were forced to ford the stream. The progress of road work from year to year, the different projects undertaken and the way they were carried through, forms an interesting and informative chapter of Snohomish County history, reflecting the growth of the county and the direction of that growth.

Road Petitions

To understand the acts of the commissioners as recorded in their minute books it is necessary to understand the legal processes under which they worked. The first step in the creation of a road was when a petition was presented by citizens. If this was granted, viewers were appointed to make a preliminary survey and where necessary to appraise damages. Upon the acceptance of this report the road was declared to be "located". All this had nothing to do with actual road building and it was often the case that a road was "located" years before it was open to travel. Declaring a road a "county road" meant that the county had adopted some privately built road and became responsible for its future improvement and maintainance. The ordinary work of repairs and minor construction was carried on by the districts and does not appear in the county records. With this brief explanation, necessary only for those who never lived under the old road system, the work of county road development may be better followed.

In 1870, viewers were appointed for a road from Mukilteo to the Military road, and it was located in November. Other roads viewed were those from Wood's Prairie to Ruby Bar on the Sultan, and from Snohomish City to Cochrane's Prairie, but the petition for a road from Priest Point to George Walker's house was not

Swinging Bridge, Upper Stillaguamisi

Roads viewed in 1871 were from Fiddlers Bluff to Daniels' ranch on the Snoqualmie; from the Stillaguamish to Priest Point and from Priest Point to Walkers, on the Snohomish. Roads located were from the Stillaguamish to the Skagit and from Snohomish City to Cochrane's Prairie. In 1872, the road from Lowell to 'mos Hunt's place "now in use" was declared a public highway. The chief work of 1873 consisted of locating roads from Ebey Slough to the north and from Mc- Clurg's to Snohomish City. The proposal of W. T. Ballou to build a road from Fidlers Bluff to Lake Washington was rejected. Pressure for road work from the north end of the county became greater, in 1874, and James Hatt, A. Graham and William Douglas were appointed to view a road to connect the Stillaguamish Road at Hatt's Slough with the Skagit Road at Centerville, a road from the Stillaguamish to the Skagit being located and opened in December. Appropriations were made to aid road construction : - $87 to open a road from Mukilteo to the south county line, $50 for a road from Priest Point to the Stillaguamish, $30 for the east end of the road from Lowell to Fiddlers Bluff, with a later appropriation of $170 more for the same road to be constructed under the supervision of E. D. Smith. A year later, the board resolved "to use its official influence" to hurry the matter of cutting out this road, which had been relocated, and William Hawkins was fined $10 "for not acting as viewer as appointed," and as a warning to others. It was also ordered that the river bank road in John Swett's district "be made passable." Road locations were from Tualco to Summit Lake, as far as the King County line, and from Snohomish City to the north boundary of the Parker farm. The Pilchuck Creek Road was also extended into Snohomish City, to a point near Blackman Bros.' logging railway.

The road work of 1876 included an order to open a road from William Morrison's ranch to connect with the Stillaguamish and Priest Point Road. O. B. Iverson was appointed to survey the Skagit-Stillaguamish Road, and he soon had six men at work at Priest Point, and for fourteen miles stakes were set and the road "well blazed." L. G. Ireland was named to relocate the Lowell-Fiddlers Bluff Road and $95 was voted for the relief of E. S. Jones, G. T. Sorenson and C. M. Cedergren who had contributed for "the building of a turnpike" across the Kellogg ranch.

In 18/77, the first county surveyor was appointed in the person of M. T. Wight, and viewers were appointed for roads from the Popejoy claim on the Skykomish to Sultan River, and from Field's farm on the Skykomish to Woods' Landing, but it was impressed that thereafter the commissioners would require bond from petitioners to pay cost of viewing where roads were not granted. Quite a controversy arose when McNamara and McLaughlin, who desired to open a saloon near Stanwood, applied for a private road through land belonging to Henry Oliver. It was granted over Oliver's protest and he appealed to the courts. Immediately after the road was granted, McNamara and McLaughlin applied for a liquor license, which was also granted.

After all the mentions of the Lowell road, covering a number of years, the following newspaper comment, March 31, 1877, is illuminating. "For foot passengers, the trail from here to Lowell is best on the south side of the river. Will the supervisor please fix up the bridge between Little's and Morse's places?" Again, the real state of the roads is shown by the comment, June 19, 1878, "Mr. Stacy is canvassing the question as to the best route for the construction of a wagon road from Mukilteo to Lowell. Such a result would greatly benefit the county." Pilchuck settlers began opening a trail to the divide between that.stream and the Stillaguamish, in September, 1877, and it was said that this would "open up a large bottom of excellent land, free from heavy timber, easily cleared and with room for 100 settlers." A survey of the Pilchuck-Stillaguamish road was made by the county in 1878, at a cost of $557, a staggering amount, so it was considered, and the board after asking for bids for clearing decided to drop the matter, but this aroused the people of that section and the road was ordered to be opened. One of the chief reasons for the repeated attempts made by residents of the Stillaguamish Valley to be attached to Skagit County in later years, was the feeling that they were discriminated against in the matter of roads. An item that throws light on the development of Stanwood was the appropriation of $60 "for plank to cover the bridge at the end of the Skagit and Stillaguamish Road at D. O. Pearson's store."

The year 1879 is memorable in Snohomish County road history for two things. The first suggestion that roads should be gravelled was made by Henry McClurg and others who asked $400 for that purpose for the road across the Kellogg marsh. The request was "laid over" and then indefinitely postponed. There was also the first suggestion of "state aid," or rather of territorial aid, when the legislature agreed, November 11, 1879, that one-half of the territorial road tax paid by the county for 1880 should be devoted for a road from Snohomish to Stanwood - providing the county should appropriate enough to open the road by August 1, 1881. There is no record that this offer was accepted, but the record does show that the petition of Salem Woods for the purchase of a road scraper was rejected, in 1880. A new road asked, in 1879, was one "from the seventh parallel at Lowell, northwest, to intersect the road from the Snohomish River to the Point Elliott telegraph station."

In 1881, E. C. Ferguson, J. H. Plaskett and A. H. Buchanan appeared before the commissioners to protest against an appropriation of $200, made in November, 1880, to open a road from Tualco to the King County line, under the direction of Henry Spurrell. They protested because there was no public necessity, no King County road to connect with, no legal road between the points set forth in the petition, and the board had no authority. Nevertheless the order was issued. In February, 1881, on petition of S. T. Packwood and others, S. M. Knapp and J. E. Getchell were appointed viewers and W. F. Brown, surveyor, of a proposed road from Snohomish to Stanwood, via Ebey Slough and the Tulalip reservation, to begin at Avenue D, Snohomish, on the established road to Tulalip, thence to the Adams telegraph station, then across the flats to Stanwood. This road was established the following May, although $800 had to be paid Isaac Cathcart for damages, and E. D. Smith was appointed to let contracts for a road thirty feet wide, and to build the necessary bridges. The project was nipped in the bud, however, when the Indian agent, who was greatly opposed to any encroachments by the whites, refused to permit bridges to be built in the reservation. At this same May session the petition of George T. Sorenson and others for $500 to build a wagon road from Sno- homish to Park Place, was rejected, although the petitioners offered to make private subscriptions, but, in August, $60 was appropriated "providing the citizens contribute enough money and labor to build four good bridges." Other bridge appropriations were made on the same basis.

C. A. Missimer was county surveyor in 1882, and he was ordered to lay out a road from Mukilteo to Lowell, but found that he could get no help for the pay offered, which was $2 per day, the men to board themselves. The Patterson ferrv was put in during the summer of 1882, and thus the settlers in the forks between the Skykomish and the Snoqualmie were able to get to Snohomish City by wagon road. In August of this year, William Whitfield was empowered to open the Stillaguamish road, via Priest Point, as surveyed by W. F. Brown, the expense being limited to $750. Whitfield let the contract to Robert Parker, the road to be cleared of all brush and logs for a width of twelve feet, for $15 per mile. This road was cut out by the last of May, 1883, and Parker reported that when the Quilcedar was bridged, "'teams could go the entire distance." The first plat book of county roads was made by C. A. Missimer, in 1882, at a cost of $275.

Much progress was made in 1883 as this was a boom year, with the first railroad building and an inrush of new settlers. In June, J. P. Anderson completed the survey of a road from Park Place to the railroad camp on the Skykomish, a distance of twenty-seven miles, and it was said that this road would "give settlers above Sultan something besides the canoe" as a means of transportation. Snohomish County was rather inclined to be proud of its roads at this time. A review of the situation boasted that there were 140 miles of road leading out of Snohomish City and they were described as follows:

"Pillchuck Road - From the end of Maple Street, north to the highland on the west side of Pilchuck Valley to the H. A. Gregory ranch, thence east, crossing the bottom, to the creek and following the creek to a point one mile south of the boundary of township 30-6, where there is a new settlement.

"Park Place Road - From First Street, southeast, on south side Le Grand marsh to Park Place and to Wood's Prairie; open for wagons for eleven miles. At Park Place road branches to the forks, at Pattison's Ferry and up the Skykomish and to King County via James Frazier's ranch on the Snoqualmie. A second branch starts at the ferry and follows the Skykomish to George Elwell's place. A third branch leads to George Austin's on the Skykomish, across the forks. The Snoqualmie branch is in good shape for twenty miles. Another branch starts near Wood's Prairie, on the north side of the Skykomish to the railway camp, twenty-five miles, surveyed in June, 1882, and cut as a trail to the Skykomish.

"Stillaguamish Road - From Avenue D, northwest, follows. Ebey Slough and the shore of Port Susan to Centerville on the Stillaguamish, opened in 1882. Twenty miles fit for teams.

"Mukilteo Road - From Mukilteo, due east to Lowell, up south bank of Snohomish to Snohomish City, thence southeast, along the Snohomish and Snoqualmie Rivers to the King County line at Henry Spurrell's place.

"Seven years ago," boasts the newspaper, ''there were few wagon roads, and the chief means of transportation were the canoe and the pack horse. Now a light wagon may travel eight miles to the north, eleven miles east, fifteen miles southeast, and twenty miles northwest, to Tulalip. Then there were but three wagons in the county ; now there is one on almost every farm." J. W. Halbert also boasted of the good road from Pattison's Ferry to Fern Bluff, saying that while "a year ago it took a day to make the trip, it can now be made in an hour." Another great undertaking was the construction of a wagon road from Snohomish to Seattle. The work began at the Lake Washington end and later, in September, from the Snohomish end. Twenty men, chiefly volunteer farmers, worked on this road and it was stated that when finished, one could "easily ride to Seattle and return in one day, whereas it took two days for the round trip by steamer." James [. Clark of Tualco, forded the Skykomish at Charles Harrison's ford in August, 1882, and it was claimed that he was the first to make the crossing with a loaded wagon. <A road, not under county auspices, was being pushed over Snoqualmie Pass, forty men being employed. The first buggy went over the pass in August, 1883.

The enthusiasm concerning the Seattle trail, in 1883, was too optimistic, for in 1884 its condition was reported as twelve feet wide in sections, with other sections blazed but not cut, others not blazed, and sections cut but requiring at least $150 to make them fit for wagons. It was not until July, 1885, that a loaded wagon was able to go as far south as the county line.

Kent'S Prairie Road, 1884

The chief project in 1884 was what was known as the Pilchuck-Stillaguamish road, over the "big burn" to Kent's Prairie. This road was completed, according to B. C. Schloman, who supervised it, in June, 1884. It was "fourteen feet wide, cleared of logs and brush and passable for horsemen through to the Stillaguamish river - except through a marsh, 200 feet wide, seventeen miles from Snohomish, which must be corduroyed."" The work cost $900; J. H. Condit built the bridges, and by the time it was finished five new claims had been taken. A county road was cut at this time from Marysville to intersect the Snohomish-Stillaguamish road and it was expected to divert much Stanwood trade to Marysville. There were a number of enterprising new settlers at Lake Stevens, in 1884, and they did not wait for the county to build their roads. In November they cut a wagon road to intersect the Pilchuck road near their new school house and, by April, this was completed, following the east shore of the lake and making a beautiful drive. In 1886 this road was extended, making two and one-half miles of road constructed by the citizens without aid from the county, which, however, soon took it over as a county road.

The first mention of "tourist travel" as a matter worth considering in the Pacific northwest, was in May, 1885, when it was proposed "'to run a stage line for tourists." from Seattle to Snoqualmie Falls.

The Postal Telegraph Company extended its lines into the county in 1886, and to maintain them it was forced to cut some semblance of a road. The line extended from Seattle with a loop to Snohomish, the main line going north to a point opposite Marysville, crossing the flats along the Stillaguamish Road and crossing the river near the head of the island. It was proposed that the telegraph company should make its road fit for general travel as a county road and for this purpose the commissioners appropriated $800; providing that the balance of $400 required should be subscribed by private individuals. L. H. Cyphers, Fred Fess and J. H. Swett were appointed as a committee to solicit and handle this fund.

Another move made by the commissioners, in 1886, was the authorization of Alex Robertson to confer with the government agent at Tulalip as to securing right of way for roads across the reservation. If the Indians would open the road from Marysville to Spebada, the county would open the road from Spebada, north to the boundary of the reservation, the cost not to exceed $40.

Another proposal was that of a toll road, as a private enterprise, to run from Snohomish to Gold Bar and via Cady Pass to Okanogan County. Dr. Stevens and kX. H. Hubbard were back of this plan and a number of shares were subscribed for by Snohomish people, but the road was not built.

In 1887 the county appropriated $700 for a road from Stanwood to the highlands and in 1888, $300 was voted for an extension of the Skykomish road above Fern Bluff, the settlers subscribing $509, and building 215 rods of road at a cost of $1.90 per rod. In 1889, the county called for bids for bridges across Portage and Frenchy sloughs, and the county was asked $150 to pay the balance on a $1,000 bridge over the Pilchuck, near Snohomish. This bridge, built under the supervision of John Iles, was completed in January, 1890, entirely by subscription.

First Road Bonds, 1890

By this time the people were becoming thoroughly dissatisfied with the narrow, 16-foot roads, It was said that there were 180 miles of wagon roads which were passable in dry weather, but as they were cut through the tall timber, they dried slowly and were impassable in wet weather. The cost of the narrow road per mile was estimated as, clearing $300; grading $150 to $200; bridges $100 to $150, making the average cost about $600. It was estimated that a 60-foot road would cost from $1,000 to $1,800 per mile. With these wider roads in view a bond issue of $80,000 was proposed, submitted to the voters, November 4, 1890, and carried. The interest limit was fixed at 5 per cent and the commissioners found themselves unable to sell the bonds unless higher interest was paid. Later, the Snohomish Eye said the commissioners had deferred action as to the sale of these bonds in order to await the new assessment valuation which was expected to exceed $10,000,000. It would then be possible to bond the county for $260,000, a part of which could be used to pay the $60,000 in warrants outstanding, which were bearing 10 per cent interest, and the balance used for roads and bridges.

The commissioners submitted a proposition for the issue of Bonde in the sum of $250,000 at a special election held February 9, 1892. The roads proposed were from Mineral City to Snohomish, Marysville, Stanwood and Sauk Portage; from Edmonds to Yew; Marysville to Mountain Park; Monroe to King County line; Stanwood to Skagit County; from Snohomish River to intersect the Fiddlers Bluff and Lowell road; Snohomish to Granite Falls, via Machias; and the upper Pilchuck road. The plans also called for the erection of seven bridges. This proposition was defeated by a vote of 346 for, and 933 against.

Following this election the commissioners revived the $80,000 bond issue previously voted, but which they had been unable to realize upon. These bonds were sold to Seymour & Barto of Tacoma, at par and accrued interest at 5 per cent.

Trouble arose, however, when it was learned that the commissioners had drawn a warrant on the general fund for $5,600, bearing 7 per cent interest, as a commission to this firm for disposing of the bonds. This was held to be an evasion of the law and the provisions under which the bonds were issued, and the prosecuting attorney, J. W. Heffner, opposed the payment of the commission warrant. The Tacoma concern, did not care to take these bonds without the bonus and the deal fell through, the unsold bonds remaining in the hands of the commissioners. As an aftermath to this transaction it transpired in November, 1893, that County Treasurer Lawry found a check to be worthless that had been given by a Tacoma party as a guarantee that he would find a purchaser for these bonds.

Everett Boosts Good Roads

With the birth of Everett there came an entirely new spirit into the affairs of Snohomish County. This new element was composed of vigorous, energetic men of large affairs. Many came from eastern states where conditions were more settled and much further advanced, especially along transportation lines. This new spirit affected every phase of county life. Everett was expected to rival San Francisco and Seattle. The 140 miles of 16-foot road, passable part of the time, did not appeal to the founders of Everett. They wanted good roads, all the year round, and they wanted them right away. This influence was particularly manifest in 1892, before the cold breath of national panic and adversity had tarnished the golden hopes. One of the great enterprises was the building of the Everett and Monte Cristo railway, and hand in hand with this, and as a necessity for construction of the railway went the building of a wagon road. The great highway accomplishment for 1892 was the completion of a road from Everett, past Hartford, on to Silverton and, later, to the Monte Cristo mines. The commissioners, in May, 1892, let the contract for a bridge across the Sultan River to A. B. Palmer, for $4,600, and in October McKinzie & Palmer were awarded a contract for building and planking the road across the flats at East Everett; the price being 18 cents per yard for earth moved and $14 per thousand for planking. This was the first important contract for planking let by the county. It was at this time that the bridge across the Ebey Slough was built, the San Francisco Bridge Co. receiving the contract, for $7,300. This was paid for by District No. 13, which was the city of Everett, and not by the county. The wagon road to Silver Creek was completed by October 16, 1892, and it was announced with glee that "goods can now be shipped by wagon instead of packing them."

The injunction as to the sale of the $80,000 road and bridge bonds was dissolved in March, 1893, but they remained unsold. Almost immediately after this court decision, contracts were let to A. B. Palmer for two bridges across the Stillaguamish; one on the south fork below Gifford's for $5,200, and one on the north fork, for $6,200, at Hildebrands. There were delays, however, and these contracts were not finally signed until July, work to be completed in 100 days. In October, Palmer purchased bonds to the amount of $10,000, the money being immediately paid to him on his contracts. This was done after it appeared that work must be suspended unless the commissioners were able to raise additional funds. Other road events of this busy year were the securing of the right of way for a road from Snohomish to Marysville, the completion of the Ebey Slough Bridge, which was connected with the Marysville road by 2,000 feet of planking, the beginning of the survey of a road from Florence to Arlington, then a very new town, the beginning of planking on the road from Larimer's Lane to Snohomish, and the acceptance by the commissioners of the Everett proposition to plank a road from that city to Hartford, the cost to be divided among Everett, adjacent property owners and the county. The commissioners were able to pursue this broader policy as a new road law placed much greater power in their hands. Near the close of this year the first state-wide "Good Roads" convention was held, at Olympia; the delegates appointed from Snohomish County being Peter Leque, of Stanwood, W. P. Kingston, of Edmonds, John Farrell, of Tualco, D. S. Baker, of Trafton and L. F. Hart, of Snohomish,

1894 was the year of the great county seat fight and the strongest card Everett played was through its enthustic support of good roads. It is true that it promised more than it was able to fulfill, but the ensuing hard times made that more a question of inability than of bad faith. But its performance was good. It really did help immensely with money and time and enthusiasm and the results were not only that Everett secured the county seat but that a permanent impulse for better roads was imparted to the entire county. Much of this would have come naturally at this time for both the mines and the railroads had opened up new territory which demanded more and better highways. This was particularly true along the Stillaguamish and in the Sultan River and Monte Cristo districts. In March, the commissioners sold the balance of the $80,000 bond issue to E. H. Rollins Sons of Boston, and thus what was then considered a perfect flood of money was released for expenditure upon roads and bridges, and, very naturally, every community was anxious to get its share. Labor and materials were cheap and it is probable that at no other time in the county's history could the same amount of money have been made to perform a greater service, even though it was charged that a portion of it was wasted.

Stillaguamish Bridged

The bridge over the Stillaguamish, at Haller City was completed in February, 1894, and the bridge over the Sultan, at Monroe, was opened with dancing and oratory, in August, M. F. Barnes being the speaker. In the north part of the county a plank road was constructed between Stanwood and the Great Northern, which had left that town to one side, and to this was added another mile of plank road. A wagon road was begun, in June, to extend from Arlington to Oso, and, in August, eighty men were at work opening a road on the north fork of the Stillaguamish to Sauk Portage, the settlers eagerly furnishing the work and the county supplying the equipment and provisions. Work began on the Marysville-Snohomish road in June, with Ed Albee as superintendent. It was to be planked as far as Ebey Slough, and laborers were to be paid in cash from the bond fund at the rate of $1.50, for an eight-hour day.

Snohomish was chiefly interested in a plank road between that city and Everett by way of Marshland. At first the commissioners refused to aid, but Everett promised to help and meetings were called at Snohomish to further the project. The commissioners finally stated that they were ready to assist, providing a guarantee of payment of subscriptions was made. The cost of this road was estimated at $13,000. Everett subscribed $3,000 for this project and the board took action in

July, agreeing to begin work when 50 per cent of the amount subscribed by citizens should be deposited with the county treasurer, subject to the order of the county.

Everett-Machias Road

The road which received the most enthusiastic backing from Everett was the plank road, four and one-half miles long, from Everett to Machias, via [ake Stevens. Everett had voted $30,000 for "street improvements," but with the almost unanimous knowledge and consent of its people, this was construed to mean any expenditure which would help secure the county seat. Very wisely I*'verett believed it could best cultivate good will and secure votes by promoting the road to Machias. Residents along the proposed route met with the commissioners, in February, and the work of construction began in June, the enthusiastic farmers turning out to do the work of clearing, gratis.

Besides these major projects the board also appropriated $500 to place the road from Galena to Index in condition for freighting and the auditor was directed to advertise for bids to clear, grade and open up that portion of the Mukilteo-Snoqualmie Road lying in section 16, township 27-6. The board ordered that work done from proceeds of the bond sale should be done by day's work, not by contract, with competent foremen drawing $2.50 per day and laborers $1.50 per day. While this theory may have been good, it was later charged that this order was used as a cloak for padded payrolls.

The county purchased a road making machine which was used for the first time at Tualco, in June, 1895. Charles Harriman, of that place, also suggested the use of a portable sawmill, stating that from the 60-foot right-of-way enough timber could be cut for the planking and also to supply local ranchers with lumber. The plank road to Machias proved a heavy undertaking for Everett to put through without aid and in June, 1895, a delegation visited the board and asked the aid of the board to complete this road and also to open a road from Fiddlers Bluff to Cathcart, tendering the use of a portable sawmill to cut the plank needed. This offer was accepted, the road to Machias was finished and the road to Cathcart was planked before the end of 1896. In the vicinity of Arlington the people showed their enterprise by the erection of a very unique foot-bridge across the south fork of the Stillaguamish at the F. B. Davis place. This was a suspension bridge, constructed out of a second-hand trolley wire. The commissioners established a road from Baker's foot-bridge, over the north fork of the Stillaguamish to the Darrington trail and also ordered a bridge over the Pilchuck on the Stanwood- Bryant Road, in November, 1895.

Bridge To Camano Island

The bridge over the slough, connecting Camano Island with the main land was ordered constructed in January, 1896, by agreement with the commissioners of Island County. A statement made by the Haller City Times, in its issue of April 23, 1896, shows that the work of the commissioners was appreciated. The editorial read: 'No county in the state has done more for highways the past three years than Snohomish County, and the Arlington district has been particularly fortwunate. There is a good wide road, twice crossing the Stillaguamish, from Arlington to Oso, and also a new bridge over Deer Creek which opens the rich North Fork Valley.

Que can now go by carriage from Arlington to Mt. Vernon, Stanwood, Marysville, Everett or Snohomish, a thing which could not have been done three years ago. There was then not a single decent road in the north part of the county - simply hog troughs through which the teams wallowed. All roads then ended at the river and one had to pay to cross in an old, rickety ferry or dugout. Great credit is due the county commissioners."

Completion of the Machias and Cathcart roads, with work on the Marysville- Stanwood highway kept the road department of county government fully employed during 1896, although there was some work done in the mining district, the board making appropriation for the extension of the wagon road up Silver Creek from Galena, but the mine owners contributed the greater part of the expense and labor. Just as the year 1894 was chiefly devoted to the county seat fight, so the people of the county gave most of their time to politics in 1896. The fusionists with Bryan as their leader swept Snohomish County and this victory carried with it the election of a new board of county commissioners unfriendly to the old board. The year 1897 was marked, therefore, with many charges and counter-charges of graft and inefficiency, part of which had foundation in fact and part in politics. There was a grand jury investigation, in April, no less than forty-six witnesses being called and three indictments being found. It was charged that the commissioners were personally interested in contracts, that they employed bridge inspectors who duplicated the work of the county surveyor, at heavy expense, and that there were overcharges for mileage and expense. An inspection of one plank road showed that it was short 6,013 pounds of spikes. Graft was also charged as to the furnishing of lumber, and it was stated that lumber which cost $5.90 per thousand at the Lowell mill was sold to the contractors, by agreement, at $6.75. Large appropriations to mining companies for road purposes were also charged. John Kreischel gave testimony as to bribe offers. The grand jury reported that the half had not been told, but that the people were helpless. The report stated that there had been a conspiracy to raid the road and bridge funds, but added that owing to the remarkably short memory of witnesses, it was almost impossible to punish offenders "unless you see them put the money in their pockets." The Ebey Slough ditching work was said by the grand jury to have been attended with serious graft, but it was then too late for the county or the people to obtain redress. Suit was brought to recover certain alleged overcharges and some repayments were made, but in the main, the only result of this investigation was to weaken the faith of the people in their public officials and to make it more difficult to secure a favorable vote for any bond issue. Under these conditions, and because the money had been spent, there was little road construction in 1897. The Arlington district seems to have been the most active, and, in January, the citizens of that place appointed a committee consisting of W. H. Ford, John P. Anderson and Sam Stevens to cooperate with the commercial club of Everett to survey a new road, which it was thought would shorten the distance between the two towns by many miles. H.R. Johnson completed the construction of three bridges across the sloughs on the Arlington- Stanwood road in May, the one nearest Silvana being the last to be finished. While much had been done, there was much still to be accomplished especially in the northeastern part of the county, as is shown by the following items which appeared in the Arlington Times, in April. The Times said "Mrs. Charles Bridgewater who has lately been stopping at Sultan, passed thru town yesterday on her way to their claim at Darrington to comply with Uncle Sam's homestead laws. The claim is back in the woods thirty miles from Arlington and over the latter half of this distance, the road degenerates into a trail, yet she will walk the entire distance, and says she has frequently come to town in a day. The Kansas girl who rides a sulky plow is not a circumstance in comparison with this lady." Again, in November, the Times said: '""The South Fork settlers are quite badly situated, both the Jim Creek and the South Fork bridges having been wiped out. In coming to town, they have to cross the river ona raft. They will ask the county for $25 to assist them in replacing the South Fork wire foot-bridge.' These South Fork people's troubles continued into 1898. <A large part of the road to Stanwood was washed out during the winter, and a meadow owned by Carl Knudson was used for a temporary road. Knudson placed gates across the road and charged 25 cents toll for each vehicle passing through his premises and, later, published notice forbidding such travel entirely. Peter Severson and E. E. Holmstead circulated petitions in the vicinity for the establishment of a new road and road conditions remained bad in the north end of the county for some time. Although before the days of equal suffrage the women were much interested in this road problem, Miss Eliza Hamilton, of the South Fork, being quoted as giving expression to the great need of her community for a public highway to Arlington. The account said: ''As is generally known, there is a gap in the road at Knudson's place, owing to the old road having been washed away. A trail was made over his private land, but on an attempt being made to improve it, he, recently, blocked it up entirely. Miss Hamilton believes that the only practical way to give that neighborhood an outlet is to bridge the river at Raymond's place, where there are high rock banks, making an ideal location. This would make the distance to Arlington six or seven miles, as against nine or ten by the old route. She says that there are about twenty-five families who would be greatly benefitted." As this interview was published in March, 1899, it is evident that these bad conditions had persisted for more than a year. Again, in 1899, a communication was published from a miner showing that it cost about two cents a pound to transport freight from Arlington to Darrington. Commenting upon this the Times said: "At this rate a sack of flour worth $1 at Arlington would cost a miner $2. This is not a situation conducive to the development of the county's resources. It might be excusable in the wilds of Alaska, but it must not long continue in Snohomish County."

Marysville Cut-Off Proposed

During the year 1898, Everett people became greatly interested in a cut-off road from Everett to Marysville across the flats at the mouth of the Snohomish River. There was much agitation, but commissioners held that the cost was prohibitive, and it was not until 1925 under the direction of the State Highway Commission that this work was undertaken, it being now under construction at a cost of more than

First Gravel Roads

During the era of the puncheon road, gravel was used in some places for surfacing, but it was not until 1900 that road authorities got the idea that gravel might be used as a road making material. It is noted, in March, 1900, that "County Surveyor B. C. Majors has returned from a week's surveying in the vicinity of Florence. Among other duties, he ran out the line on an acre of gravel pit recently purchased by the county. A short time ago, the county also purchased a similar pit near Stanwood, and from this, it would seem that the commissioners have at last come to the realization that the one solution of the road question, is a liberal use of gravel." The people were beginning to awaken to the necessity for a better system of road control and construction. George Shea was quoted as saying "the weakest point in our county government is in the system, or lack of system, rather, of road building." He asserted that thousands and thousands of dollars were wasted annually and not enough good roads built "for a dog to fight on." He said "it is impossible under the present system to tell what becomes of the road taxes, as the supervisor can go to a camp or mill and for $2.50 issue a $4 road tax labor receipt and put the money in his pocket, the stub showing that the taxes had been worked out." Mr. Shea believed roads should be built just as bridges - by the contract system.

Again, in 1900, a considerable portion of the road work was done along the upper reaches of the Stillaguamish. A wire foot-bridge was built across the South Fork by Elias Holmstad's, four strands of wire being used. This was built by Olaf and Anton Holmstad, Alex Johnson, Knute Anderson, J. G. Helseth, O. Fingerson, and Ole Eliason at a cost of $65, which was raised among the settlers. The region was not entirely deserted by the county officials, however, for a 600-foot wing dam was built in the spring of 1900, at a cost of $2,838, to protect the South Fork Bridge; a new road up the South Fork via Oso was pushed and the Bryant Road was made "two tracks wide."

In 1891, there was much good roads agitation, and also many complaints as to road conditions and the expensive repairs necessary to maintain the bridges. In March, the Everett Herald said the city was losing much trade on account of the poor roads and urged a new highway to Hartford, Granite Falls, and Machias, stating that the old location was a "mistake made by design" to benefit private interests. The Herald's idea as to a new highway was approved by the Chamber of Commerce which appointed a committee consisting of T. A. Garrigues, T. B. Sumner, and A. D. Austin, to confer with the commissioners. In July, work was ordered on the Lake Stevens road, which had become impassable, two bridges being down. The commissioners bought the lumber and the Hartford people did the work. Again the women took a hand and Mrs. Fletcher Webster Jewel, who had become noted as a nurse in South Africa during the Boer War, appeared before the commissioners, stating that the road was almost impassable and that little or no work had been done on it in a long time. In October, a contract was let to J. T. Donaldson, for $3,293, for two miles on the Lake Stevens road, from Joy's Mill to Machias. In November, it became necessary to close the bridge over Ebey Slough, and this caused great inconvenience and dissatisfaction, as the commissioners refused to run a ferry, stating that it would cost the county $1,000. A flat bottom boat, to carry passengers and produce, was at last provided, but no horses or wagons were ferried, and for some time Everett was cut off from a large part of its trade. The Herald published a statement, in May, 1901, showing that the county had expended $45,738 for bridges since 1888, and claimed that the repairs had been much too expensive. It printed a table naming some of the chief bridges with date of construction, first cost, and cost of repairs. The bridges named were: French Slough, 1888, first cost $750, repairs $725; Snohomish, 1891, cost $18,000, repairs, $8,300; Hildebrandt, 1894, cost $8,010, repairs $1,500; Silverton, 1895, cost $2,400, repairs, due to washout, $2,400; Silvana, 1900, cost $3,800, repairs $1,500. In August, the commissioners called a special election on the new road law, the adoption of which was optional with the counties. This provided for three road districts under the supervision of the commissioners, instead of the eighty-seven road supervisors under the old system. There was much opposition to this law throughout the state, and it was taken into court. Superior Judge Denny decided the law invalid, and his decision was carried up to the Supreme Court. The commissioners called the election off, but declared that they would thereafter insist on bids being received for any road work done by road supervisors amounting to more than $100. Agitation concerning this law and the election which had been called, aroused much interest and many contributions to the local press, one of which, signed "Old Settler," and published in the Everett Herald, September 14, 1901, is worth preserving. It read: "Commissioner Stretch says he wants to see the roads of this county macadamized. Yes,inahorn: As they have them in New Jersey: I hope he will live to see it. I do not want to live so long. If I live to see ten miles of macadamized road in this county, I want someone to tomahawk me." This "Old Settler" is undoubtediy dead, or else his fond wish that he might be tomahawked has been denied.

Era Of Paved Roads Begins

Permanent highway construction in Snohomish County, which was originally conceived by the builders of Everett in the early nineties and was a strong factor in the county seat contest of 1894, was finally organized through the intensive efforts of the Snohomish County Good Roads Association, formed at a county representative mass meeting held in the basement of the Carnegie Library Building in 1906, although the first campaign to bond the county for a system of cement paved highways was not undertaken until 1908. Dr. W. C. Cox was the first president, and has remained at the head of the Association continuously up to the present time. The late A. B. Stewart of Monroe was the first vice president, Albert Johnson, then secretary of the Everett Chamber of Commerce and now congressman from the Southwest Washington district, was the first secretary, succeeded by the later secretaries of the Everett Chamber of Commerce, Walter Thornton, C. C. Johnston, and W. W. Blain (now of Grand Forks, N. D.), the present secretary being Executive Secretary F. J. McGougan of the Chamber of Commerce. Among the most energetic and influential members of the first board of directors were James B. Best, Homer T. Fowler and Judge W. W. Black. Active interest in systematic road construction was aroused throughout the county, and one of the first noteworthy results of the Association's efforts was the excellent bridge spanning the channel between the mainland and Camano Island, west of Stanwood, which was located in January, 1908, and built by Snohomish and Island Counties, jointly. The first steel bridge in the county was the Sultan bridge spanning the Skykomish River, built in 1900.

Good Roads Association

Early in 1908 the Association laid its plans for the first campaign to bond the county, although when the subject was first broached to the directors by President

Cox, he was the only man present favoring such an attempt at that time, all the other directors: feeling that the project would be premature and would be defeated at the polls. However, Dr. Cox persuaded them that the educational and publicity value of such a campaign would more than compensate good roads advocates for the expense and effort expended. Consequently, petitions were circulated and signed in sufficient number to insure the appearance of the bonding proposition on the ballot, and a vigorous campaign was organized, L. E. Duryee of the Everett Improvement Company personally collecting all subscriptions to the liberal campaign fund. The proposition was to bond the county for $500,000 to pay for cement paved highways, ninety-two miles in total combined length, embracing and outlining seven main propositions, as follows: Skagit County line south via Stanwood. 1, Silvana, Marysville, Everett, Silver Lake to the King County line, now known as the Pacific Highway; 2, Marysville to Arlington; 3, Everett to Lake Stevens, Hartford and Granite Falls; 4, Everett to Snohomish, Monroe and Sultan; 5, from King County line north to Maltby, Cathcart and Snohomish; 6 and 7, county highway connections for Edmonds and Mukilteo. James B. Best carried on a vigorous educational campaign daily in the columns of the Herald, meetings were addressed in all parts of the county by members of the Association explaining and advocating the bonding proposition, which in the beginning met with quite general opposition, but by the time the polls opened in November the Association felt that it had accomplished much more than was at first anticipated, for sentiment seemed about equally divided. This proved to be an unusually accurate estimate, for the bonding proposition was defeated by an extremely close vote, for bonds 3,497, against bonds 3,504.

Second Defeat For Bonds

In the succeeding years before the presidential election of 1912 the Association did some intensive educational work for permanent roads, and it was in this year that the law placing all county roads under the direct control and supervision of the county commissioners was adopted by the Legislature. This law was conceived and written by H. D. Cooley of Everett, pioneer Snohomish County lawyer and former prosecuting attorney. Up to this time, as the Everett News put it, "eighty-seven supervisors were spending the road funds in driblets and people were not getting full benefit of their money. Under the revised statute, the commissioner of the affected district and the county engineer handled the small jobs, costing not more than $2,500 on roads or $500 on bridges, with day labor. If in excess of these amounts, bids were called and the work done by contractors, subject to county requirements and inspection." In January, 1911, County Auditor P. T. Lee had pointed out that in the year 1910 a total of $197,321 was spent on roads and bridges, much of this being replacement and repair work due to floods and river overflow, and that on January 5, 1911, his books showed that Road District 1 was overdrawn to the extent of $20,133.32, No. 2 $8,317.44 and No. 3 $10,534.24, a total of $38,985, on account of emergency work.

In 1912 the Association prepared a much more extensive road bonding proposition, contemplating fifteen specified road paving projects throughout the county, and proposing to bond the county for $1,500,000, four and one-half per cent twenty-year bonds. From a total of ninety-two miles projected in the 1908 plan, the 1912 project contemplated 1241%4 miles of paved highway, maximum grade five per cent, grade twenty-four feet wide with cement paving eight feet wide in the center and abutting strip of hard rolled gravel four feet in width on either side of pavement. The work was to be done under the direct supervision of the county commissioners, but they were to act with an advisory board of ten, representing ten different towns in the county and appointed by the Snohomish County Road Improvement Association. The campaign was hot and thorough, despite the handicap of an unusually vigorous and somewhat sensational presidential campaign. The road bonding proposition had a small majority, but considerably less than the sixty per cent of the total vote polled, required to carry it.

This setback, however, did not dishearten the advocates of a system of paved roads, and they never quit advocating and working for it. At the same time, the far-seeing county commissioners of those years had anticipated the ultimate hard-surfacing of practically all the main county roads, had ceased the construction of common dirt roads and had put in practice the systematic construction of road beds of gravel or crushed rock, designed to sustain some form of surface paving at some future time. The first such macadamized highway, built of crushed rock, was the main highway from the Everett city limits to Cavelero's Corners, in the fall and winter of 1901-1902, and later continued to Lake Stevens and Marysville.

First Hard Pavement

The first mile of hard pavement in the county was the vitrified brick pavement connecting Stanwood with East Stanwood, which was laid in 1912. In the following year the first cement pavement was laid also in the Stanwood neighborhood, from Stanwood north one mile, and at the same time one and three-tenths miles of cement pavement from Broadway and Forty-first Street, Everett, to Lowell. The first mile of cement paving from Arlington west was laid in 1914. These short stretches of paved roads proved a mighty educational factor, demonstrating the desirability and actual economic advantage of such roads, infinitely reducing the time and cost of marketing and bringing the farms and lumber industries much closer to the population centers and markets. The Snohomish County Road Improvement Association quickly appreciated the value of these small examples of modern roads, and early in 1915 initiated a more thorough study of the general road problem and of another and greater road bonding proposition, although not a mile of paving was put down in that year.

Big Bond Issue Proposed

The Good Roads Association was more thoroughly representative now than ever, and was much better prepared for an effective campaign. Fully $2,000 in cash was raised as a campaign fund, the Washington and Superior Portland Cement companies being liberal contributors to the fund, though this fact was known only to President Cox, Director Best and Secretary W. W. Blain. In October, the board of county commissioners, composed of Thomas C. Fleming, C. H. Quast and J. C. Falconer, outlined a proposition for the paving of 123.6 miles of county roads, at an estimated cost of $16,000 per mile, according to the estimate of Assistant County Engineer Bickford, but this proposition was then turned over to Chairman Willhite of the Association's committee of eighteen, representing all the important localities of the county, and when the completed final bonding proposition was submitted to the voters at the special election on December 28, 1915 the proposition contemplated 139.6 miles of pavement and the issuance of bonds to the amount of $1,813,800. Much of this expansion of the original proposition was due to a desire to satisfy the desires of the people of Arlington, Monroe, Gold Bar and vicinities, so that all parts of the county came in for a just share of the great paving system. Dr. Cox and Mr. Best then made an intensive study of the whole project, the analysis proving that fully eighty-five per cent of the entire settled area of the county would be served directly by these highways.

The campaign favoring the big bond issue was most capably managed and pushed with ceaseless vigor. The entire project, the most ambitious that had ever been undertaken by a single county in Washington, attracted state-wide interest, as well as newspaper comment from many other states. The plan of campaign included a complete house-to-house canvass of the City of Everett, one man being assigned to each block, pledged to meet and talk in behalf of the bond proposition with every voter in that block. There was but one serious clash over the proposition, and this was over the final designation of routes of highways to be paved, and related to the Lake Stevens district. The Association had planned to pave the road along the south side of the lake, where nearly all the people resided, while the county commissioners were inclined to designate the north side highway. The matter was finally discussed at an open meeting, at which B. J. Rucker made a strong plea for the north side road, and Judge Black, Editor Best and Dr. Cox as earnestly demanded that the south side road should be favored. The principal argument of Mr. Rucker was that the north side road afforded the shortest route, eight miles, while the south side route was eleven miles. The deciding factor was the settlers along the south shore, and that route was chosen. In the preparation of the final draft of the proposition for submission to the voters, Mr. Best contrived to include a cleverly worded clause which provided for the paving of two and a half miles of streets within the city limits of Everett, being the city portion of the Mukilteo Highway, which otherwise would have remained unpaved. In October the county commissioners decided to call the special election for November 30, 1915, but the date was later changed to December 28. The last week in October the county commissioners called for volunteers to serve as election officers without pay, and also signed a written pledge to reduce all road levies enough to offset the proposed bond fund levy.

Extending the campaign another month proved fortunate for the advocates of the big project, for in the first week of December the first meeting of the Snohomish County Automobile Owners' Association was held, with John Ellingson in the chair, the organization was formed, membership fee was fixed at $3, and the organization resolved to actively take part in the campaign favoring the road bonds. At the same time the county commissioners requested the Good Roads Association to stand by the county in its road paving work. One of the most effective speakers in favor of the bond issue was the noted Samuel Hill of Maryhill, on the Columbia River, Washington, a son-in-law of the late President J. J. Hill of the Great Northern Railway. Mr. Hill arrived late in November, fully equipped with lectures, maps and photographs, and reported to President Cox for speaking assignments. He addressed public meetings in all the towns and community centers of the county. At a mass meeting addressed by Hill in Mukilteo one evening, the distinguished speaker paused a moment, and singling out Dr.

Cox in the audience, asked: "What is the best road building material, Dr. Cox?" "Cement, in my opinion," promptly replied the doctor. "Oh, no, it isn't," said the speaker throwing up his hands, and turning away, "It's brains!"

The $1,813,800 bonding proposition, as voted upon December 28, 1915, provided that the bonds be issued in amounts of $100 to $1,000 each, interest not to exceed five per cent payable semi-annually, bonds to run twenty years, all redeemable after five years, and to be sold in such amounts as the commissioners decide, in accordance with the bond election resolution adopted November 22, 1915. There were thirty-five specific road propositions or projects, with estimated cost stated in each case, as follows:

Outline Of Paving Plan

Proposition No. 1 - Pacific Highway from Everett south city limits to Silver Lake, estimated cost $52,000. No. 2 - South city limits of Everett to junction of Forty-first Street and Rucker Avenue, $13,000. No. 3 - Pacific Highway at Beverley Park station southwest on Beverley Park-Mukilteo Highway one and one-quarter miles, thence southwest to north city limits of Edmonds, $75,000. No. 4 - Through Edmonds from north to south city limits, $18,250. No. 5 - From south limits of Edmonds southeast to end of brick pavement at King County line, $47,250. No. 6 - From east end Everett Avenue, bridge eastward to Cavelero's Corners, $25,000. No. 7 - Cavelero's Corners northerly on Pacific Highway to east limits of Marysville, $93,200. No. 8 - East limits of Marysville westerly and northerly to north limits, $18,750. No. 9 - North Marysville limits northerly on Pacific Highway three miles, $36,000. No. 10- - From quarter corner between sections 22 and 23, township 30, range 5, northerly along Kellog Marsh Road to its junction with Permanent Highway No. 10, $124,000. No. 11 - From west end of Permanent Highway No. 10 westerly to Silvana, $70,500. No. 12 - Silvana westerly along Pacific Highway to East Stanwood, $123,750. No. 13 - North end P. H. No. 11 along Pacific Highway to Skagit County line, $33,800. No. 14 - East Stanwood northeasterly to Town of Cedarhome, $28,000. No. 15 - East Stanwood southeast to a point half a mile south of Florence, $32,000. No. 16 - West limits of Stanwood west to Island County line, $12,500. No. 17 - -Arlington northerly to north city limits, $6,500. No. 18 - -North limits of Arlington northeast along road to Oso for a distance of two and one-half miles, $30,500. No. 19 - Cavelero's Corners southeast to north limits of Snohomish. No. 20 - North limits of Snohomish southerly to south limits, $11,250. No. 21 - South limits Snohomish southeast along lower Monroe-Snohomish Road to west limits of Monroe, $93,750. No. 22 - East limits of Monroe east on Owen Road to west limits of Sultan, $98,000. No. 23 - West limits of Sultan east to east limits, $13,750. No. 24 - East limits Sultan to east limits of Gold Bar, $77,000. No. 25 - Rucker Avenue and Forty-first Street, Everett, west to west city limits, $38,750. No. 26 - South limits of Snohomish southwest along Snohomish-Larimas Corners Road one mile, $12,500. No. 27 - -North limits of Snohomish northeast to Machias, $77,500. No. 28 - North end Permanent Highway No. 16 south to King County line, $87,000. No. 29- - -Corner sections 5, 6, 7, 8, township 28, range 6 east, easterly on Three Lakes Road three miles, $30,000. No. 30 - Allen Mill along Snohomish- Everett Road northeast along east side of Lake Stevens to Hartford, $104,500. No. 3l1 - Hartford northeast along Weiss Road and Permanent Highway No. 14 to west limits of Granite Falls, $91,500. No. 32 - West limits of west to east limits of Granite Falls, $12,500. No. 33 - -North end Silver Lake south along Pacific Highway to King County line, $118,750. No. 34 - North limits of Edmonds northeast along Brackett Road to Meadowdale Road in section 18-27-4. No. 35 - -South end Permanent Highway No. 7, thence along Lowell-Snohomish Road one mile, $19,250.

Bond Issue Carries

Slightly more than half the qualified voters of the county participated in the special road bond election of December 28, 1915, and the result was a tremendous victory for the bonds - more than two to one. All the commissioners were present when the canvassing board, Chairman Thomas C. Fleming, Auditor Mae Weatherbee and Prosecuting Attorney O. T. Webb milled over the result - for the bonds, 7,619; against the bonds, 3,249, a majority of 4,370 in favor of the proposition. The short vote was a little disappointing, the total vote at the general election the following year, 1916, being 20,732, but the victory was duly and joyously celebrated in practically every town in the county. On January 10, 1916, the commissioners ordered the county engineer to proceed with the surveys for propositions 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 19, 20 and 21, and also to survey and plan improvement of the Anderson Mill Road from the mill to Swan's Trail station. At the same time bids for the construction of the steel bridge across Pilchuck River were called; on January 8 the seven bids on this bridge were rejected, the Everett Construction Company later obtaining the contract, and old Pilchuck bridge No. 84 was declared unsafe and closed to the public. On January 24 the commissioners accepted the offer of the state board of finance to take the first $300,000 of the road bonds, to be dated February 1, 1916, bearing four and one-half per cent interest, all bonds redeemable February 1, 1921, or any interest date thereafter. On February 7 the commissioners resolved to improve Permanent Highway No. 21, beginning at the east end of Bridge 122 over Skykomish River near Index, being station 4-63-3 of Cascade Scenic Highway, running thence south and easterly to station 58-83-3 of Cascade Scenic Highway, to be hard-surfaced with rolled gravel.

R. H. Thomson of Seattle was employed as consulting engineer and Caldwell & Masslich of New York as legal bond advisors. On April 18, 1916, contract for the first of the thirty-five bond propositions, Proposition No. 1, was awarded to Bancroft & Morgan.

Before the close of 1916, many miles of new cement paving had been completed, and on November 25, 1916, the entire Pacific Highway pavement between Everett and Seattle was finished and opened for travel. In 1916, forty-three miles of cement pavement were laid; 1917, 52.3 miles; 1918, 13.8 miles; 1919, 9.7 miles ; 1920, 15.9 miles; 1921, none; 1922, 2 miles; 1923, 3 miles; 1924, none; 1925, 1 mile, and 1926, 1 mile. At the close of the latter construction season the total of new cement pavement was 146.7 miles. Acting in an advisory capacity with the county commissioners during the progress of the projects provided for by the bond proposition was a committee of nine citizens representing as many communities or districts. Peter Henning of East Stanwood was the member from the northwest corner district of the county, and Everett was represented by Robert Moody and Dr. W. C. Cox. In 1918 the distinguished Seattle engineer, R. H. Thomson, inspected the Snohomish County paved highways, after which he made

Permanent, hard-surface paving and the introduction of the first of many thousands of automobiles in Snohomish County both featured the record of the year 1901, in which the present Pacific Highway stretch from the east city limits of Everett to Cavelero's Corners was macadamized with crushed rock and gravel, and before the work was completed in that fall and winter Snohomish county boasted its first automobile, owned by Lew Paramore, Snohomish druggist. It was a primitive one-cylinder novelty, a mere hinting harbinger of 5,000 perfected motor cars now passing any given point daily on the Pacific Highway, north or south of Everett, and on October 1, 1926, County Auditor John Haugen reported that he had issued automobile licenses to the number of 17,622 up to that date for the year 1926.

Tourist Parks

Eleven Snohomish County cities and towns have been maintaining well-equipped tourist park accommodations for several years, including the following principal establishments for the accommodation of motoring parties: Arlington, Terrace Park, Eagle Falls, Eagle Falls Camp, five miles east from Index; Edmonds, Edmonds City Park; Everett, Riverview (or Everett Tourist) Park, north end Summit Avenue; Gold Bar, Maple Grove Camp, half mile west of town, and Wallace River Camp, half way between Gold Bar and Startup; Marysville, Marysville Auto Park, also Evergreen Auto Camp; Monroe, Monroe Auto Camp; Stanwood, Stanwood Auto Camp, and Startup, Startup Auto Camp, while Darrington also maintains an excellent tourist camp, and Snohomish City has two. There are auto tourist camps at all the popular water resorts, including Lake Stevens, Mukilteo and Warm Beach (formerly Birmingham). Automobile stages reach all principal centers in the county, and there are elaborate through automobile coaches making frequent trips daily between Everett, Seattle, Mount Vernon, Bellingham and Vancouver, B. C. In its historical edition of July 5, 1925, the Everett News says: "From the time W. D. Knisely introduced the automobile into Everett as the first private owner, the business of selling automobiles has grown in Everett in less than two decades to one turning over annually several millions of dollars. As late as 1912 there were but a few agencies established in the city, the dealers handling such well known makes as the Ford, Cadillac, Willys-Knight, Overland and Studebaker, which are still doing a thriving business. Jack Garner, who passed away last month, was one of the early dealers in vehicles using gasoline for power."

Busses Replace Street Cars

In 1923 Everett attracted national attention by dispensing with half a dozen of its street railway lines, the tracks being pulled up from the center of the down town streets, leaving only two lines in operation, these reaching the suburbs of Lowell and Delta, the latter being at the mouth of the Snohomish River, occupied by the great Weyerhaeuser Mills, B and C. The Puget Sound Power & Light Company, which had operated the lines for a score of years, put on automobile

At the present time there are 149 miles of cement paved highways in Snohomish County, two miles of vitrified brick pavement, 1,425 miles of macadam pavement of crushed rock and of gravel, thirty miles of improved earth roads, gravel crowned, and only fourteen miles of unimproved roads, a total of 1,620 miles of highway of all classes. County Engineer Ross D. Alverson states that all unpaved county roads have been systematically surfaced with gravel or crushed rock, possibly excepting the fourteen miles of unimproved highway noted.

In its issue of May 25, 1901, the Everett Daily Herald published a statement showing that the county had spent for the construction of bridges since 1888 up to that date a total of only $45,738, and complaining because these early bridges required so much expenditure annually for repairs. The article is interesting as a contrast exhibit with the extent of modern bridge construction since that time, and especially the single Federal and State bridge project now in course of construction from Everett northward, to straighten the route of the Pacific Highway between Everett and Marysville, and to be completed in 1927 at a total cost estimated at in excess of $1,000,000. The completion of this great undertaking will effect a reduction of five and a half miles from the present eleven-mile road distance between Everett and Marysville, and a consequent corresponding reduction bringing Silvana, East Stanwood and Stanwood five and a half miles nearer to the county seat and metropolis. At the same time, the Pacific Highway south of Snohomish County is being rerouted, reducing the distance between Snohomish County points and Seattle by about six miles, making the distance from Everett to Seattle twenty-six instead of thirty-two miles.

New Road Projects

This Everett-Marysville bridging enterprise is known as Federal Aid Project No. 130C, initiated early in 1925, the contract for the entire construction having been awarded June 1, 1925, to J. A. McEachern of Seattle, who began work on the contract within the same month, the estimated contract cost of the combination construction at that time being $972,927.30. F. W. Panhorst is the resident state highway construction engineer, operating with a corps of eight men, and C. W. Fitten is the construction superintendent. The project embraces the construction of four steel bridges having a combined lineal length of 4,741 feet, with hydraulic fills having an aggregate length of 1.57 miles, covering the space between the bridges, the earth fill being dredged in from the bed of the Snohomish River. The total length of the improvement is 2.47 miles. The first of the bridge structures is a great steel and cement viaduct over the delta at the north edge of Everett, each of the three arches spanning the principal railways, the Great Northern and Northern Pacific main tracks in the two outside arches and the central arch designed to accommodate anticipated main tracks of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, although up to this time the latter company has only an unutilized right-of-way, which makes the central arch viaduct provision a quite significant structure, regarded as prophetic of the early entry of that great system of railways into the Snohomish County field with major facilities and main-line establishment. Next north of the viaduct is the great steel drawbridge spanning the Snohomish River; this bridge is 2,679 feet in length, equipped with a giant Waddell vertical lift draw with a lift span of 141 feet in length, the electrically powered lift giving a clearance of 105 feet, vertical clearance seventy-five feet above high water, the average clearance required for steamboats being only thirty-seven feet; this bridge generates its own electric power with two gasoline generators; all the bridges are operated by electric power, and the major bridge is protected four ways, by steel gates, by wigwag, bell and siren signals operated independently and automatically. Next is the stationary steel bridge over Union Slough, with an intervening hydraulic fill north of the Snohomish River bridge; the Union Slough bridge is 580 feet in length. Another hydraulic fill intervenes between Union Slough bridge and the similar steel swing drawbridge spanning Steamboat Slough, the latter being 788 feet in length and similarly equipped with electrically operated swinging draw span, affording clearance for all river steamboat traffic. Another fill leads to the last of the smaller steel bridge structures of this million-dollar project, the farthest north being the steel swinging drawbridge spanning Ebey Slough, 694 feet. All the steel construction work on all these bridges, as well as the hydraulic fills, was completed in the summer of 1926, and the final paving is to be done in the summer of 1927, the improvement forming a straight highway from the north end of Broadway, Everett, to Marysville.

On May 1, 1925, the county commissioners succeeded in refunding the remaining bond debt incurred by the road bond election of 1915. Up to that time all interest had been promptly paid as well as $763,800 of the principal of the original bond debt of $1,813,800, leaving $1,050,000 of the old road bonds still unpaid. These outstanding bonds were then called in and replaced by serial funding bonds drawing four and one-half per cent interest, bonds payable in eight annual installments, running from two to ten years, the last installment to become due and payable May 1, 1935, the annual payments amounting in the earlier years to approximately $100,000.

Scenic Highway

One of the most fascinating scenic road projects contemplated for near future development in Snohomish County includes the extension of Cascade Scenic Highway, a designated state project, serving Everett, Snohomish, Monroe, Sultan, Startup, Gold Bar, Reiter, and terminating at Index, which contemplates extension to Monte Cristo, now reached by pony trail from Granite Falls, thirty miles, or by trail from Galena, south of Monte Cristo. The Granite Falls trail begins eight miles east of Granite Falls, at Robe, and follows the line of the Everett & Monte Cristo Railway, passing Twin Peaks (5,995 feet altitude) beyond Silverton, Sheep Mountain (6,120 feet) and near Mount Columbia (7,180 feet) Big Four Mountain, five miles east of Silverton (6,500 feet), affording a most impressive picture from the trail. The contemplated project is to be a Federal and State aid affair, to build fifty miles of road along the present trail route, eighteen-foot roadbed, with crushed rock and gravel surface, maximum grade seven per cent, estimated cost $10,000 per mile through from Robe to Monte Cristo and south ten miles to Galena, thence southwest to Index, and thence to Stevens Pass in the Cascades. This undertaking may be formulated and begun in 1927.

Another contemplated project of equal if not. greater possibilities is to build a scenic highway extension from Darrington southeasterly along the banks of the Sauk to a point a little west of Orient, and thence westerly through Barlow Pass to a connection with the Cascade Scenic Highway. Proponents of both these projects base their calculations upon a practically equal participation of Federal aid and United States Forest Service cooperation in meeting the cost, of which there has been official assurance.

Today Snohomish County's magnificent system of cement highways serves every important community and district in the county outside of the mountain fastnesses. The rivers, creeks and sloughs are spanned by thirty steel bridges, if we include the four splendid structures erected this year in the development of the Pacific Highway cut-off north of Everett, as well as 270 timber spans or trestles and eight concrete arch structures along the main paved highways, while forty old bridges have been removed and replaced by earth fills permanently surfaced. And yet this remarkable county, state and national highway system is annually receiving corrective and improvement attention, so that these fine arteries must soon reach a stage and type of perfection and economic worth invulnerable to just criticism, even as automobile traffic of home and pleasure as well as of commerce continues largely to increase from year to year, although the fact that in this one young county of Western Washington are 1,425 miles of standard crowned highways of crushed rock or gravel surfacing remains the most astounding accomplishment of all.

Pioneer Days

MILITARY ROAD BRINGS FIRST SETTLEMENT - CADY PASS EXPEDITION - FERGUSON'S EARLY ACTIVITIES - FIRST WHITE WOMAN - FIRST SCHOOL - FIRST PLAT OF SNOHOMISH - COMING OF ISAAC CATHCART - ATHENEUM SOCIETY - ARRIVAL OF LOT WILBUR - PRIMITIVE HIGHWAYS - PIONEER DAYS IN SNOHOMISH - FIRST NEWSPAPER - ANNALS OF 1876 - FIRST CHURCH ESTABLISHED - SCHOOL ROLL OF HONOR - SOCIAL ACTIVITIES - PIONEER WOMEN DIE - 1876 A PROSPEROUS YEAR - AFFAIRS OF 1877 - FIRST MILITIA COMPANY - ATHENEUM BUILDING - FIRST CHURCH BUILDING - SCHOOL PROGRESS - PIONEER WEDDINGS - DEATH OF MRS. JOHN ELWELL - NORTHERN STAR FADES.

For the first half of its existence, after it became a land of white men, Snohomish County pivoted about Snohomish City. For a third of a century it was the county seat and the center of events of every kind. From 1860 to 1880, while there were settlers and logging camps and trading posts in other parts of the county, there was no real community life outside of Snohomish City. In the sparsely settled state of the Territory, moreover, Snohomish City was one of the outstanding towns of the Puget Sound area. Seattle was not a great deal larger, had no better facilities and no more luxuries. Whatcom, now Bellingham, was not nearly so large, in 1879 and 1880, as was the busy town below the forks of the Snohomish River. Whoever, therefore, would know the history of Snohomish County, must know the history of Snohomish City, particularly in its earlier days.

It was the location of the Military Road which fixed the site of Snohomish City. Something of the attempts to build this trail, which was to connect the two United States forts at Steilacoom and Bellingham, has already been told. While it was never much more than a blazed trail through Snohomish County, it promised, being a government undertaking, to become a real highway - the only passable land route connecting the upper and the lower Sound.

With what amounted to real business sagacity and foresight, two men, E. C. Ferguson and E. F. Cady, both of Steilacoom, realized that the point where this highway crossed the Snohomish River must become a trade center of importance. Accordingly, in 1859, three men: Cady, Egbert Tucker and Heil Barnes, came to take up claims as near as possible to the point where the Military Road should cross the river. Tucker and Barnes seem not to have been acting as principals, but as agents for the associates of Ferguson, who was the brains of the new enterprise. Tucker took a claim on the south side of the river, while Cady and Barnes (for Ferguson) located adjacent claims on the north bank. It may not have been strictly in accordance with the intent of the U. S. land laws that Barnes should take a claim with the intention of turning it over to Ferguson, but it was the general practice of the time and was the foundation of such large interests as the Puget Mill Company and of most of the large lumber interests of the Northwest.

Cady Pass Expedition

This first plan to settle and exploit the Snohomish Valley was entered into by Ferguson & Rabbeson, Rogers and McCraw and Colonel Wallace. Cady came as the representative of Rogers & McCraw, Ferguson sent Heil Barnes and E. H. Tucker was the agent of Col. W. H. Wallace. When it became known that the military road was to be abandoned by the Government, all of the originators of the enterprise lost courage except Ferguson, who was joined by Cady who had seen the valley and had been impressed by its great resources.

Just before he made his first personal visit to the Snohomish, on February 29, 1860, Ferguson and McCraw fathered a plan to build a trail across the Cascades from the Snohomish Valley. The previous fall, through the initiative of Ferguson, Cady and a companion named Parsons had been sent on a scouting trip up the Skykomish Valley to locate a pass if such a thing could be found. Heavy snows drove them back but they discovered what has ever since been known as "Cady's Pass." Among the backers of this ambitious plan to build a trail were W. H. Wallace, A. B. Rabbeson, McCraw, Rogers, E. H. Tucker, D. V. Waldron, A. F. Byrd, John H. Scranton and E. C. Ferguson. Among them they raised $1,100, in sums ranging from $50 to $250. The object was not to open the way for commerce but to find a trail leading to the supposed rich mining districts beyond the mountains. Port Townsend people also contributed $980 to this fund. This expedition went out in the spring of 1860, under the direction of Cady, a number of white men and a still larger number of Indians being employed. Work covered more than two months and was more in the nature of pathfinding than of road building, but it established the fact that there was a feasible way over the mountains at the head of the Skykomish Valley. In August, 1860, Cady and Ferguson started up the pass with a pack train headed for the "mines." They went through Cady pass and reached the Columbia River by way of the Wenatchee, went up to the Okanogan River to the lake of that name and thence by the Kettle River into British Columbia. They did not find gold prospects alluring and made their way back to the Snohomish. After this experience the trail project was dropped.

E. C. Ferguson came in April, 1860, and took possession of the Barnes claim, which was the west part of what later became Snohomish City, while the Cady claim was just east. Beyond building themselves shelter, Ferguson and his coadjutors seem not to have accomplished a great deal during this first year beyond their tour of exploration. Cady made a living by freighting supplies up and down the river with his flat-bottom scow, the Minnehaha, for the few settlers along the river and the logging camps near its mouth, and by bringing supplies from Port Gamble. Ferguson seems to have commenced following that bent for politics in which he indulged throughout his life, as his was the first name signed to the petition asking the establishment of Snohomish County, in the fall of 1860, and he doubtless circulated it. He was named as one of the original commissioners for the new county in 1861, attended the first meeting of the board, at Mukilteo, and engi- neered the campaign by which Snohomish secured the county seat by a margin of one vote. Ferguson built what was long known as the Blue Eagle Saloon, which was also his residence and the post office and courthouse during these first years. He also did carpenter work and acted as a general promoter of the future city. The acts of the commissioners show that he and Cady applied for a ferry permit, which was issued May 6, 1861. At the first election, Ferguson was made county auditor, having already been appointed justice of the peace, and the first seat of county government at Snohomish was at the home of EF. C. Ferguson. He gave the place the name of Snohomish City, and this was its official title when it became the county seat in 1861, and when it was designated as a post office, in 1863, but to the old settlers it was first known as '"Cadyville" in honor of E. F. Cady. It was a number of years before this name fell into disuse and the more dignified name was generally adopted. E. C. Ferguson was born in New York City and removed to California at an early age. He was one of the adventurers who came north at the time of the Fraser River gold excitement, in 1858, evidently meeting with the same lack of success as did the other would-be miners. He returned from the quest for gold and settled at Steilacoom, until coming to Snohomish County. His various enterprises indicate that he was a man of some wealth, as wealth was considered at that time.