Eastside Stories is our way of sharing Eastside history through the many events, people places and interesting bits of information that we collect at the Eastside Heritage Center. We hope you enjoy these stories and share them with friends and family.
By Angeline Nesbit
The creation of the highway through Snoqualmie Pass has a history of over 6,000 years starting with the first indigenous peoples who traveled it on foot. That history continues to be made as we expand and change the highway to be more efficient, stable, and safe for travelers. Conquering the geographic elements which once were considered too formidable a barrier for people to cross regularly, people now engage in many recreational activities in the surrounding area of the pass.
Opening this space for hikers, hunters, and tourists also has its own history. Preserving the forests and history around the pass is an environmental concern which has attracted several projects and land purchases. Converting spaces that were apart of historical industries and routes through the mountains into places for recreation is the next step in human interest in the Snoqualmie Pass area.
An early project embarked on by the Boy Scouts of America and the Forest Service before the 1980s was to hack away the brush and open part to the wagon road built in 1868. They preserved what was left of some of the early trail for hikers to enjoy. This 1-mile stretch was the original foot and horse trail of Native Americans which was widened to a wagon road. This trail can be accessed near Denny Creek Campground.
Encouraging more hikers, in September 1994 the Snoqualmie tunnel built by Milwaukee Road railways 80 years before, opened to hikers and mountain bikers. The Milwaukee Road railways were some of the first electrified trains which traveled westward through their own protected tunnels. The tunnel was built with the help of 2,500 men whose labor, along with blasting materials, broke through 12,000 feet of solid rock. Two teams met in the middle to complete the large project. Massive wooden doors protect the entrance to the tunnel which railroad employees stood by to open for approaching trains. This kept icicles from forming in the very cold and damp tunnel. A cold wind emits from the tunnel strong enough to rustle clothing. The Snoqualmie Tunnel is the longest hiking tunnel in the US at 2.3 miles long. It runs over the county line between King and Kittitas counties, creating a link in the Iron Horse Trail to the west and Hyak trail to the east.
A few years later, in a huge land deal the company known as Weyerhaeuser sold over 100,000 acres of forested land they used as a tree farm to a trust which guaranteed it’ preservation permanently. This was a $185 million-dollar deal with the Evergreen Forest Trust, who has long been attempting the protection of the land. “Evergreen Forest” at Snoqualmie was acquired in 2002. At the time it was already being used by recreationalists with a fee to the Weyerhaeuser company. This site is home to old growth trees and rich wildlife making it an ideal recreation area.
Surrounded by national parks, including Mount Baker National Forest, Mount Rainier National Park, and Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest the land around Snoqualmie Pass is beautifully preserved. Despite the many people who speed through each year the Cascades remain a haven of natural beauty which inspires people to slow down and enjoy the view. Next time you travel the pass leave time to stop and enjoy the natural world which surrounds this human made structure.
Photo (above): On a motor trip to Snoqualmie Summit this photograph shows group of people standing in front of cars, in front of long buildings.
Resources
Eastside Heritage Center Archives
“Snoqualmie Pass: From Indian Trail to Interstate” by Yvonne Prater
