The history of the opening of Stevens Pass is a saga of nearly superhuman feats by railroad construction crews, ghastly design mistakes, natural catastrophes, and the determination of magnates to connect communities by rail.
Another part of the Stevens Pass saga is the story of individuals who traversed the mountains, built crude homes and schooled their children at home or in drafty log school houses. But there also was an element living in the mountains who took advantage of the isolation to work scams, fight, steal and even commit murder.
More than a regional history, this story tells of the Wellington disaster, a killer avalanche; the period when ski jumping drew crowds of thousands and the growing efforts of the U.S. Forest Service to serve recreational demands. Less
Reflow text when sidebars are open.
