1901 Map of Stilaguamish

About this map

Silverton and Gold Basin anchor the mountain valleys of the Cascades at the turn of the century, serving as key points along the Monte Cristo Branch rail line. This 1890s survey, published later by the U.S. Geological Survey, reveals a landscape defined by heavy timber and mineral extraction, where the Northern Pacific RR pushed into the river valleys to connect remote settlements. The terrain is dramatically partitioned between the Mount Baker National Forest and the Snoqualmie National Forest, with peaks like Three Fingers and White Horse Mtn towering over the drainages of the Sauk River and the North Fork Stilaguamish River. For genealogists and local historians, the map preserves the exact locations of early communities such as Oso, Darrington, and Granite Falls before mid-century development altered the character of the Stillaguamish and Skagit watersheds.