Boom Towns & Relic Hunters of Washington State : Exploring Washington’s Historic Ghost Towns & Mining Camps

351 Pages·2011·18.72 MB·English

by  Jerry Smith

BOOM TOWNS
&& RELIC HUNTERS
OF WASHINGTON STATE
Exploring Washington’s Historic Ghost Towns &
Mining Camps
JERRY SM ITH
Seattle, Washington Portland, Oregon Denver, Colorado Vancouver, B.C.
Scottsdale, Arizona Minneapolis, Minnesota

Copyright © 2011 by Jerry Smith
ISBN: 978-1-59849120-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011937875
Printed and bound in the United States of America Editor: Martha Goelzer
Proofreader: Jared Walsh
Design: Soundview Design Studio Graphic line divider artwork: Jared Walsh
www.GhostTownsUSA.com
On the Cover: The original Molson State Bank building and the Poland
China Mine assay office at the Old Molson Museum’s ghost town site.
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, recording, scanning, digitizing, or any information storage or
retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author, except in the
case of brief excerpts in critical reviews.
Requests for such permissions should be addressed to:
Classic Day Publishing 2925 Fairview Avenue East Seattle, Washington
98102
877-728-8837
www.classicdaypub.com
DEDICATION

“Smitty”
To my father and best friend, Lloyd E. Smith (1921–1996), who took me to
Winthrop at the age of fifteen to see and explore
the mountains and valleys of Okanogan country in search of those ghost towns
and mining camps of yesteryear. Thanks, Dad!
To
our mother, Fern Adele Pfeiffer, who has contributed so much love for her
family and friends. We love you mom! iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Notice
................................................................................................................... vii
Acknowledgments
.................................................................................................................. ix
Introduction
......................................................................................................................... xiii
Then and Now
.......................................................................................................................... 1
Welcome to Northeastern Washington State
.................................................................... 3
Abandoned Mining Towns of Okanogan County
............................................................. 7
Historic Mining Documents Tell the
Story..................................................................... 13
Ghost Towns of Northeastern Washington, By County
............................................................ 27
Ghost Towns of Okanogan County
................................................................................ 29
Ghost Towns of Chelan County
...................................................................................... 79
Ghost Towns of Ferry County
......................................................................................... 81
Ghost Towns of Kittitas County
..................................................................................... 85
Ghost Towns of Pend Oreille County
............................................................................. 91
Ghost Towns of Stevens County
..................................................................................... 95
A Brief History of the Native American Peoples of Northeastern
Washington ....................... 101
What is the History of the Native American Peoples of Northeastern
Washington?....... 103
Legends of the Hee Hee Stone
..................................................................................... 107
Indian Ambush at McLoughlin Canyon
....................................................................... 111
Chief Joseph
.................................................................................................................. 115
Chief Sar-Sarp-Kin: Last Chief of the Sinlahekin Band
.............................................. 119
Chief Moses: Sulk-Stalk-Scosum, “The Sun Chief
”...................................................... 127
Chief Tonasket
.............................................................................................................. 133
Boom Town Stories
............................................................................................................... 135
From Boom Town to Ghost Town
................................................................................ 137
The Mystery of Rich Bar
............................................................................................... 139
The Pflug Mansion: From Dreams to Memories
........................................................... 141
The Life and Times of Guy Waring
.............................................................................. 143
Okanogan County’s Mysterious “China Wall”
.............................................................. 147
Ruby City: The Life and Death of a Mining Town
....................................................... 151
Old Loup Loup: The Lost City
..................................................................................... 163
v
Nighthawk: The Way Things Were
................................................................................ 165
Nighthawk: Mining Claims Turn to Riches
.................................................................. 167
Hart’s Pass Area History
............................................................................................... 171
Chinese Gold Fever
....................................................................................................... 179
Lost Ruby City Cemetery Revisited
.............................................................................. 181
The Okanogan Trail: The Road North
........................................................................... 185
Mining in Historic Okanogan County
.......................................................................... 191
Historic Mines
..................................................................................................................... 197
The Red Shirt Mine
...................................................................................................... 199
In Quest of the Montana Mine and Mill
...................................................................... 207
The Crescent Copper Mine
........................................................................................... 213
The Bodie Mine
............................................................................................................. 219
The Million-Dollar Alder Gold and Copper Mine
....................................................... 221
The Ruby Mine
.............................................................................................................. 223
The Tungsten Mine
....................................................................................................... 225
The Molson Gold Mining Company
............................................................................. 233
The Ruby Hill Mining Company
.................................................................................. 237
The Azurite Mine
.......................................................................................................... 241
The Poland China Mine
................................................................................................ 251
Folklore or Legend?
.............................................................................................................. 253
Three-Fingered Jack’s Saloon: The Odds Were a Million to One
.................................. 255
The Stakes Were High at the Mother Lode Saloon
...................................................... 257
What Became of the Wagonload of Ruby
Silver?.......................................................... 259
The Trinidad Treasure
.................................................................................................... 261
The Mystery Canyon
..................................................................................................... 265
A Ghost in Riverside?
................................................................................................... 267
Exploring Further
................................................................................................................ 269
Stay Out, Stay Alive!
..................................................................................................... 271
Boom Towns & Relic Hunters Guided Ghost Town Tours
.......................................... 273
Historic Mining Camps & Ghost Towns of Northeastern Washington State DVD
.............. 275
GhostTownsUSA Wild West Treasure Caches
............................................................. 277
Collecting Washington’s Boom Towns
.......................................................................... 279
Treasure Hunters’ and Geocachers’ Code of Ethics
....................................................... 287
A Final Note
....................................................................................................................... 289
Glossary of Terms
................................................................................................................ 291
Selected References
............................................................................................................. 301
vi
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Disclaimer of Trespass
The lands on which many of the ghost towns and mines presented in this
book are located are private lands and are strictly off-limits for entry except
when explicit permission has been given.
Please do not trespass WITHOUT PERMISSION IN WRITING from the
appropriate authorized landowners.
Disclaimer of Liability
The author, publisher, staff, and any and all associates or partners involved
in the production of this book do not endorse, condone, or suggest illegal
trespassing onto any private property or Native American lands presented in this
book. We do not accept liability for those who trespass onto lands presented in
this book.
We do not accept liability for any loss or injury to persons or property that
occurs as a result of content included in this book. Trespassing and acquiring
entry permission onto lands mentioned in this book, as well as personal safety,
are solely the responsibility of any and all persons visiting lands mentioned in
this book. This disclaimer is considered a fair and reasonable warning and notice
to those who visit said lands.
vii
A bird’s-eye view looking south down Main Street/Riverside Avenue in
downtown Winthrop in its early years. The largest building in the center of the
photo was Guy Waring’s Methow Trading Company, which was located on the
corner where Sheri’s Sweet Shop is today. The Winthrop Hotel can be seen in
the right center of the picture and remains today as the renowned Winthrop
Palace. The Duck Brand Saloon in the left center of the photo stands today as
the present town hall and Winthrop Chamber of Commerce visitor/information
center.
viii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I
would like to acknowledge Washington’s early pioneers, miners,
prospectors, and Native Americans. Without them and their accomplishments,
we would have none of this history. These individuals had the courage and
strong wills that were a match for this rugged yet fascinating land. Also, thanks
to those descendants of pioneer families who are still part of the life of the
Okanogan country today, who have shared their recollections with me.
Special thanks to my nephew Jim O’Brien, Web master and designer of our
Web site, Boom Towns & Relic Hunters of Northeastern Washington
(www.GhostTownsUSA.com), for his guidance and direction. Special