John Kinnick - Snoqualmie Pass

Travel across Snoqualmie Pass has always been unpredictable, with its mountain terrain and over-3, 000-foot elevation. In this 1920 photograph, vehicles wait their turn to proceed up the Sunset Highway to the summit. Early travelers across the Pass were a hardy bunch, since automobiles were not insulated and offered little protection from the winter cold. (Courtesy University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UW23118.)

The Denny family, one of Seattles early founders, kept this cabin at Ptarmigan Park in the Gold Creek area, about eight miles northeast of Lake Keechelus. It served as a home base for Esther Mines workers. Uncle Will and McMullen are at the front of the cabin, watching for mountain goats on Rocky Boy Peak in 1899. (Courtesy University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UW26881.)

From left to right, Roy Denny, Charles Rinn, and Tom Record relax inside the Esther Mines cabin about 1907. Denny, the camp cook, plays a game of checkers with Rinn while Record balances on a narrow bench and reads from a book. (Courtesy University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UW26882.)

Victor Denny holds a watch and candle inside Tunnel B of the Esther Mines in 1901. While Lawrence Lindsley took the photograph, Denny timed the exposure at three minutes. Lindsley worked in the mine for seven summers and helped drive about 250 feet through the tunnel. (Courtesy University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UW26930.)

Intrepid explorers around Snoqualmie Pass still discover old mines, such as the one pictured here. Arthur Denny made the first mineral discovery in the area, using information he obtained from Native Americans. The Denny Iron Mines Company was formed in 1882. Though $7,000 was initially spent to develop the mines, the ore was found to be low grade and development ceased. (Courtesy Danny Miller.)

In 1901, Lawrence Lindsley, the grandson of David Denny, photographed himself with his saddle and packhorse, White Sam, at Lake Keechelus. Years later, Lindsley wrote, We had just made a two and a half day trip from Licton Springs, Seattle [current Greenlake area]. Sam shows he is sure tired. The cabin is gone and lake has been raised so the ground is underwater. Across the lake the Snoqualmie Pass hiway [ sic ] has been blasted out and thousands of cars pass here every month.... This was the fastest trip we ever made as the usual run was about three days or so. We now make the same trip in auto in three or four hours. Some change. (Courtesy University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UW26830.)

Lake Keechelus was still a natural lake when this photograph was taken in October 1896. Beginning in 1912, a ferry company offered passage so that motorists could avoid the unreliable wagon trail. Ferry service ceased soon after a road was completed around the lake in 1915. (Courtesy University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, WAT103.)