Skagit County history

In 1886, Mortimer Cook opened the first shingle mill near present day Sedro-Woolley.

Format: Transcript (18 pages), Cassette (1 hour), Reel-to-reel Subjects: Early telephone operator, grocery store owner, Coming west from Iowa, Seattle fire of 1889, Early remembrances of Seattle and Everett Restrictions: none

On June 27, 1890 the first general election was held and the City’s first Mayor Mr.

The Great Northern Railway finished construction of their rail line through Mount Vernon in 1891.

Format: Transcript (14 pages), Reel-to-reel (45 min) Subjects: Born during the flood of 1894, Gilkey Towboat Company, the Interurban Restrictions: none

Subjects: Homesteading, Fir Island, came west in 1895

Municipal water supply developed in 1902;

Format: Transcript (19 pages), Reel-to-reel (45 min) Subjects: Life in the Equality Colony, Getting his first job in a mill, Being on Public Assistance in 1915, Indians, Early Bow-Edison area Restrictions: none

Format: Transcript (52 pages), Cassette (1 hour 45 min), Reel-to-reel Subjects: 1916 snow, Summit Park, Grandfather was an early Cypress Island settler Restrictions: none

Format: Transcript (17 pages), Cassette(30 min on side 2 of RIII-55), Reel-to-reel Subjects: West from Arkansas in 1917, D. Kinsey portrait, Clearing for farm in Lyman, Husband was a bucker Restrictions: none

Format: Reel-to-reel (1 hour 30 min) Subjects: Concrete, Mining, Marble Creek, Marblemount, Rocky Creek, Married and came to Skagit County in 1919, Big Lake, Logging, Indians, Prohibition, Bootlegging, Card rooms, Midwives Notes: no transcript, only an outline Restrictions: none

Several other farmers joined him in the 1920s.

Format: Transcript (26 pages), Cassette (1 hour 15 min), Reel-to-reel Subjects: moved to Skagit County in 1923, Immigration from Missouri, Indian life, Colville Indian Reservation, Life on a stump ranch Restrictions: none

Format: Transcript (45 pages), Reel-to-reel (2 hours) Subjects: Flood of 1932, Diking commissioner, Early farming, Clearing land on Fir Island, Norwegian community Restrictions: none

A new Post Office in 1935;

Format: Transcript (16 pages), Reel-to-reel (1 hour) Subjects: West to Edison in 1937, Threshing, Horses, Breeding saddle horses, Shingle bolt speeder car, Worked with Reuben R. Boyd Restrictions: none

Other bulb growers joined them after 1945.

Skagit Valley Hospital opened its medical and surgical facilities in 1958.

In 1960 the City’s first Comprehensive Plan was created and adopted.

Chuck Easton's history of Skagit County, written 1976 Chuck Easton's history of Equality Colony near Bow The late Chuck Easton, legendary bookstore owner, Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, WA; 1986.

By 1997, 700 acres were used for bulb farming, with a value of $42 million.

Mount Vernon, WA; 1998.