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Early travelers coming up the Cowlitz River saw a large rock formation next to the river, which they named Castle Rock. It was here, nestled between the Willapa Hills and the Cascade Mountains, that William and Eliza Huntington made their homestead in 1852. Theirs and several other early land grants make up what is now the site of Castle Rock, as well as nearby homes and farms. Descendants of many early pioneer families continue to live in Castle Rock, including Pyle, Jackson, Merrill, Dougherty, Whittle, Studebaker, and others. The town and its people have survived a series of natural disasters in the 20th century, including floods, an earthquake, a Pacific hurricane, and the eruption of Mount St. Helens, each time picking up the pieces of their lives and rebuilding. With the virtual collapse of the timber industry, Castle Rock is now beginning to find its identity and ability to prosper in the 21st century.

Pasco originated during the building of the transcontinental railroad's last spur. This southeastern part of Washington was chosen as the site for a railroad bridge over the Snake River because of its proximity to the Columbia River, which created a transportation line for needed supplies. Agriculture, railroads, and the rivers combined to create a livelihood for the people of Pasco amidst the region's desert terrain and sagebrush. By 1940, the area had grown to include nearly 5,000 individuals. Images of America: Early Pasco reveals the streets of historic Pasco and the people that were instrumental in building much more than a railroad town.

Ellensburg began as a small trading post in the picturesque Kittitas Valley in the early 1870s. Northwest Native Americans praised the area for its centrality in the region, which Seattleite John A. Shoudy quickly realized. When Shoudy sought to secure a wagon road from Seattle to Eastern Washington, over the Cascade Mountains, the trail led him to the Kittitas Valley. Shoudy purchased a small trading post from A. J. Splawn and began the town that he named for his wife, Mary Ellen Shoudy. Ellensburg was almost chosen as the state capital in the late 1880s, but instead it was awarded a State Normal School as a consolation. With a bustling downtown district, a railroad passing through town, and a public university, all the while remaining steeped in the local agricultural and rural setting, Ellensburg quickly became a diverse and thriving city.

This engaging pictorial history tells of the tall sailing ships that came to the Pacific Northwest beginning in the mid-1700s. Met by native Salish people, the ships brought Spanish, British, Russian, and American explorers, as well as settlers and entrepreneurs, to the region. Over the next two centuries, during boom and bust periods, these majestic vessels have continued to ply the waters of Puget Sound. Today the proud tall ships operate in a training and education rather than commercial context; however, the commitment to preserving and promoting their heritage remains strong within the region, as well as throughout the United States and around the globe. This groundbreaking book features 180 rare photographs and illustrations that chronicle the colorful history of tall ships on Puget Sound.