Roslyn

9780738559551

$24.99

Roslyn, a mining town nestled in Washington's Cascade Mountains, is a little town with a big history. Founded three years before Washington was admitted to the Union, Roslyn became a boomtown after the discovery of coal. Coal was king in Roslyn for 80 years, and immigrants came from all over the world to work the mines. Roslyn's remarkable history includes stories of murder, a mine strike that ended with the mine boss tied to the railroad tracks, and a bank robbery some claim was masterminded by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Readers will meet characters like Tony Bailey--he turned out to be a she--who worked the mines for 11 months in 1949 before being arrested one night in a tavern for going into the women's bathroom dressed as a man. And no book about Roslyn would be complete without a chapter on the hit television series Northern Exposure, which was filmed there.

Mount Baker

9781467131070

$24.99

Mount Baker rises over northern Washington State like a mirage, dominating the landscape like few mountains in the United States. On a clear day, it is visible from as far away as Vancouver, British Columbia, and Tacoma, Washington. This immense volcano is a study in superlatives: it is the third-highest peak in the state, holds the world record for snowfall in a season (95 feet!), and is the second-most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States. The mountain also played a dominant role in the history of the region, having served as a beacon to seafarers and a lure for men in search of gold, timber, and adventure.

Tumwater

9780738581279

$24.99

The phrase "It's the water," adopted by Tumwater's own Olympia Brewing Company, could have been coined for the town itself. In 1845, the first American settlers on Puget Sound founded a village at the falls of the Deschutes River, drawn by the river's potential for powering mills and factories. They christened the place New Market, though the town soon changed its name to Tumwater, a phrase meaning "noisy water" in the language used between settlers and Indians. Though the age of water power lasted only a few more decades, Tumwater later struck gold with a different sort of water: pure artesian springs that were perfect for brewing beer. The Olympia Brewing Company, built by German brewmaster Leopold Schmidt, produced its first beer in 1896. For more than a century, Schmidt's brewery dominated the little town at the falls. In spite of tremendous changes during the past few decades, modern Tumwater still takes pride in its Northwest pioneer heritage and its beer-brewing past.

Oysterville

9780738580760

$24.99

For generations, Chinook Indians camped in the area that is now Oysterville, gathering oysters from the shallow waters of Shoalwater Bay. When tribal elder "Old Klickeas" introduced two young adventurers, Robert Hamilton Espy and Isaac Alonzo Clark, to the oyster treasure, the pioneer boom years began. Oysters were marketed in gold-rich, oyster-hungry San Francisco, where a plateful sold for $50. Within months, there were several hundred settlers, and in 1855, Oysterville was chosen as the seat of Pacific County, Washington Territory. Oysterville had many county firsts: a school, a college, a newspaper, a post office, and a church--but never a bank. When schooners arrived to pick up their oyster cargoes, oystermen were paid in gold coin that then might be buried or stashed under floorboards for safekeeping. Often there was more gold in Oysterville than in any town on the West Coast except San Francisco. Today the peaceful vistas along the lanes and shoreline of the village belie its tumultuous history. Oysterville was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Gold Beach and South Curry County

9780738596150

$24.99

Curry County is made up of small communities, ranging from the county line between Langlois and Bandon to the state line. From the inception of Gold Beach, pioneers have survived in small communities scattered throughout Southern Curry County. Despite a lack of roads, these small towns and hamlets, from Humbug Mountain on down, have sprung up over the years, enduring with the help of neighbors and through the gift of self-sufficiency. Some of the former names of this area before Gold Beach included Elizabeth Town, Sebastopol, Hog Town or Logtown, and Whalesburg. Today, the small communities include Arizona Beach, Euchre Creek, Ophir, Cedar Valley, Nesika Beach, Wedderburn, Jerry's Flat, Hunter's Creek, Pistol River, Carpenterville, Whaleshead, Brookings, and Harbor. Though a small area, the people of the county are happy to say that they live where everyone knows his or her neighbors.

The Ballard Locks

9780738559179

$24.99

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, known locally as the Ballard Locks, are an integral part of Seattle's extensive waterways. The busiest facility of their kind in America, the Ballard Locks form the heart of the channel connecting Puget Sound's saltwater with Seattle's main freshwater lakes. When completed in 1917, the locks were second only in size to the Panama Canal and the first of their kind on the West Coast. They function primarily to maintain the lakes' levels and allow the movement of vessels between them and the sea. The Ballard Locks are among Seattle's top tourist attractions; more than one million people visit annually. They watch salmon and other fish migrate through the fish ladder, visit the botanical gardens, and watch the nonstop parade of ships—from working vessels to pleasure craft—as they rise and fall in the locks.

Josephine County

9781467115438

$24.99

The beautiful Rogue River has been beckoning people to its banks for thousands of years. The Takelma Indians called this area home long before the first pioneers arrived. Take a step back in time while enjoying these historic images of early Josephine County. Today, many of the mining towns are just a name on an old map, but there was a time when they were bustling towns filled with miners and loggers. The pioneers endured great hardships to reach Oregon, but once they arrived, they worked diligently to make Josephine County the place that residents and visitors enjoy today.

Banks Lake

9781467109444

$23.99

Every year, Banks Lake is visited by thousands of tourists from all over Washington State and beyond for recreation. People fish, boat, swim, hike, and camp around Banks Lake, a 27-mile equalizing reservoir created for the Grand Coulee Dam as part of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. However, even before Banks Lake, the Upper Grand Coulee was a vibrant, inhabited land. Bits and pieces of the fragmented history often surface; there were orchards and seemingly endless fields of golden wheat. Filled with ranches and farms, cattle roamed freely. Stories of highways, railroads, and towns now under the waters of the equalizing reservoir are waiting to be discovered. This book pulls back the waves of Banks Lake and the layers of time to reveal the lost and forgotten history that was inundated with the waters of the Grand Coulee Dam.

Around Florence

9781467131520

$24.99

Florence, located midway on the Oregon coast, has North America's largest stretch of dunes to the south and the most photographed headlands on the Pacific coast to the north. Although Florence is on the coast, it is a river town located on a bend of the Siuslaw River. Before the railroad arrived in 1916, the town was cut off and dependent upon ocean-going ships. The Siuslaw did not make it easy because of a notoriously shifting river mouth before the north jetty was built in 1893. Even after the jetty, crossing the bar continued to be treacherous due to shallow depths and fickle winds. Even so, entrepreneurs William Kyle and O.W. Hurd, in trying to outdo each other, developed a thriving town. For decades, fishing and logging were the mainstays. Now, they are tourists, retirees, and the arts. Old Town, where it all began, is a happening place once again.

Camp Abbot

9781467128612

$24.99

Today, Sunriver is an idyllic community in Central Oregon, but during World War II, it was the site of Camp Abbot, the westernmost engineer replacement training center of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Under the leadership of Col. Frank Besson, the US Army trained 90,000 men at the camp from 1943 through 1944. Mimicking the European landscape, the surrounding terrain and the swift-flowing Deschutes River were deemed perfect for training young soldiers how to build and demolish bridges. Located about 15 miles south of Bend, the quickly built installation included administration buildings, a hospital, over 50 barracks, mess halls, training grounds, recreation facilities, and a chapel. There, among pine trees and sagebrush, soldiers endured subfreezing winters and 100-degree summers.

Road to Rainier Scenic Byway

9781467129282

$23.99

The Road to Rainier Scenic Byway has grown from a Native American forest trail, hundreds of years old, to a modern forest highway carrying 1.5 million travelers a year. In 1833, a European tourist first reached a glacier, and soon others followed, seeking the wonders of Mount Rainier. In 1903, the railroad reached Eatonville; and national park visitors, who started as a few thousand, became tens of thousands. With a market for timber, hundreds rushed to claim the lands. Forestry and tourism both thrived off the rich natural resources, and as the region developed, purely commercial ventures were supplemented with educational outreach. Charles L. Pack Experimental Forest, established in 1926, conducts scientific research into forest management and sustainability. Historical interpretation has become a function of the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad and Logging Museum. The Road to Rainier Scenic Byway continues to serve all as it heads to scenic Mount Rainier.

St. Helens

9781467133418

$24.99

Right from its start in 1847, this little town along the Columbia River was built with calloused hands. In these pages, one will see the loggers, shipbuilders, quarrymen, and mill workers. Their wives, mothers, and children are here, too, softening the edges and nourishing a community in the woods. Those early settlers built St. Helens to last, and through decades of booms and busts, tragedies and triumphs, the people's love for this place, so rich in beauty and possibility, shows in more than 200 images. It is a record of endurance, yes, but also of hope.

Central Oregon Aviation

9781467106870

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

This book will take readers back in time to the pioneering days of Central Oregon, when birdmen and barnstormers crisscrossed the skies in their Wright Flyers, Curtiss Jennys, and Ford Trimotors. In the early days, the dusty high desert airfields were home to flimsy airplanes. As air travel evolved from utilizing seat-of-the-pants construction to becoming a new mode of mass transportation, the Central Oregon region developed along with the technology. Over the next century, a dedicated group of visionaries--aviators and city officials--built a thriving economy around Redmond Municipal Airport. Today, this transportation hub, also known as Roberts Field, sees an average of 1 million passengers each year. It is complemented by smaller general aviation airports that are home to private and corporate pilots, as well as a flourishing aviation industry.

McMinnville

9780738593159

$24.99

William Newby had a vision to create a place of commerce and residence for settlers to the Willamette Valley. Newby named the town after his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee, and saw plenty of local opportunities on his land, straddling an old Native American trail along what is now Baker Street. Newby had a millstone shipped from Oregon City so grain could be ground at his mill. Soon, a blacksmith shop and a general store attracted people to an expanding village. In 1866, the area's first newspaper began publication and would later become the McMinnville News-Register. Newby donated land for a college, built churches, warehouses, mills, and stores. The city was incorporated in 1882, shortly after the arrival of the railroad. Since then, McMinnville has become the center of population and government for Yamhill County. It sports many modern industries and retains the charm of the historic city along Third Street.

Paine Field

9781467131421

$24.99

Paine Field was named in honor of hometown hero Topliff Olin Paine, an Army Air Corps pilot during World War I. Located 6 miles south of Everett and 20 miles north of Seattle, Paine Field-- known as Snohomish County Airport--got its start as a WPA project in the 1930s. Situated on 1,000 acres, this airport was shaped by numerous events, such as World War II, the Korean War, and the arrival of Boeing, as well as social, political, and environmental issues that continue to influence its destiny. Throughout its 77-year history, Paine Field has continued to evolve into a thriving aviation community. At the heart of its success has been the key role of general aviation. A rags-to-riches story, Paine Field has grown from a small regional airport into an aeronautical complex that garners worldwide attention.

Rainier Valley

9780738588971

$24.99

Where could one find "Garlic Gulch," a stadium named Sick, an urban fireworks factory on a hill, a Japanese American botanical garden, and the largest stand of old-growth timber in Seattle? All are icons of Seattle's Rainier Valley, an area whose past and present are richly varied. Although the fireworks factory and the stadium are gone, the smell of garlic still hangs on mixed with the aromas of Asian spices, Ethiopian coffee, Mexican salsa, and fish and chips. Saved from development by the organized protests of the community, the 85-year-old botanic garden still thrives. And Seward Park, with its virgin timber, is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a public park. The Rainier Valley, one of the most ethnically and economically diverse communities in the country, is a reflection of the many families, businesses, and events that filled the past 150 years.

Mount Vernon

9780738596075

$24.99

On the banks of the Skagit River in the late 1800s, an untamed wilderness was settled by Jasper Gates. He was followed by Harrison Clothier and Edward English, who had a vision for a new town. But before the city of Mount Vernon could become a reality, the early settlers would have to use simple tools and pure determination to clear two ancient logjams that prohibited travel up the river. Once the river was navigable, the logging industry could flourish, which, in turn, cleared fertile lands that would support world-class farming and culminate in a booming dairy industry. Eventually, Mount Vernon would be referred to as "Milk City." The area was a top seed producer as well as the site for food processing and canning. Today, it is best known for bulb and flower growing; every April, hundreds of thousands of people journey to view the spectacular flower fields.

Fife

9780738588940

$24.99

When the citizens of Fife voted to incorporate the town in 1957, they sought to control their destiny and retain their idyllic community. However, Fife's location between the burgeoning cities of Tacoma and Seattle and proximity to Commencement Bay presented challenges of eminent domain, which ultimately brought about the transformation of the fabric of the land. This history documents the transformation of Fife from the establishment of the Puyallup Indian Reservation through that of the pioneer farmers who worked the rich, volcanic soil while developing a close-knit community of families and friends.

Hillsboro

9781467109253

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Hillsboro is the county seat in Washington County, Oregon. The early economy of the community was based on agriculture, dairy, and lumber. In the 1950s, technology companies started moving to Hillsboro, which resulted in the area eventually being nicknamed the Silicon Forest. Intel now has a massive presence in Hillsboro with over 20,000 employees. In 2021, Hillsboro was ranked by Livability.com as the seventh-best place to live in the United States.

US Forest Service Ranger Stations of the West

9781467103152

$24.99

Pioneer US Forest Service rangers and their ranger stations are classic symbols of the American West. Rangers managed the public forests and ranges with the cattlemen, sheepmen, lumbermen, miners, homesteaders, and others who used--and, in many cases, still use-- the lands to build and sustain economies and ways of life. The early rangers are no longer around. But some of the stations from which they protected the West's national forests to secure "the greatest good for the greatest number in the long run," as decreed by the first chief of the US Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, remain to tell their stories and inspire their successors.

Cover image for US Forest Service Ranger Stations of the West, isbn: 9781467103152

Hillsboro

9780738571829

$24.99

Hillsboro began as a crossroads for the Native American Atfalati, retired trappers, missionaries, and land-hungry settlers whose collection of farms became East Tualatin Plains. These earliest residents were drawn to the rich valley land between the forested creeks. As the missionary influence waned and the railroads arrived in the 1870s, the town, by then called Hillsborough, was dubbed "Sin City." Farmers and merchants quenched their thirst and gambled in saloons and placed bets on horse races down Main Street. Throughout the early 20th century, Hillsboro became predominantly a conservative, family town. Residents enjoyed their town bands, theaters, and Carnegie Library. Then and now on the Fourth of July, proud farmers drive their state-of-the-art farm equipment in the downtown parade, and fireworks light up the sky at the County Fairgrounds. Today the crossroads is one of agriculture and high technology, as people from around the world become new residents of Hillsboro, drawn to the Tualatin River plain as were their predecessors.

Downtown Vancouver

9780738529592

$24.99

Named for a British sea explorer, Vancouver was conceived in the early 1800s when Lewis and Clark camped at the waterfront and deemed the area ripe for settlement. The Hudson's Bay Company soon established its fur-trading empire here, and "Fort Vancouver" became the commercial center of the area. In 1849 American troops set up Columbia Barracks nearby, establishing the area as a military stronghold. In 1857 the city of Vancouver was incorporated, and gradually became an important industrial and residential city. Vancouver is now a big city, and along with nearby Portland, Oregon, is home to high-tech, maritime, lumber, and manufacturing industries.

Walla Walla

9781467108102

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Walla Walla is a town that has seen elegant buildings erected during a period of early prosperity and has benefited from a determined commitment to preserve these architectural treasures more than 100 years later.

Seattle

9780738580081

$24.99

The Puget Sound region was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before settlers arrived. After initially landing at Alki Beach in West Seattle, the Denny Party established a settlement on the eastern shores of Elliott Bay in 1852. For years, the cultural and commercial life centered around Yesler's Wharf and Sawmill. The city grew rapidly following the 1870s after the discovery of coal in the Cascade foothills. The entire commercial district was incinerated in the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, but it was quickly rebuilt out of enduring brick and stone. The city stumbled economically following the Panic of 1893, but it recovered after the Klondike Gold Rush began in 1897. By the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle was the undisputed leader in the Pacific Northwest.

Burien

9781467132657

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Given the beauty of the landscape and its ideal location just south of Seattle, it's easy to understand why Gottlieb Burian set down his 19th-century roots in the land that eventually became the city of Burien. Incorporated in 1993, this gem of a small city sits perched on the edge of Puget Sound, just 15 minutes from SeaTac Airport. With a wealth of arts and cultural groups, an ethnically diverse community of shops and restaurants, a robust medical and wellness community, and city-sponsored public festivals and events throughout the year, Burien offers a wide range of experiences and opportunities for visitors and residents.

Mount Rainier's Historic Inns and Lodges

9781467124874

$29.99

Presiding over the Puget Sound region, Mount Rainier has lured adventurers and entrepreneurs to its slopes since the earliest settlers. Visitors rode packhorses or hiked miles to tent "hotels" at Theosophy Ridge, Indian Henry's Hunting Ground, and Ohanapecosh. James Longmire opened Longmire Springs Hotel near bubbling mineral springs. In 1899, Mount Rainier became a national park, and eventually, a motley array of services was consolidated by the Rainier National Park Company, which built National Park Inn and Paradise Inn. Roads, services, and activities expanded, and guests poured in. Winter activities, such as skiing and tobogganing, increased the park's popularity. The 1936 Winter Olympic Ski Trials and training for World War II ski troops were even hosted there. Visitors today might be surprised to know that many inns, rental cabins, bathhouses, and other buildings have come and gone, leaving some areas more pristine now than for much of the park's history.

Mount Rainier's Historic Inns and Lodges

Kalama

9781467116237

$24.99

Pioneers had first settled in the area along the Columbia River by 1847, but Kalama was not officially incorporated there until 1890. Early riverboats stopped in Kalama to obtain timber to fire their boilers. The Northern Pacific Railroad chose Kalama as the site to land its rail-transfer ferry, and it also became the terminus for Northern Pacific Railroad to complete a rail line to Puget Sound. The city grew and flourished around these industries. However, it also endured many hardships, surviving devastating floods, a fire that destroyed the business district, and the loss of its agricultural base, but each time, the citizens rebuilt. With the second-largest port by volume in Washington State and a growing industrial base, Kalama continues to prosper today. People are drawn to its small-town charm and advantageous location along the I-5 corridor and the Columbia River, where rail, road, and river meet.

Steamboat Rock

9781467104715

$24.99

Rising out of Banks Lake in the heart of Grand Coulee is Steamboat Rock State Park, a destination for thousands of vacationers every year. A geological wonder that was once an island in the diverted bed of the Columbia River, Steamboat Rock spent centuries landlocked in Washington State, finally becoming a beacon and a crossroad for travelers of the barren landscape. When the pioneers arrived, they found a rugged frontier and faced many hardships establishing a community, only to have it all washed away with the waves of progress and the building of the Grand Coulee Dam. This is the story of the people who settled the Steamboat Rock area, the land they fought hard to tame, and the inevitable outcome of man versus progress. With this book, uncover mysteries and unlock the story of Steamboat Rock.

Cover image for Steamboat Rock, isbn: 9781467104715

Coquille

9781467129497

$24.99

In the early 19th century, Coquille was quiet and inhabited by Upper Coquille Native Americans. This changed when Evan Cunningham, the first European settler, arrived in the 1860s. Soon thereafter, others arrived. In the 1880s, homes, businesses, and a sawmill appeared. Riverboat transportation became established. The first wagon road was completed to Marshfield. In the 1890s, a railroad was constructed from Marshfield to Coquille and on to Myrtle Point, setting the stage for a dramatic expansion of the timber industry, dairy farming, and coal mining. By the 1920s, electric power, telephones, automobiles, and paved roads were the norm. Technology supported growth in the timber industry and stimulated population growth. As a result, many new and larger buildings were erected, giving Coquille a vibrant downtown with a bit of an urban feel.

Mosquito Fleet of South Puget Sound

9780738556079

$24.99

Before the advent of roads in western Washington, steamboats of the Mosquito Fleet swarmed all over Puget Sound. Sidewheelers, stern-wheelers, and propeller-driven, they ranged from the tiny 40-foot Marie to the huge 282-foot Yosemite, and from the famous Flyer to the unknown Leota. Floating stores like the Vaughn and shrimpers like the Violet sailed the same waters as the elegant Great Lakes lady, the Chippewa, and the homely Willie. A few, like the Bob Irving and Blue Star, died spectacularly or, like Major Tompkins, shipwrecked after a short time, while others began new lives as tugboats or auto ferries; some even survive today as excursion boats like the Virginia V. From 1853 to modern car ferries in the 1920s, this volume chronicles the heyday of steamboating--a unique segment of maritime history--from modest launch to sleek liner.

Tacoma

9781467103121

$24.99

Preceding the state of Washington's admittance to the United States in 1889, Tacoma, located south on Puget Sound, was officially incorporated on November 12, 1875, after the Northern Pacific Railway determined that Tacoma should be the western terminus of its transcontinental line. With this decision, the city began its transformation into the "City of Destiny" and allowed farm products and manufactured items to be brought across the country and shipped to Asia and anywhere on the Pacific Rim. Known for its fishing and logging industries, Tacoma prides itself on being the original world headquarters for the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company and the birthplace of Bing Crosby. Today, Tacoma has a population that exceeds 200,000 and is the third-largest city in Washington, preceded by Seattle and Spokane.

Hydroplane Racing in Seattle

9780738531182

$24.99

Hydroplane racing burst onto the Seattle scene in 1950, and local sports fans embraced it with a passion that is hard to imagine. Throughout the early 1950s, thousands of fans flocked to Lake Washington to watch classic races between Seattle's Slo-mo-shun boats and a fleet of East Coast challengers. For over 40 years, hydroplane racing was synonymous with summertime in Seattle. During its golden age, when "hydro fever" was at its height, drivers like Bill Muncey, Ron Musson, and Mira Slovak were sports heroes on par with today's Ken Griffey Jr. or Ichiro. Seattle became the "hydro" capital of the nation.

Seattle's Beacon Hill

9780738528618

$24.99

Ride the trolley up the ridge of Beacon Hill and discover one of South Seattle's most interesting districts. Unique among Seattle neighborhoods, Beacon Hill is a community where immigrants from all over the globe have settled side by side for over 100 years. This new book tells the story of the people and businesses of Beacon Hill in vintage photographs, the majority of which date before World War II. Readers will learn about the immigrants who worked on farms, opened shops, and labored in shipyards, the building of Jefferson Park, as well as the activism and political struggles that shaped the Beacon Hill neighborhood.

Cover image for Seattle's Beacon Hill, isbn: 9780738528618

Vernonia

9780738580418

$24.99

Nestled in the Upper Nehalem Valley in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range, Vernonia still reflects its pioneer virtues of hard work and independence. The area was first homesteaded in 1874 by Clark Parker and John Van Blaricom. The earliest settlers saw the dense old-growth firs and cedars as an obstacle to overcome in establishing farms, but those big trees soon became the lifeblood of the town's economy. Incorporated in 1891, Vernonia remained a small settlement with family-run farms, sawmills, and supporting businesses until the arrival of the long-awaited railroad in 1922. The Oregon-American Lumber Mill--at the time one of the largest of its kind--was built in 1923. The mill provided jobs and business opportunities for hundreds of people until 1957 when it closed. The population rapidly declined as people left to find work elsewhere. Vernonia has proved resilient, however, and continues to be home to over 2,000 residents who appreciate small-town life in a forested setting.

Norwegian Seattle

9780738559605

$24.99

The Norwegians who immigrated to Seattle were a sturdy stock. Perhaps it was due to their ancient history as determined Viking seafarers--or their more recent experiences as tenacious fishermen, farmers, loggers, and carpenters. From the first Norwegians to arrive in 1868 through today, Seattle's Norwegian American community has maintained a remarkable cohesiveness. They participate in Sons and Daughters of Norway and other clubs; enjoy lutefisk dinners, lively music and dance groups, and the annual May 17 parade; boast elaborately knitted sweaters and historic costumes; and labor over language classes and genealogy. The result is a pride of heritage unique to the Norwegian Americans in Seattle and a sinew that binds their community.