The Monte Cristo Mining District
a huge avalanche destroyed most of the remaining buildings, including the sawmill. Engineer John F. Birney bought most of the mines and hoped to open them.
Many of the mines started producing again, anticipating that the railroad would arrive. The first train arrived in July, but it was woefully limited in its capacity. But mining continued and ore was stockpiled. Early in 1914, weather again delayed the railroad. It finally arrived in the summer and regular shipments made it to Everett. The next year Northern Pacific sold its Monte Cristo branch to the Ruckers brothers, who owned a large timber operation.
But the winter of 1916 was the worst since 1893. All activity ceased and everyone left the town. They came back in late May of 1917. And for the first time in years, excursion trains came to town. The Weden Creek mines made their first shipment of ore that summer. Boston-American bought several mines in the area. Boston-American built a new bunkhouse and cookhouse and began to build a new concentrator and tram. That fall the worst flood ever wiped out the railroad.
In 1918, trains came out during the summer. But most were tourists looking at the scenery. That year an alpine club called The Mountaineers came out for a look-see. There was still not much mining going on. In fact, tourism was keeping the town alive. A fancy new hotel was built as well as several new homes. It was the same for the next several years. Though Boston-American was still working on its claims, tourists loved the area, especially hikers and skiers. The hotel was filled to capacity all the time. Even a new road for cars was built. In 1920, an avalanche wrecked much of the work done in the summer. The last four miners gave up and left. It was the last serious mining that would be done in the area. Decades later, the area remains a tourist attraction.
(SOURCE: Monte Cristo, Philip R. Woodhouse, published by The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA, 1978)
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