Galena, Washington

Ghost town in Washington (state)

Ghost town in Washington, United States

47°53′32″N 121°26′36″W / 47.89222°N 121.44333°W / 47.89222; -121.44333CountryUnited StatesStateWashingtonCountySnohomishElevation

1,079 ft (329 m)Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)Area code425GNIS feature ID1519869^[1]

Galena is a ghost town in Snohomish County, Washington.^[1] Galena is located in the Cascade Mountains, northeast of the town of Index. North of Galena lies Mineral City.

History

Galena lies on a speculated route between the territory of the bəsx̌əx̌əx̌əlč band of the Skykomish people, based in modern-day Index, and the Sauk to the north.^[2]

Galena was platted in December 1891 by John N. Scott. By then, Galena was already the location of much mineral interest, and it received mail three days a week and stagecoach service twice a week.^[3]

From April 1892 to August 1894, Galena was home to the Inter-Cascade Mountaineer, a weekly mining newspaper.^[4]

Voting returns from the Galena and Monte Cristo precincts was at the center of a minor controversy during the contentious 1894 county seat election between Snohomish and Everett.^[5]

In 1894, Snohomish County appropriated $500 to improve a wagon road between Index and Galena. The road was also extended beyond Galena, up Silver Creek.^[6]

After a 1980 storm, a quarter-mile length of the ridge between Galena and Mineral City collapsed, washing out the road. The route remains impassable by vehicles.^[7]

The county road from Index to Galena was completed in 1911.^[8] In 2006, severe flooding washed Index-Galena Road out, and access to Galena was limited to a 40-mile detour which closed seasonally.^[9]

In November 2023, the Index–Galena Road reopened to traffic. The project cost $29 million, most of which came from the Federal Highway Administration; Snohomish County contributed $6.3 million and the state government contributed $1.2 million.^[10]

Geology

Galena is within the Silver Creek Mining District. The area immediately local to Galena contains silver-lead ore, with a smaller amount of chalcopyrite, which contains gold.^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b "Galena, Washington". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
^ Hollenbeck, Jan L.; Moss, Madonna (1987). A Cultural Resource Overview: Prehistory, Ethnography and History: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. United States Forest Service. p. 169. OCLC 892024380. Retrieved December 23, 2023 – via HathiTrust.
^ Whitfield, William M. (1926). History of Snohomish County, Washington. Chicago: Pioneer Historical Publishing Company. p. 610. OCLC 8437390. Retrieved December 23, 2023 – via HathiTrust.
^ Whitfield (1926), p. 794.
^ Whitfield (1926), p. 135.
^ Whitfield (1926), pp. 199–200.
^ Cameron, David A. (December 22, 2007). "A devastating flood isolates Monte Cristo (Snohomish County) and begins a new era on December 26, 1980". HistoryLink. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
^ Lindgren, Louise (September 4, 2009). "Index — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
^ Bryan, Zachariah (June 6, 2021). "Wilderness awaits beyond the washout on Index-Galena Road". The Everett Herald. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
^ Hansen, Jordan (November 5, 2023). "'The best day in 17 years': Locals revel in Index-Galena Road reopening". The Everett Herald. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
^ Landes, Henry (1902). Washington Geological Survey Annual Report For 1901, Part I. Olympia: State of Washington. p. 74. Retrieved December 21, 2023 – via Google Books.