| Pilchuck |
| Bygone Mill Town |
By Alvin Petterson
* Joseph Kaye, was the nephew of Pa. Lumber barens Charles and William Howard.
**E. A Guthrie's wife Bessie, was the niece of Joseph Kaye. She lived in the house until the early 1980's.
**E. A Guthrie's wife Bessie, was the niece of Joseph Kaye. She lived in the house until the early 1980's.
The home of E.A. Guthrie still occupies a clearing on the
old town site bordering on the highway but the remainder
of the town extending about a quarter mile form the
present highway to the Northern Pacific track is completly
overgrown and has returned to the forest.
There are pioneers along the way who were employees at
the Pilchuck mill at one time or another and they have many
tales to tell of outstanding characters who inhabited the
early lumbering camps, of runaway logging trains and the
never-ending fights, and one listened with attention and
old town site bordering on the highway but the remainder
of the town extending about a quarter mile form the
present highway to the Northern Pacific track is completly
overgrown and has returned to the forest.
There are pioneers along the way who were employees at
the Pilchuck mill at one time or another and they have many
tales to tell of outstanding characters who inhabited the
early lumbering camps, of runaway logging trains and the
never-ending fights, and one listened with attention and
For more than 20 years the town of Pilchuck was a thriving industrial center with a good sized lumber mill,
a logging railroad and two shingle mills.
About 1901 the Parker Hyatt Mill was constructed on Pilchuck Creek between the county road and the
Northern Pacific railroad, about five miles north of Arlington. The head rig of the sawmill was of the
circular saw type; there was a resaw, a trimmer, dry kilns and the company hotel, bunkhouse, store and
cottages, in a row up on the hillside for employees with families. All purchases were made with credit
books at the company store.
Pilchuck creek is the outlet of Lake Cavanaugh, emptying into the Stilliguamish River just above Silvana.
Along this creek and farup into the hills, the mill companyhad timber holdings and from it's several logging
camps the Shay and Climax locomotives hauled the trains to the milll pond. This pond was formed by a
system of dams that diverted water from the Pilchuck to the mill pond where logs were lined up for the
bull chain anf the hed rig. The Northern Pacific railroad had a spur entering the mill yard and the lumber of
fir, spruce, hemlock and cedar was shipped over that road.
a logging railroad and two shingle mills.
About 1901 the Parker Hyatt Mill was constructed on Pilchuck Creek between the county road and the
Northern Pacific railroad, about five miles north of Arlington. The head rig of the sawmill was of the
circular saw type; there was a resaw, a trimmer, dry kilns and the company hotel, bunkhouse, store and
cottages, in a row up on the hillside for employees with families. All purchases were made with credit
books at the company store.
Pilchuck creek is the outlet of Lake Cavanaugh, emptying into the Stilliguamish River just above Silvana.
Along this creek and farup into the hills, the mill companyhad timber holdings and from it's several logging
camps the Shay and Climax locomotives hauled the trains to the milll pond. This pond was formed by a
system of dams that diverted water from the Pilchuck to the mill pond where logs were lined up for the
bull chain anf the hed rig. The Northern Pacific railroad had a spur entering the mill yard and the lumber of
fir, spruce, hemlock and cedar was shipped over that road.
According to Abbey's Register of the Northwest lumber
Industry, the company name becamre the Parker Bell Company
and stilll later there was another associate by the name of *Kaye,
all affiliated with the English Logging Company. Downstream form
the saw mill were the two shingle mills whose employees added
to the roughness of the town where the loggers from the various
camps made the town of Pilchuck a lively place over the
weekend. There was the usual intoxication accompanied by a
fight or two as liquor was plentiful. Traveling in those days was
only to find another job and leisure hours were usually spent the
town saloon.
Industry, the company name becamre the Parker Bell Company
and stilll later there was another associate by the name of *Kaye,
all affiliated with the English Logging Company. Downstream form
the saw mill were the two shingle mills whose employees added
to the roughness of the town where the loggers from the various
camps made the town of Pilchuck a lively place over the
weekend. There was the usual intoxication accompanied by a
fight or two as liquor was plentiful. Traveling in those days was
only to find another job and leisure hours were usually spent the
town saloon.
It is recorded that in 1922 the population of Pilchuck was 817 but there came a time afterwards when the
original timber had been cut and the surrounding hills were all logged off and baren and the locomotives no
longer brought logs to the mill pond. The mills were closed, the machinery removed and the buildings torn
down. The cottages on the hillside were sold from $25 to $50 each and the lumber removed by settlers
on nearby farms. The shingle mills went in a simular manner and today there is little evidence that there
ever was a thriving town of Pilchuck.
original timber had been cut and the surrounding hills were all logged off and baren and the locomotives no
longer brought logs to the mill pond. The mills were closed, the machinery removed and the buildings torn
down. The cottages on the hillside were sold from $25 to $50 each and the lumber removed by settlers
on nearby farms. The shingle mills went in a simular manner and today there is little evidence that there
ever was a thriving town of Pilchuck.
wonders why some writer has not made use of it all as a true ghost town story.
And now as we slacken the speed of our car at the little bridge that crosses Pilchuck Creek and watch the
waters rushing on to join the Stillaguamish and the ocean we find it necessary to stretch our imagination in
order to picture a busy industrial town with it's homes and store, school house, hotel, depot, and mills over
there in that tangle of brush.
And now as we slacken the speed of our car at the little bridge that crosses Pilchuck Creek and watch the
waters rushing on to join the Stillaguamish and the ocean we find it necessary to stretch our imagination in
order to picture a busy industrial town with it's homes and store, school house, hotel, depot, and mills over
there in that tangle of brush.