Galena, Washington
Ghost town
Crowd with automobile in front of hotel, Galena, 1911.
Crowd with automobile in front of hotel, Galena, 1911.
Galena, Washington is located in Washington (state)
Galena, Washington
Galena, Washington
Coordinates: 47°53′32″N 121°26′36″W / 47.89222°N 121.44333°W / 47.89222; -121.44333
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountySnohomish
Elevation
1,079 ft (329 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code425
GNIS 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

  1. 1 2 "Galena, Washington". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ Whitfield, William M. (1926). History of Snohomish County, Washington. Chicago: Pioneer Historical Publishing Company. p. 610. OCLC 8437390. Retrieved December 23, 2023 – via HathiTrust.
  4. ↑ Whitfield (1926), p. 794.
  5. ↑ Whitfield (1926), p. 135.
  6. ↑ Whitfield (1926), pp. 199–200.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Lindgren, Louise (September 4, 2009). "Index — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  9. ↑ Bryan, Zachariah (June 6, 2021). "Wilderness awaits beyond the washout on Index-Galena Road". The Everett Herald. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ 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.
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