Why Do I Keep Mentioning Leavenworth, Washington as a good model for     

Haines? Read the following story and does this not sound familiar? 

Substitute their loss of railroad with our loss of cruise ships and I think you 

will see the connection.

Part of our answer is ski/trail development and a unique downtown theme
 plus year round events for our visitors!

Leavenworth gets consistent repeat visitors from nearby communities!
(Think Juneau and Whitehorse)

Mid 1800's

The first people to roam Icicle Valley were the P'squosa, or the Wenatchi. as the settlers called them. They survived by fish­ing, hunting, picking berries, digging camas roots and other native plants. The salmon runs brought thousands of American Indi­ans from all around the inland Northwest to harvest these great fish all along the Wenatchee River and Icicle River. The gatherings lasted weeks and included ritual dancing, trade, stories and contests.

Mining brought an influx of people to after gold was discovered in what is now known as the Blewett Pass area in 1860. Of the hundreds of mines "The Hummingbird" continued production until 1975. The min­ing camps housed miners of all nationali­ties including Irish, Scandinavian, Chinese, German and English. Those in the camps depended on a small settlement in the val­ley, present-day Leavenworth, for shipping, supplies and liquor.

The settlement was named Icicle. from the American Indian word "nasikelt" or "narrow-bottom canyon."

Railroad, lumber boom,
1890-1920s

The first route across Stevens Pass was built by The Great Northern Railway Com­pany (GNRC) in 1892. The townsite was across the river from Icicle and was named Leavenworth the same year rail construc­tion began. Captain Charles Leavenworth, president of the Okanogan Investment Company, purchased the land in present- day downtown and laid streets parallel to the new tracks.

The railroad was completed in the dead of winter 1893. It was the valley's first con­nection to the west coast and everything east. Leavenworth became railroad central. Seven sets of tracks were laid downtown where Highway 2 is now. GNRC also built a roundhouse for turning engines where the present-day Enzian Inn is located.

The riverfront at the present-day En­chantment Park was the staging point for the area's second biggest industry, timber. LaFayette and Chauncery Lamb, brothers from Iowa, arrived in 1903 to build the state's second largest sawmill. The Lamb- Davis Lumber Company brought in a $2 million fortune after two years of business. At one point the company employed more than 1,000 men.

Leavenworth's streets were abuzz with saloons, brothels. a general store, a school and an opera house. The town was lawless until 1906 when an official city government and sheriff's office were established. The area's population exploded to eight times its original number, from 300 in 1900 to 2,500 in 1915, which is approximately the population in Leavenworth today. Between 1910 and 1920, the first hospital, library, cemetery, orchard, modern water system and irrigation district were created.

Industry leaves, depression
sets in, 1920s-1960s

In 1925 the GNRC announced its plans to relocate its headquarters to Wenatchee and move its tracks away from Tumwater Canyon's dangerous avalanches through"` Chumstick Canyon instead. The pullout was a heavy blow to the town's economy.

The sawmill closed a year later. Most /of the river-accessible logs had been harvested and shipping was difficult with the loss of the railroad. The sudden loss of Leavenworth's two driving industries, in addition to the first and second world wars, caused a mass exodus. Those who were able to find work depended on the U.S. Forest Service, schools, the hospital, small businesses or logging operations.

Life remained slow for 30 years. Leavenworth area residents enjoyed light­ing the Christmas tree in the City Park and also baseball leagues, town dances and church events.

A world-famous ski hill shook up the quiet times. A group of Norwegian settlers built a toboggan run and a ski jump in the late '20s. Skiing became the new buzz in town, bolstered by the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club established in 029. Spectators in waves of 10,000 a weekend came to watch the international jumping competition, which several locals won. The events stopped when international ski jumping standards changed in the mid-1970s.

Project. LIFE Rescues town

By the '50s it was clear that outdoor recreation was not enough for the town to make a living. Businesses were failing. Leavenworth was dubbed a welfare town and jobs were hard to come by. A group of residents banded together to find a way to end the 30-year depression. They were determined not to let their Leavenworth die with the ages.

Want further information then visit  http://www.leavenworth.org/modules/pages/index.php?pageid=1

Or wait for the next edition of this Blog

Cheers and Happy New Year