Logging camps and lumber and shingle mills dominated the early development of Snohomish County.
Notable in the area were the Blackman brothers - Alanson, Elhanan and Hyrcanus - who arrived from Maine around 1872. Together they revolutionized logging with their invention of several machines that 'moderized' the industry.
They are perhaps best known for their 1883 patented logging locomotive, the very first of its kind in the county.
Running on rails, the locomotive replaced the need for oxen to pull the felled trees from the forest to the camps. This step into the future made logging faster, more efficient and delighted the oxen.
To view more photos from the past, visit the online historic photo archive.
