  Take a lush, timbered, 1890 river valley
visited seasonally by the native Skykomish for hunting and berries - add the Great Northern Railway plus rumors of a rich mine strike - and what do you get?
Find out from Warren Carlson at his presentation at Barn Beach Reserve (main building sunroom) Friday October 23, 7:00 - 9:00 PM or at his book-signing at A Book For All Seasons Saturday October 24, 1:00 - 3:00 PM.
Carlson brings the story to life in Upper Skykomish Valley, bursting with historical photos. It's a story of how technology and transportation forever changed the area, as thousands streamed in to prospect mining claims. Skykomish valley turned out to have an abundance of all kinds of minerals. However, with no smelter nearby, it was impossible to process the ore in a profitable fashion, and the incredible boom could not be sustained. Boomtowns with names such as Corea, Nippon, Berlin, Alpine, Wellington, and Scenic came and went, some within a decade.
 The longest railroad tunnel in the western hemisphere, a major prizefight between Jack Humphrey and Kid Kelly, the day to day life of changing generations -- all told through a wealth of photography enriched by text. You'll treasure Upper Skykomish Valley for the photographs alone, chosen from among thousands cataloged by Skykomish Historical Society volunteers. You'll treasure it as well for the preservation in memory of a historic Northwest we can't quite believe without seeing.
About the Author
Author Warren Carlson is an internationally published journalism graduate from the University of Washington. He has been around the world 35 times but keeps being drawn back to Skykomish. He is now working on a compilation of life stories of people who lived along Skykomish Valley.
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