Monte Cristo

by Philip R. Woodhouse

* Meticulously researched, engagingly written stories
* Filled with historical photographs The Monte Cristo area, pocketed in spectacularly beautiful mountains in the Pacific Northwest, has long intrigued visitors with its colorful history, rooted in the search for gold and silver as rich as the Count of Monte Cristo. Here is the complete story, from discovery to disillusionment as dreamed-of riches became the dust of a ghost town. The several decades of Monte Cristo's glory also saw the construction of the unique Everett & Monte Cristo Railway (a marvelous engineering mistake), and the founding of the city of Everett as a processing and shipping point for the expected riches of Monte's minesñall manipulated by Eastern corporate giants such as Rockefeller and the Guggenheims. And then there were the peopleñthe struggling railroaders, miners, merchants and their families, who dreamed, worked, failed and sometimes died in Monte Cristo's unforgiving winters. What was the true extent of Monte Cristo's fabled riches? How could the skilled geologists of the day be so wrong? The answers, for Monte Cristo like so many other boom-and-bust towns of the Old West, make fascinating reading.

Genres: History

312 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 1979

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author certainly did his research in writing this historical book. I’ve hiked near the area but have never been to the actual township of Monte Cristo and after reading the book I definitely want to pay a visit, imagine what the town was like in its heyday and view the remaining relics still present. There can’t be too many books around that detail the history of Monte Cristo but if you’re looking for a Year by year summary of how and why Monte Cristo was formed this is the book to get. And now I’m more familiar on the past personalities in relation to how some of the areas got their names, such as Headlee Pass, Barlow Pass, etc

[Robert Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

My parents drove us up to the old Monte Cristo town site in our beige station wagon sometime in the late seventies before the road was washed out on December 26, 1980. Our childhoods were spent camping along the southern loop of the Mountain Loop Highway, built atop the old railroad right-of-way that led to the sporadically bustling mining town. When we got older, we hiked the 4 miles my parents had driven us years before to see the old railroad turntable and rare relics collected around the scrappy, miniature cabins. Today, plans are in place to clean up and contain the arsenic-rich tailings left behind by the various 19th and early 20th century mining operations to prevent continued contamination of groundwater and rivers below. Even if you do not have a personal connection to this beautiful part of the Pacific Northwest, Philip R. Woodhouse’s invaluable and entertaining history, “Monte Cristo” is a remarkable read you will always remember.

Woodhouse’s extensive research and approachable writing ensure that not only are historically significant details and photos preserved before they turn brittle and decay, but the evanescent spirit of the time is illuminated and celebrated before we lose the last few individuals who either lived there or sat at the feet of those who did listening to amazing stories of a time nearly impossible for us in the internet age to fully comprehend. This small, periodically populated mining town, crushed time and time again by the unrelenting landscape, never became the source of limitless wealth its name foretold, but it nevertheless played a key role in the history of the Puget Sound region and even the country. If you are fascinated by the difficulties our ancestors faced trying to make a living in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, enjoy a flawlessly written history or want to better understand our current age through the lens of time, I heartily recommend this remarkable and invaluable work.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up we camped and hiked all along the Mountain Loop. I knew bits and pieces of this history that I had picked up along the way. I remember in 6th grade our teacher had us take two different field trips to the area and on one we checked out a couple of mines and climbed to the top of the hill where they attempted to put through tunnel number 7, hearing of course the incorrect story, glad to learn the real one. I highly recommend this history for all interested but also for all local to the area. On future trips I will have a much better appreciation of the area and history.

[Richard Shelmerdine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having hiked the Robe Canyon and seen the rails there, I needed to know more; thankfully, Uncle Don introduced me to this book.
I find this captivating reading about a time when people literally forged their own way using their bare hands. As I have much passion for the outdoors, a growing love for historical non-fiction, and a desire to know more about the fabulous mountains in the PNW, absolutely riveting.
Now, I just need to go and visit some more of the locations!

[JLA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drier then the Griswold Christmas Turkey but packed full of useful information if planning a trip in the area.