When you visit Snoqualmie and pass the large waterfalls you immediately come to the railway museum. You drive along the road with old railway exhibits to your right and then hit the town main street.
Just as you arrive at the town you pass this large (well large isn’t really the right word, maybe massive or enormous would be better) log. The log (or tree trunk) is actually behind a barred fence, when I first saw this I wondered what the fence was for I mean who is gonna steal this massive piece of wood? But the fence isn’t there to stop thieves, no; it’s there to stop vandals! Apparently before the fence was put around the tree truck, the city of Snoqualmie were getting frustrated with people carving their name in the wood.
So what’s a huge tree trunk doing near the main street? Well fortunately there was a very large plaque next to the tree so I can answer that. It appears that back in the day a major source of income for the community was lumber. Once the railway was built the Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company did a roaring trade in huge Douglas-Firs, Sitka Spruce and Western Red Cedars.
The Lumber Company had a mill about a mile north of town and used to move 15 foot diameter logs around town on massive carriages. Of course all this happened in the late 1800s and the mills did really well until the mid 1900s when cheaper alternatives to these massive trees were found.
This huge log is a reminder of Snoqualmie’s past. It’s pretty impressive even though the fence around it kind of spoils the view. I had to push my camera through the bars to get a picture. I tried shooting from further back but the bars ruined the shot. And while the fence is doing a great job stopping those pesky vandals, they really need to find a way to keep the pigeons out!
The say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Does that work if you share it?
