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Promoting The New Town of Sedro, Washington and the Skagit County Lumber Industry

This rare 1891 two-sided map by A.G. Mosier provides a fine early depiction of both the extensive railway network of Skagit County and the detailed plan of the town of Sedro. This map captures a formative period in the region’s history, illustrating the vital interplay between transportation and urban planning in facilitating regional economic growth and urbanization in late 19th century Washington.

The map of Skagit County highlights in color the lines of the Seattle & Northern Railway (red) and the Great Northern Railway, reaching across the county from the east to Bellingham Bay. On the verso is a detailed map of the newly formed town of Sedro, with 4 images of the Sedro Hotel, Skagit River and the logging and lumber industries.

Formed from the merger of the neighboring towns of Sedro and Woolley on December 19, 1898, Sedro-Woolley's inception is deeply rooted in the area’s economic and geographic development. Initially, Sedro (once known as Bug) was established on the northern banks of the Skagit River, prone to flooding, which led to the relocation of the town by Norman R. Kelley to higher ground. This relocation and the arrival of the Fairhaven and Southern Railroad by 1889 underpin the economic narratives depicted in the map. Woolley developed nearby, around a strategic railway triangle, creating a vibrant community driven by its lumber mill and the commerce associated with railway tie sales.

Sedro’s development paralleled significant events in Skagit County. The clearing of logjam obstructions in Mount Vernon in the late 1870s opened the region to further settlement and economic exploitation, primarily through logging and subsequent industries like milling and agriculture. By the time of this map’s creation, Sedro was a burgeoning hub within a county characterized by rapid development, driven by both the logging industry and the railways that facilitated the transport of timber and other goods.

Skagit County’s economic backbone in the 19th century was the logging industry, supported by the intricate railway systems detailed in Mosier's map. The establishment of multiple railroads facilitated extensive logging operations, the transportation of timber, and the movement of people, which catalyzed the growth of towns like Sedro and Woolley. The railway lines depicted on the map were not just transportation routes; they were economic lifelines that shaped the developmental trajectory of the entire region.

Rarity

The map is very rare. 

OCLC notes 3 examples (Stanford, University of Washington and Seattle Public Library).