Discover Darrington History
Our past shapes our community today. People come and go, buildings rise and eventually fade away, but the legacy remains.
The first people, the Sauk-Suiattle and Stillaguamish Tribes, made these valleys their homes. Names were given to places, plants and animals For example, Ska dulqwas (Woman with warm heart) known today as Mt. Higgins. For many generations they resided here gathering what they needed to sustain their way of life.
This abruptly changed in 1870 when a crew of surveyors came to these valleys looking for a new train route over the mountains. White settlers soon followed seeking a better life. Many of these early settlers were prospectors, farmers and those harvesting cedar for bolts to make shingles and shakes. Eventually the town of Darrington and its surrounding communities were built up.
When the train reached Darrington in 1901, it opened up possibilities for expanded timber harvest with many sawmills and logging operations. The mill and logging are still an important part of our economy today.
History continues to evolve just like our ever changing community. One thing remains steadfast, the stories and our heritage shape this place and who we are. We hope you enjoy this collection of Darrington’s history.
Logging and Mining
A Little Bit More
Some Small Town History
Darrington Fun Facts and Trivia
- The first telephone system was installed in Darrington in 1907 by Farmer’s Telephone Company. The first switchboard was located in the Freese’s Boarding House
- A 1910 census stated that Darrington’s population was 250 people and the town had 14 pianos.
- In 1916 Darrington printed their first newspaper called the “Wrangler”
- The first train came to Darrington in 1901. Shortly after the trains began to role into town, one of them delivered the first sawmill equipment to the Allen Mill, later called the Darrington Lumber Company. 60 days later the mill was up and running!
- The first white person to die in Darrington was Fred Olds, dying in the year of 1900. The cause of death was tuberculosis. Fred came to Darrington in 1895 with his new bride and settled near what is now called Kirk Lake. Their son Oliver was born on their homestead. Oliver was the second white person to die in Darrington and passed away shortly after his father.
- “Electric power came to Darrington in 1926 when Troz and Barney Donaldson installed an electric line from Oso to Darrington, Cost at first was a whopping 14 cents per kilowatt hour. Many homes just had one light bulb – seldom used, but a symbol of progress and civilization,” from; Darrington Mining Town/Timber Town by Elizabeth S. Poehlman.
- Darrington’s first ice-cream parlor was supplied by 300 pounds of ice brought up weekly by the train.