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RPBrown
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PostMon Feb 13, 2012 9:43 pm 
I just had a few old family albums scanned. Among them is the original Tubal Cain album created by then mine superintendant Silas Marple. Silas was essentially responsible for luring (conning) money men from Seattle (mainly former Northern Pacific RR execs) into investing in a venture that didn't turn a single penny of profit. Silas filed the original claims (1901 to 1903) that would later become Tubal Cain Copper and Manganese Mining Company, namely Copper City and Tull City. A majority of these photos were taken between 1903 and 1906. I'll include the original captions in "quotes" followed by what I know about the photo. Enjoy! Photo 1: "Looking from the trail. Iron Mt on the left."
Album 3 - 001Edit
Album 3 - 001Edit
Interestingly this photo was taken just below Silver Lake looking down Silver Creek, with Mt. Townsend on the right. The "trail" Silas generally refers to is the Little Quilcene trail that was built and financed by the mining company. So, it looks to me like this photo was either mislabeled by Silas...or....the boot path people follow nowadays straight up Silver Creek is actually a very old path punched in by the mining company. I've been up that way many times and recall many old hunting camps along the stream. Wouldn't at all surprise me if the miners cut the trail. Photo 2: "From the Pass looking north. Iron Mt on the left. Snow on the ground"
Album 3 - 002Edit
Album 3 - 002Edit
This of course is Tull Pass. Photo 3: "Mr. Victor E Tull, Mr. Neighdo, Mr. Felger. altitude 7000 ft Iron Mt."
Album 3 - 003Edit
1 label
Album 3 - 003Edit
These were some of the Tubal Cain execs. Victor Tull was probably the only one that really knew much about mining having made his fame/fortune in the Black Diamond area mining coal in the 1880's. Tull served as General Manager and President. I.A. Nadeau served as secretary and was a former Northern Pacific RR exec. A few years later Mr. Nadeau would serve as General Director of the Alaska-Pacific-Yukon-Exposition in 1909. W.W. Felger was a prominent attorney living in Port Townsend at the time.. Felger always wore the distinctive derby (bowler) hat in the photos. Notice how Tull has a certain Teddy Roosevelt resemblance which I'm sure was fashionable at the time since Teddy was President of the US then. This photo was taken on or near Tull Pass (I think). I'm planning to get some "then and now" photos in the next few years. Anyway, that looks like Tull Pass to me. The elevation would be closer to 6000 ft. Maps would've been nonexistant at the time. I think the fact that he mentions "altitude" rather than elevation hints that they probably had a very inaccurate altimeter. Also, I've tried to retain the original spelling & punctuation with the quotes.

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onemoremile
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PostMon Feb 13, 2012 9:52 pm 
up.gif That's pretty cool.

“Arbolist? Look up the word. I don’t know, maybe I made it up. Anyway, it’s an arbo-tree-ist, somebody who knows about trees.” G.W. Bush
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Phil
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PostTue Feb 14, 2012 9:10 am 
RPBrown wrote:
Album 3 - 003Edit
1 label
Album 3 - 003Edit
Nice. Dressed finer for the mountains than I was for my wedding.

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trestle
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PostTue Feb 14, 2012 9:54 am 
Thanks for sharing these wonderful old photos. On the first one, is that an old burn down in the creek bottom and across the base of Mt. Townsend? Please post as many as you can!

"Life favors the prepared." - Edna Mode
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tigermn
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PostTue Feb 14, 2012 2:10 pm 
I love this kind of stuff and look forward to any then/now photos you can assemble and any other photos/history of the area.

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reststep
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PostTue Feb 14, 2012 4:55 pm 
Thanks for posting those RPBrown. Those are great. Is Tull Pass up on the ridge between Tull Canyon and Silver Lakes?

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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RPBrown
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PostFri Feb 17, 2012 1:30 am 
Reststep, Tull Pass is the saddle at the head of Tull Canyon. Johnson, Yep, you'll see lots of burned over areas in these old photos. A lot more open country in the Olympics around the turn of the century. Phil, Mt. Constance yes. In that photo, Constance would have been the only mountain named yet. Warrior, Boulder, Gargoyles, Alphabet etc etc were still quite a few years from being labeled. In that same photo you're looking down on the Big Quil. Straight below is Shelter Rock, around the corner to the right is Marmot Pass and to the left the Camel Pass. Appreciate the nice comments. Here's more... Photo 1: "The same men Iron Mt altitude 7240 ft"
Interesting that they list the precise altitude of 7240 ft. Actually the altitude would be closer to 6300 ft. This was taken on the flanks of what was later named Mt. Worthington (then called Copper). There's some shallow diggings and attempts at adits just above Tull Pass. These are the same gents again..Tull, Nadeau and Felger. How about those formal three piece suits 20 miles in the mountains. Photo 2: "Fog. Iron Mt on the Right.
Taken near Tull Pass. Notice the sea of silver snags. Nowadays the same scene is replaced with new trees. You'll see many silver forests in these old photos. Edit: Not sure how obvious it is; this photo like one of the others is looking down on the Big Quil with the Constance area barely visible in the fog. Photo 3: "Big lake head of Gold Creek"
This of course is Upper Silver Lake. It's unbelievable how much this area has changed. In fact, it would probably be difficult to get this same photo with all the new trees. This was taken 1904. Obviously Silver Lake and Creek weren't named yet.

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Phil
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PostFri Feb 17, 2012 8:58 am 
RPBrown wrote:
This of course is Upper Silver Lake. It's unbelievable how much this area has changed. In fact, it would probably be difficult to get this same photo with all the new trees. This was taken 1904. Obviously Silver Lake and Creek weren't named yet.
Would be fun to see some side-by-sides of these photos with recent shots, as in this excellent thread

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trestle
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PostFri Feb 17, 2012 7:54 pm 
The meadow is still there and a memorable part of many visits. You'll notice the same rock is across the lake (just to the left of the visitors) and the gully leading up away from it is still there but now hidden in the trees. I love Silver Lake.

"Life favors the prepared." - Edna Mode
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Phil
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PostFri Feb 17, 2012 9:52 pm 
up.gif Love it

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RPBrown
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PostWed Feb 22, 2012 10:05 pm 
Johnson, I found another modern day photo that's a good comparison. Thanks in advance to whosever I'm borrowing.
Really closely examine my 1904 image. Beyond the obvious recent burn you'll notice a lot of barren ground with no snags at all. I guess the point I'm trying to make is there's more going on here than new trees simply replacing the fire-killed ones. There's also trees growing in areas where they weren't before. I have an advantage with the large tif images on my computer that are way to big to post here. The detail on them is amazing. Anyway, this part of the Olympics looked quite a bit different way back when.

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RumiDude
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PostWed Feb 22, 2012 11:24 pm 
RPBrown wrote:
Really closely examine my 1904 image. Beyond the obvious recent burn you'll notice a lot of barren ground with no snags at all. I guess the point I'm trying to make is there's more going on here than new trees simply replacing the fire-killed ones. There's also trees growing in areas where they weren't before.
A large part of the answer is simply less severe winters with less snow and shorter period with snow. In other words, global warming. Same thing happening with the retreat of the glaciers. Rumi

"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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RPBrown
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PostFri Feb 24, 2012 10:01 pm 
Another batch of Tubal Cain originals.... Photo 1: "The first snow Sept 20th 1905 John Jennings and Lee Ross standing"
Robert Edward "Lee" Ross was born 1865 and died 1917. His wife, Daisy Macomber died at the young age of 27 from Tuberculosis. They are both buried side-by-side at the Brinnon Cemetery. Lee was a good friend of Silas Marple (Mine Superintendent who took these photos) and probably held a supervisory position at Tubal Cain. Photo 2: "Iron Mt Camp. Tull, Felger, Neighdo, & Lee Ross looking out of the camp"
This was the first cabin built by the company and was used by the crew working at the upper west side tunnel. This tunnel sits at an elevation of 6500 ft and is about half filled with snow and ice (year around) all the way to the back (100 ft or so). This half-cabin stood on the flat above Buckhorn Lake (then called Hanford) where the modern day trail goes through before dropping down to the lake. Again, note those fancy duds 22 or so miles in the hills. The miners would have to climb 1500 vertical feet everyday to go to work. A switchback "horse trail" climbed to roughly 6000 ft where the men would off load the dynamite from the pack animals and pack it in the rest of the way themselves. To this day you can still find the distinctive dove-tailed boards of the 110 year old dynamite boxes. Photo 3: "Little Lake Gold Creek Valley"
This is Lower Silver Lake. You'd be amazed how much different this same photo would look today. New trees hide the rock slide in the background.

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IanB
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PostWed Mar 14, 2012 9:54 am 
Sorry to not have spotted this thread until now. Thank you so much, RPBrown! Your effort and generosity in sharing these photos is much appreciated. Hoping there is more to come?

"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
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RPBrown
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PostSat Mar 17, 2012 10:43 pm 
More..... Photo 1: "North End of Iron Mountain"
This was taken at the Tull City site prior to the construction of the cabins, probably 1903. Photo 2: "Pack train at Worthingtons Store at Quilcene and some of the men who built the trail"
Will Worthington operated the first store in Quilcene from 1890 to 1906. I'm sure he benefited greatly as the main supplier to the Tubal Cain operation. Photo taken 1903. Photo 3: "Around the camp fire. John and the dog beside the tree. Lee Ross to the right. Next to him Wm Denney."
"John" is John Jennings with Silas's black lab. I'm fairly certain "Wm Denney" is the same Denny family from Seattle. It makes sense since the Tubal Cain main office was in the Colman Building downtown Seattle. I'm sure most of these mining execs knew each other and Frank Hanford (Tubal Cain President) was probably a friend of the Denny bunch. Anyway, an interesting connection I think. Edit: One more important point (I think). I count 7 guys in the above photo and the fact that "Denney" is mentioned points to the fact he is probably a member of the same pioneer Seattle family. Anyway, just my two cents. Maybe some of the Denny descendants will chime in someday.

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