PRESS RELEASE
February 19, 2005

Contact: Erica S. Maniez, Museum Director  (425) 392-3500 or info@issaquahhistory.org
 

Issaquah Historical Society Offers Walking Tour of Mining History

Issaquah, Wash. – On Saturday, April 2, Issaquah Historical Society volunteer Stephen Grate will lead an interpretive hike of Issaquah’s Grand Ridge mine history. Prior to the outing, hike participants and members of the public will gather at the Issaquah Depot at 10 AM for a brief presentation on the history of the mining operations at Grand Ridge. Following the presentation, hikers will either set off on foot or drive to a meeting place closer to the trailhead. The hike itself will be approximately 3 or 5 miles in length, and will last about 4 hours.

Grate has done extensive research on the history and locations of mining sites in the area, and led two tours of the Issaquah & Superior mining operations last year. This walking tour will focus on mining operations on Grand Ridge, near today’s Issaquah Highlands Development. Mining at Grand Ridge began in the late 1800s. The periods of active mining were from 1908 to the early 1920s, when labor disputes brought an end to Issaquah’s boomtown mining era, and again from 1937 to 1942. Hikers will visit the remains of mine entrances, as well as rail grades, the hoist foundation, maintenance building foundation, coal bunker foundations and the overburden piles. This narrated tour of Issaquah’s mining past will paint a picture of our community’s early history.

The main operations of the Grand Ridge mine were located on the north side of I-90 between the Sunset Way/Highlands Drive interchange (exit 18) and the Highpoint Interchange (exit 20). The mine site is within the boundaries of the Grand Ridge Park, King County Parks. The hike route will be on Issaquah city sidewalks and the Issaquah-Highpoint Trail (the old Seattle Lakeshore and Eastern railway grade - a packed gravel surface), and will follow the beautiful East Fork of Issaquah Creek. The hike is scheduled for early spring when undergrowth is dormant and mine features are much easier to see. Depending on weather conditions the mine site may be very wet – please bring appropriate clothing, foot gear, a sack lunch, and water.

There is a requested donation of $5 per person for the hike, or $2.50 per person for members of the Issaquah Historical Society. The presentation at the Depot is free to the public. The Mine Site Tour size will be limited to 30 people. Please call (425/392-3500) or e-mail (info@issaquahhistory.org) the Issaquah Historical Society office to register for the hike.