Miners' Cabins in the Metalines

Miners' Cabins in the Metalines. . , The Metalines Mining District , The first large waves of white settlers came to the Metalines in the 1850s with the discovery of gold. By the late 1870s, outcroppings of lead, zinc, and silver had also been discovered, bringing a new flood of prospectors to the area. The landscape of the Metalines region is dotted with the remains of cabins these prospectors once called home. , However, the rugged terrain, lack of transportation and relative inaccessibility of the minerals challenged even the most determined of individuals. By the early 20th century, large-scale industrial mining had taken the place of individual prospectors, and the area would eventually become the largest supplier of lead and zinc in Washington State., The Rose Cabin , The cabin in front of you was constructed by Harvey Rose and his son, Carl, about 1905, and was used by them until 1917. Rose and his son panned and sluiced for gold below Peewee Falls about one-half mile south of here. They also had a cabin above the falls on Peewee Creek where they used the creek to power a small sawmill. Lumber from the mill was used for making sluice boxes, and for the construction of this cabin and others in the area. , This cabin was a treasured local landmark in the 1960s when construction started on Boundary Dam, and City Light staff and contractors took extra precautions to protect it. The construction superintendent warned that any worker who damaged the cabin would be "sent for a walk down the hill"-in other words, fired. City Light later conducted repairs to preserve the cabin in the early 1970s, including re-roofing and replacing the sill logs., A Man of Refinement and Culture , One of the most well-known early prospectors in the Metalines was the Civil War veteran Carl Harvey, native of Colorado, who came to the area in 1868. By 1889, Harvey had built a cabin near Z Canyon, as well as other cabins, and worked the gravel bars for placer gold. While most prospectors departed as anonymously as they came, Harvey stayed for the solitude and a place to indulge his love of nature. , By 1912, Harvey gave up the subsistence lifestyle he had been living and retired to a nearby homestead. By his later years, Harvey, with his flowing white beard, had become a beloved fixture in the Metalines community, and a reminder of the hard-working physically tough character of the miners who initially came to the area., A friend summed up Harvey's legacy as such: , "There were many who learned to know and love this man of refinement and culture, who though preferring the companionship of nature to that of man, always had a hearty and courteous welcome for visitors to his home.", (Left Caption) Can you find the cabin in this photo? The Rose Cabin amidst Boundary Dam construction activities, October 1964. Seattle Municipal Archives. , (Mid Caption) Prospectors packing in supplies to the Oriole Mine, Metalines Mining District, 1912. Pend Oreille Country Historical Society. , (Right Caption) Carol Harvey in front of his cabin at Monument Bar ca. 1900. Pend Oreille Country Historical Society.