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Martin, Washington

Coordinates: 47°16′48″N 121°19′01″W / 47.28°N 121.317°W / 47.28; -121.317
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Martin is an extinct town in the northwest United States, in Kittitas County, Washington. The GNIS classifies it as a populated place;[1] Stampede Pass is near to the west.

Martin in the United States
Martin in the United States
Martin
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Location in Washington
Martin in the United States
Martin in the United States
Martin
Martin (the United States)

History

Location sign for Martin Washington

Northern Pacific Railroad engineers spent from 1873-1884 narrowing down the candidate passes for crossing the Cascades to three: Snoqualmie, Stampede, and Natchess [2]. The NP railroad had left Lake Superior and arrived in Yakima in 1885. At risk of losing millions of acres of land grants for failure to build a direct line to the Puget Sound, NP put out bids to drill the Stampede Tunnel in just 28 months. They opened the bids on Jan 21, 1886 and awarded the contract to Nelson Bennett. On February 1st, the first wagonload of supplies left Yakima for the tunnel site. It took months to arrive as an army of men felled trees and built plank roads over which to haul the machines and supplies.[2] [3]

Once the caravan arrived, they set up their sawmill and used the lumber to build bunkhouses, stables, a machine shop, warehouses, a hospital, a restaurant, a saloon, and the station house. The construction camp was called Tunnel City and from 1886 to 1888 it housed over 200 construction workers who were building switchbacks and drilling the tunnel. [4] [3][2] On May 14, 1888 the bore was completed, just 7 days ahead of the contracts deadline.

The town was named Martin because of the nearby Martin Creek. The creek was originally named Pine-Marten Creek because an American marten was killed nearby.[5]

A post office called Martin was established in 1892, and remained in operation until 1902.[6]

In 1928, all that remained of Tunnel City was a station house labeled Martin and a few employees' cottages.[7]

A fire lookout was located in Martin from at least 1934-1956.[8]

In February 1949, Martin saw 3 ft (0.91 m) of snow fall the night of February 15th. The snow depth increased from 13 ft (4.0 m) to 16 ft (4.9 m) overnight. The crew of 124 men (100 more than usual) tasked with keeping the line open with two rotaries and a plow could not remember a worse time.[9]

In the summer of 1964 NPRR destroyed all of its buildings at Martin.[7]

Recreation

Ski Touring

two skiers crossing a stream

Starting in the early 1920s, skiers from Cle Elum[10] and Puget Sound would ride the Northern Pacific Railroad to the Martin, Washington stop. The railroad supplied "cozy warm shelter" in a dozen specially equipped bunk-cars and meal cars on a side track at the Martin station.[11] Skiers could stay overnight and the railroad provided heating stoves and free coal.

Meany Lodge

In 1928, the The Mountaineers built the Meany Ski Hut on 54 acres of Tunnel City, a 5 minute walk from the Martin rail stop.[7] The hut was subsequently expanded and still operates as Meany Lodge.

Martin Ski Dome

In 1939, the Northern Pacific Railway opened a ski area on the eastern portal of the Stampede Tunnel called Martin Ski Dome.[12] It was located just across the railroad tracks from the Meany Ski Hut and closed in 1942 with the start of World War II. It was subsequently sold and operated as the Husky Chalet from 1944 thru the 1949 ski season.[13]

Sno-Park

Overnight lot at Crystal Springs Sno-Park
Snowmobiles in Crystal Springs Sno-Park

The Crystal Springs Sno-Park is located just off Exit 62 on I-90. Managed by the Lake Easton State Park, it provides access to the snow sports trails around and through Martin. The Sno-Park has plowed parking lots for non-motorized (skiers, sled dogs) users, motorized (snowmobiles & other tracked vehicles) users, and overnight guests to Meany Lodge & Trollhaugen.

Erling Stordahl

The Erling Stordahl trailhead is just minutes away from the Crystal Springs Sno-Park. The flat easy trails are built and maintained by the Ski for Light charity. They are specifically for the benefit of blind skiers but are open to all.[14]

Trollhaugen

A few more minutes up the dual groomed (x-country on the South, snowmobile on the North) Stampede Pass road is the Cascade Sons of Norway lodge Trollhaugen.

John Wayne

Just over a half mile North of the Sno-Park, the Stampede Pass road crosses the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail. Prior to 2018, the trail name was the John Wayne Pioneer Trail and was part of the Iron Horse State Park Trail. The trail is groomed in the winter and is well used by skiers.[15] In the summer bikers, hikers, and horse riders use the trail.

Sled Dogs

About a mile up Stampede Pass road the non-motorized (skiers, sled dogs) trail follows Forest Road 420 on the left and motorized (snowmobile) traffic stays right. These x-country ski trails are groomed by a grooming machine named Hippo owned by the Mountaineers and operated by their volunteers. This area is also where the Northwest Sled Dog Association holds their annual Crystal Dog Challenge on the groomed trails that pass through the area.

At the end of the 420 Road is the Meany Lodge ski resort and the historic location of Martin.

Railroad Service

In 1899 and 1921, Martin was station No. 1894. [16] [17] In 1921 it was at mile post 46.5 (0 was at Ellensburg) on the Seattle Main Line.[17] In 1947, Martin was station No. 7023 at milepost 82.5 on the Tacoma Main Line.[18]

In April of 1960, Northern Pacific Railway removed trains No. 5 and No. 6, discontinuing passenger service to Martin.[19] In 1963 they automated the Martin station. In the summer of 1964 they demolished all their buildings at Martin.[20]

In 1983, BNSF Railway discontinued the 78-mile line through the Stampede Tunnel but did not abandon the right of way. On December 5, 1996 they resumed regular train service across Stampede Pass.[21]

In 2019, BNSF added a signal tower at Martin that enables them to run double-length (230 cars) grain trains through the Stampede Tunnel. The longer trains have locomotives in the front, middle, and rear to prevent string-lining.[22]

See Also


References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Martin, Washington
  2. ^ a b c Holbrook, Stewart (1947). The Story of American Railroads. New York: Crown Publishers. pp. 199–206.
  3. ^ a b Phillips III, John A. "A Short History of Lester and Stampede Pass". Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  4. ^ Little, Walt. "Chronological History of Meany Lodge". Meany Lodge. The Mountaineers. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  5. ^ Meany, Edmond S. (1923). Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 160.
  6. ^ "Post Offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Kellogg, Idona (1978). The Mountaineer 1978: Meany Ski Hut Celebrates Fifty Years. Seattle, Washington: The Mountaineers. pp. 80–88. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  8. ^ Willhite, Eric. "Martin Lookout & the Stampede Tunnel". willhiteweb.com. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  9. ^ "Stampede Sees Railroading at Its Toughest". The Seattle Times. 16 February 1949. p. 11.
  10. ^ Skoog, Lowell. "Cle Elum Miner-Echo". Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project. Lowell Skoog. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  11. ^ Skoog, Lowell. "Walter B. Little - Personal Communication, Taped interview, 28 March 2001". Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project. Lowell Skoog. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  12. ^ Lundin, John W. (September 12, 2013). "Skiing at Martin, the Northern Pacific Stop at Stampede Pass". HistoryLink.org. (essay 10615). Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  13. ^ Lundin, John (2018). Winter Sports at the University of Washington: 1934-1950. ScholarWorks@CWU. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  14. ^ McClure, Max. "Erling Stordahl Ski Trails". Outdoor Project. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  15. ^ Spring & Kirkendall, Vicky & Tom (2002). 100 Best Cross Country Ski Trails in Washington (3rd ed.). Seattle, WA 98134: The Mountaineers Books. pp. 167–169. ISBN 0-89886-8068.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  16. ^ NPRHA02. "Station Roster of 1899 - Martin". Research the Northern Pacific. Northern Pacific Railway History Association. Retrieved 2020-04-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ a b Curtiss, Paul. "NP Station Roster April 1 1922 - Martin". Research the Northern Pacific. Northern Pacific Railway History Association. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  18. ^ Thompson, Peter. "NP Station Roster of 1947 - Martin". Research the Northern Pacific. Northern Pacific Railway History Assocation. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  19. ^ Skoog, Lowell. "Mountaineer Annual, 1961". Mountaineer Annual, 1960-69. Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  20. ^ Lundin, John. "Skiing at Martin, the Northern Pacific Stop at Stampede Pass". HistoryLink.org. HistoryLink.org. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  21. ^ Wilma, David. "Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad reopens Stampede Pass line on December 5, 1996". historylink.org. History Link. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  22. ^ Kelly, Bruce. "BNSF testing double length trains". Railway Age. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc. Retrieved 2020-04-20.

47°16′48″N 121°19′01″W / 47.28°N 121.317°W / 47.28; -121.317

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