Naches Pass
Encyclopedia
Naches Pass is a mountain pass
of the Cascade Range
in the U.S. state
of Washington. It is located about 50 miles (80.5 km) east of Tacoma
and about 50 miles (80.5 km) northwest of Yakima
, near the headwaters of tributary streams of the Naches River
on the east and the Greenwater River
on the west. The boundaries of Pierce
, King
, Kittitas, and Yakima counties come together precisely at Naches Pass. The pass lies on the boundary between the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie
and Wenatchee
national forests, about 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Mount Rainier National Park
. In the 1850s the pass was used by pioneers as a wagon road over the mountains.
of the United States Exploring Expedition
directed Lieutenant Robert E. Johnson to proceed east over the Cascades via the Naches Pass. The expedition followed an existing Indian trail around the northern flank of Mount Rainier
and over the pass. They proceeded to Fort Colville
and Fort Okanogan
east of the mountains.
In 1850, M.T. Simmons, an early American settler on Puget Sound, led a group to prepare a road over Naches Pass, but the heavy forest and steep ridges made the effort difficult and the attempt failed.
Settlements in the Puget Sound
area were slow to develop in part due to the lack of wagon roads. Emigrants using the Oregon Trail
who wished to reach Puget Sound had to first travel to Portland
then up the Cowlitz River
and overland to the southern end of Puget Sound. One of the first tasks taken up by Washington Territory
when it was separated from Oregon Territory
was to build a wagon road over the Cascades.
In 1853 Captain George B. McClellan
was put in charge of surveying and building the wagon road, as well as searching for possible passes appropriate for railroads. McClellan considered Naches Pass impracticable for a railroad, but supported building a wagon road over Naches. The road was to be finished in time for a wagon train led by James Longmire, which was to arrive at Fort Walla Walla in August 1853.
As it became clear that McClellan would not finish the road on time, the people of the Puget Sound area took it upon themselves to finish it. Two teams were organized and worked on the road during the summer of 1853. One team, led by Edward J. Allen, worked east from the Puyallup valley to Naches Pass. A second team was to work west, finishing the road between Yakima and the pass, but this team, having heard a false report that no wagon train was coming after all, quit working.
James Longmire's wagon train arrived at Fort Walla Walla in August, with plans to continue to Puget Sound. Persuaded to take the new "People's Road" over Naches Pass, they followed McClellan's road up the Yakima and Naches rivers to the mountains, arriving on September 15, only to discover that the road ended and only a rough Indian trail continued. They pressed on, cutting a road as they went, and reached Naches Pass in early October. Before reaching the road built by Allen's team, Longmire's party encountered severe difficulties in descending the precipitous western slopes, but finally reached Fort Steilacoom
in mid-October.
Another wagon train crossed the pass only three weeks later following the Longmire route. The Naches wagon road was established, but it never became popular. In addition to grades almost impossible for wagons, it required over 60 crossings of the Naches River east of the pass.
In 1854 and 1855, Lieutenant Arnold was detailed to complete the road. But by this time the Puget Sound War
and Yakima War
preoccupied settlers and prevented the use of Naches Pass. In addition, McClellan's replacement, Lieutenant Abiel Tinkham, reported on the superiority of Snoqualmie Pass
in early 1854. Due to these factors, and the poor road quality, the Naches Pass route fell into disuse. A proposed road through the pass was added to the state highway system in 1943, and is still in state statutes as State Route 168, but has never been built.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. It is located about 50 miles (80.5 km) east of Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
and about 50 miles (80.5 km) northwest of Yakima
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
, near the headwaters of tributary streams of the Naches River
Naches River
The Naches River is a tributary of the Yakima River in central Washington in the United States. Beginning as the Little Naches River, it is about 75 miles long. After the confluence of the Little Naches and Bumping River the name becomes simply the Naches River...
on the east and the Greenwater River
Greenwater River
The Greenwater River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. Its watershed drains a portion of the Cascade Range east and northeast of Mount Rainier, including parts of the Norse Peak Wilderness. It flows into the White River at Greenwater, which eventually flows into Puget Sound via the...
on the west. The boundaries of Pierce
Pierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
, King
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Kittitas, and Yakima counties come together precisely at Naches Pass. The pass lies on the boundary between the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington extends more than along the western slopes of the Cascade Range from the Canadian border to the northern boundary of Mount Rainier National Park. Forest headquarters are located in the city of Everett....
and Wenatchee
Wenatchee National Forest
Wenatchee National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington. With an area of 1,735,394 acres , it extends about 137 miles along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range of Washington, USA from Okanogan National Forest to Gifford Pinchot National Forest...
national forests, about 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. It was one of the US's earliest National Parks, having been established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States. The park contains...
. In the 1850s the pass was used by pioneers as a wagon road over the mountains.
History
The initial record of this pass is found in early summer of 1841, when Lieutenant Charles WilkesCharles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
of the United States Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
directed Lieutenant Robert E. Johnson to proceed east over the Cascades via the Naches Pass. The expedition followed an existing Indian trail around the northern flank of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
and over the pass. They proceeded to Fort Colville
Fort Colville
The trade center Fort Colville was built by the Hudson's Bay Company at Kettle Falls on the Columbia River, a few miles west of the present site of Colville, Washington in 1825, to replace Spokane House as a regional trading center, as the latter was deemed to be too far from the Columbia River...
and Fort Okanogan
Fort Okanogan
Fort Okanogan was founded as a fur trade outpost by John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company in 1811. It was built at the confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers, in what is now Okanogan County, Washington...
east of the mountains.
In 1850, M.T. Simmons, an early American settler on Puget Sound, led a group to prepare a road over Naches Pass, but the heavy forest and steep ridges made the effort difficult and the attempt failed.
Settlements in the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
area were slow to develop in part due to the lack of wagon roads. Emigrants using the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
who wished to reach Puget Sound had to first travel to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
then up the Cowlitz River
Cowlitz River
The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens....
and overland to the southern end of Puget Sound. One of the first tasks taken up by Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
when it was separated from Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
was to build a wagon road over the Cascades.
In 1853 Captain George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
was put in charge of surveying and building the wagon road, as well as searching for possible passes appropriate for railroads. McClellan considered Naches Pass impracticable for a railroad, but supported building a wagon road over Naches. The road was to be finished in time for a wagon train led by James Longmire, which was to arrive at Fort Walla Walla in August 1853.
As it became clear that McClellan would not finish the road on time, the people of the Puget Sound area took it upon themselves to finish it. Two teams were organized and worked on the road during the summer of 1853. One team, led by Edward J. Allen, worked east from the Puyallup valley to Naches Pass. A second team was to work west, finishing the road between Yakima and the pass, but this team, having heard a false report that no wagon train was coming after all, quit working.
James Longmire's wagon train arrived at Fort Walla Walla in August, with plans to continue to Puget Sound. Persuaded to take the new "People's Road" over Naches Pass, they followed McClellan's road up the Yakima and Naches rivers to the mountains, arriving on September 15, only to discover that the road ended and only a rough Indian trail continued. They pressed on, cutting a road as they went, and reached Naches Pass in early October. Before reaching the road built by Allen's team, Longmire's party encountered severe difficulties in descending the precipitous western slopes, but finally reached Fort Steilacoom
Fort Steilacoom
For the adjacent park, see Fort Steilacoom ParkFort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become Washington...
in mid-October.
Another wagon train crossed the pass only three weeks later following the Longmire route. The Naches wagon road was established, but it never became popular. In addition to grades almost impossible for wagons, it required over 60 crossings of the Naches River east of the pass.
In 1854 and 1855, Lieutenant Arnold was detailed to complete the road. But by this time the Puget Sound War
Puget Sound War
The Puget Sound War was an armed conflict that took place in the Puget Sound area of the state of Washington in 1855–56, between the United States Military, local militias and members of the Native American tribes of the Nisqually, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Klickitat...
and Yakima War
Yakima War
The Yakima War was a conflict between the United States and the Yakama, a Sahaptian-speaking people on the Northwest Plateau, then Washington Territory and now the southern interior of Eastern Washington, from 1855 to 1858.- Naming :...
preoccupied settlers and prevented the use of Naches Pass. In addition, McClellan's replacement, Lieutenant Abiel Tinkham, reported on the superiority of Snoqualmie Pass
Snoqualmie Pass
Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 through the Cascade Range in the U.S. State of Washington. The elevation of the pass summit is , and is on the county line between Kittitas County and King County...
in early 1854. Due to these factors, and the poor road quality, the Naches Pass route fell into disuse. A proposed road through the pass was added to the state highway system in 1943, and is still in state statutes as State Route 168, but has never been built.