North Bend

The first American settlers to the area now known as North bend was in the early 1860's when Joseph fares and his wife Lucinda arrived and built their cabin next to the abandoned Fort Smalley. In 1862, Josiah Merritt arrived and built a cabin near Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. He was known to the locals as Uncle Si and his cabin was also next to the mountain that came to be called "Uncle Si's mountain". Today it is simply called Mount Si. The first settler to build a cabin in what will become downtown North Bend was in 1865, when Matts Peterson arrived. Peterson only lasted a few years before he sold his place to Jeremiah Borst who was the one of the first American settlers in the Snoqualmie Valley.

In 1872, William Taylor arrived and stayed with a cousin in Fall City. Taylor assisted Jeremiah Borst in clearing the Snoqualmie Road, which by now had become a somewhat passable wagon road. In 1876 Taylor left the area for California to mine for gold, but returned in 1879 after Borst wrote to him asking if he would like the old Peterson place as payment for the work he had done on the road. Taylor accepted the offer and moved back to North Bend in 1880 with his new wife Molly and took over the Peterson place and began to farm. The Taylor's also built a trading post on their farm and soon it became a stop for travelers who were going over Snoqualmie Pass.

In the late 1860's cattle and other livestock were driven over the pass to Rangers Prairie, which is located west of North Bend. The prairie was used by the livestock ranchers who pastured their animals there for a fee, so they could fattened them up before driving them in to Seattle on the Snoqualmie Road for slaughter. The cattle drives began it's decline when the Northern Pacific completed it's railroad from Yakima to Seattle in the 1880's.

In 1882, the hop industry began in the Snoqualmie Valley and it became a major industry. At it's peak there was over 1,500 acres cultivated between the towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend. 

In 1889, the Seattle Lakeshore & Eastern railroad made it to North Bend from Seattle. The railroad had planned to continue the line over Snoqualmie Pass to Walla Walla to compete with the Northern Pacific. The line never made it over the mountains and terminated just east of North Bend at Sallal Prairie. The railroad made the Snoqualmie Valley easily accessible from Seattle and it contributed to the rapid growth of the area. On February 16, 1889, William Taylor filed a plat and the new town of Snoqualmie was born.

Also in 1889, the new town of Snoqualmie Falls was platted near waterfall and the hop fields. The falls were such an attraction from tourists, that a hotel had already been established and the little town of Snoqualmie Falls was larger then the new town of Snoqualmie. The railroad found it confusing to have two towns so close to each other with similar names and the railroad wanted the smaller town of Snoqualmie to change it's name. The first choice was "Mountain View" but the railroad didn't like that name either and suggested "North bend" because the river made a bend to the north near the town.

North Bend was then chosen for the name of the town. During the 1880's North Bend grew rapidly and by the 1890's, North Bend had a Saloon, hotel, church, general store and a school. By 1900, the Seattle Lakeshore & Eastern sold it's line to the Northern Pacific and shortly after began tourist excursions to North Bend for hunters and nature lovers. This is when the hop industry was winding down and was slowly replaced by the logging and dairy industries. In 1909, the Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad better known as the "Milwaukee Road" made it over the pass into North Bend on it's way to Everett. This prompted an increase of tourism and growth of the lumber industry.

In 1915, the Sunset Highway was completed and North Bend became a resting stop for motorists. Diners and hotels sprung up to serve the people who were traveling the pass.  In 1916, the Sunset Garage opened to serve motorists who needed repairs while traveling on the highway. In 1919, the highway was improved and a new road was built over the swampy land between Snoqualmie and North Bend. Today this road is now Highway 202.

By 1930, North Bend had a population of 550 and many of the residents were employed at the lumber mills and logging operations. In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built a Camp at North Bend located a few miles east of North Bend along the Sunset Highway. The camp employees were busy building roads and other projects in the Cascades. The camp building still stands and is now the North Bend Ranger Station.

In 1940, the Sunset Highway was improved and the route into North Bend from Seattle switched to the "Echo Lake Cutoff". This new route ran from Preston east to Echo Laker and then down the hill into North Bend. The new road bypassed Fall City and Snoqualmie.

During construction of Interstate 90 in the late 1960's, North Bend was bypassed as the new freeway that was constructed to the south of town. The new freeway did not slow the growth of the town as more people kept moving in. 

Today North bend is a suburban community and many of it's residents commute on the freeway to Seattle for work. North Bend also attracts hikers and outdoor people who use the many trails in the area. The Snoqualmie Tribe has built a casino that is located west of town and the outlet mall bring in shoppers and gamblers from all over the Puget Sound.