Snoqualmie Summit

The Milwaukee Railroad had completed their Pacific Branch in 1909 and at the Snoqualmie Summit, a new town was established by railroad called Laconia. This town was a switching yard for the snowplows and helpers as they finished their jobs of keeping the pass open and assisting trains up the hills from Keechelus and Cedar Falls. Laconia had a Hotel, train depot, turntable, engine house, water tank and other buildings.

On July 1, 1915, a large group of motorists from Eastern Washington and the Puget Sound area, gathered at the summit of Snoqualmie Pass to listen to Governor Lister give a speech officially dedicating the Sunset Highway. The formal dedication of the highway was quite an affair. Governor Lister and Highway Commissioner Roy were the notables present. 

They, along with parties from Seattle, Kirkland, North Bend, Ellensburg, Cle Elum, and many other cities, motored to the summit where the ceremony took place. Mayor Gill of Seattle and Vice President Sparger of the Automobile Club of Seattle were also participants. The guests of honor of the celebration was Robert Abrams of Seattle and Tillman E. Houser of Ellensburg. Abrams crossed the pass in 1871 with a drove of horses, while Houser rode a steed across the pass in 1868. 

The reminiscent speeches of these pioneers added a whimsical and romantic flavor to the occasion. The Governor then said, “We have here a highway of better grade and curve over the mountains than any other state in the Union.” 

After the tunnel was finished under the pass in 1916, Laconia was abandoned by the railroad and the little village would begin to serve the auto travelers on the Sunset Highway. The old railroad buildings were spun around from the old railroad right-of-way so they would now face the highway. The name Laconia quickly faded and the name Snoqualmie Pass was used.

In 1926 construction began on the new highway. This new route came up the west side of the pass just under the old abandoned High Line. At the summit, the new highway was laid over the old right of way. Today this road is now Highway 906. All the buildings at the summit needed to be turned around again to face the new roadway.

In the early days, Snoqualmie Pass was closed for almost 8 months a year. The only way to get an auto over the pass was to ship it by rail. Both the Northern Pacific at Kanaskat and the Milwaukee Road at Cedar Falls shipped autos from the western side. Both railroads had yards in Easton on the east side. By 1931, the pass was kept open all year around and the need to ship cars by rail was no longer needed.

In 1934, the Snoqualmie Ski Resort opened and this was the beginning of a new era for the summit. Snoqualmie Pass had also become a popular rest stop making the summit a busy place all year around. In 1938 the Travelers Rest was built by a grant from the Public Works Administration. The rest stop continues to serve travelers today.