Virden

The present junction of Highways 97 and 970 was at one time the crossroads of wagon traffic in the upper county. Traveling from Cle Elum, this was the junction of the road north to the Swauk Mining District and the road east toward Ellensburg. There have been businesses at that junction serving travelers and miners from the 1880’s to the 1970’s. The location was originally called McCallum after Peter McCallum established a store there in 1882 and a post office in 1884. 

The little village served miners in the Swauk Mining Camp and farmers on Swauk Prairie. The post office closed in 1897. The place then became known as Virden because the Virden School was located there. In 1921 Henry Lauderdale, built the Lauderdale Lodge and a service station next to it and the area then became known as Lauderdale. The lodge building still stands today. 

On today’s maps the area does not have a name anymore, it is just the junction of two highways.