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Mill Town Trail self-guided tour

Everett was known in the early days as the "City of Smokestacks", and "Pittsburg of the West". Industrialists from New York City, working with John D. Rockefeller, along with the Ruckers that had land here, created Everett. The city started with four large industries:

Meanwhile, the Great Northern Railroad, led by James J. Hill, forged its way from St Paul, Minn. Investors and speculators hoped the GN western terminus would be in Everett, and bid up real estate prices. But Hill chose Seattle for that terminus. Most of the early industries failed in the 1893 economic bust. Rockefeller wanted out, and with help from Jim Hill who thought lumber was a better industry for Everett, the new city became Mill Town. Rich with giant trees all around, Everett was one of the largest cedar shingle mill towns in the world. In later years, pulp and paper, and lumber reigned as the entire peninsula was ringed with mills. But most of the local trees were cut, and now nearly all the mills are gone.

Map of Mill Town

The map below has clickable locations of the mills and other waterfront historical sites.

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