Stanwood to Mount Vernon 1870 - 1930
By Curt Cunningham

Early travel in Snohomish and Skagit counties was mostly by canoe as there were very few roads. The steamers made a good business moving people and cargo up and down the Stillaguamish and Skagit rivers. Stanwood is located on the Stillaguamish River and was a regular stop for these vessels. Business was good until 1891 when the railroad came in and the dynamics of trade had changed. This is when the steamer era began to fade. The first road out of Stanwood was built in the mid to late 1870's leading north to the county line. Around the same time another road was built leading south from Mount Vernon to Conway. These roads would be connected in 1880 or 1881.

In 1864 a telegraph line was strung between San Francisco and New Westminster, BC. The line ran along what would become the road between Stanwood and Conway. In the fall of 1879 T. P. Jones and 23 others had petitioned for a road which would run from the end of the road at Conway, south to connect with the road from Stanwood. On November 15, 1879 Joseph Wilson, James Gilligan and T. Forbes were appointed viewers to locate a road; commencing at the southern end of the road in Conway and running southward near the bank of the Skagit River to Falensburg Slough; thence south to Steamboat Slough; thence southerly near the east bank of the river to the west line of Section 31 and connecting with the road to Stanwood. Today this place would be on the Pacific Highway at the county line .75 miles south of Milltown.

Conway lies on the southeastern bank of the Skagit River, opposite Fir, and was the southernmost Skagit county station on the old Great Northern coastline railroad. Its population in 1906 was about 50. The town had a post office, hotel, store and two saloons. Conway and Fir were connected by a ferry which made them one community. In 1873 Thomas P. Jones and Charles Villeneuve settled near Conway. In 1886 Villeneuve established a store on the land. 

 In 1891 the Great Northern built a depot at Conway, and not long afterwards Jones platted the town on a portion of his land. Villeneuve bought four lots and in 1892 constructed another store building. The heavy flood in 1894 all but destroyed the place. Two years later Villeneuve leased his store to William Bonser, who after operating it for a few years, returned the business back to its owner. Magnus Anderson succeeded Villeneuve a year and a half later and was in turn succeeded by John Melkild in 1906. 

When the Great Northern Railway completed its line from Everett to Bellingham in 1891 they bypassed Stanwood 1.25 miles to the east and hugged the base of the hill. The railroad built a depot at the crossing of the road from Snohomish which was called Stanwood station. Stage lines would carry passengers, and teamsters would haul cargo between the depot and Stanwood. The 14 mile road between East Stanwood and Mount Vernon would have to be realigned in spots which created 7 railroad crossings. Over time a town developed around the depot which became known as East Stanwood. The town was incorporated in 1914.

In the summer of 1915 it was said that; "the town of Stanwood embraced a much larger area than that encompassed in its narrow boundary lines, as it included that portion of the district which is locally known as East Stanwood. The community is rapidly growing in a western direction and may be expected to do so still further until the two towns become one undivided whole. East Stanwood has developed wonderfully during the past few years, and possesses a most attractive residence district in addition to its growing commercial activities."

The Pacific Highway

In 1913 the Pacific Highway was routed from Everett through Marysville, Silvana, East Stanwood, Stanwood, Milltown and Conway before reaching Mount Vernon. The original road made a few zig-zags around the farms which was one of the reasons for the many railroad crossings. The highway between East Stanwood and Stanwood was paved with brick in 1915 and the remainder of the road between Stanwood and Mount Vernon would be paved with concrete in sections between 1919 and 1930.

The first paving project between Stanwood and Mount Vernon was in 1919 when bids for paving a section of the highway 20 feet wide from the south city limits of Mount Vernon 7.7 miles southward to where the highway crosses the Skagit-Snohomish county line. This was known as Federal aid post road project No. 30 - Mount Vernon south.

The project also consisted of constructing a 15-foot concrete slab bridge, one 30-foot span reinforced concrete arch and one 156-foot timber bridge. Federal approval was given on June 3, 1919 and the contract was awarded on June 25, 1919, to MacAdam & Co. of Seattle for $244,664.28. Construction started on July 19, 1919. 

For unknown reasons on December 1, 1919, which was the agreed upon date for completion of the project, less than one mile of pavement had been laid, and all work had ceased. The State Highway Board refused to grant an extension of time for the completion of the contract and on January 23, 1920, terminated the employment of MacAdam & Co. on the work. This action left the Massachusetts Bonding and Insurance Company and the Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland, the sureties on MacAdam & Company's bond, responsible for the completion of the contract.

The detour roads which were in use while the main highway was under construction had become impassable. In order for traffic to get through, a narrow plank roadway approximately two miles in length was built between the end of the pavement laid by the paving company to the end of the construction zone. This work was done by day labor and its cost was charged to the bonding companies. Early in the spring of 1920 the Kaiser Paving Co. was hired by the bonding companies to complete the contract. Work had progressed favorably, and the job was finished at the beginning of 1921. This project improved the route between Stanwood and Mount Vernon by straightening out the highway and eliminating 4 of the 7 railroad crossings.

The Stanwood Cut-Off

In the summer of 1924 bidding opened for the construction of a new section of the Pacific Highway from East Stanwood north 2.89 miles to connect with the existing highway at Dahlgren's crossing. This was a federally funded project which was approved on April 21, 1924. Rumsey & Jordan of Seattle was awarded the contract for the work with a bid of $67,693.70. Construction on grading and graveling the roadbed 24 feet wide began on July 14, 1924. The contract also called for a 21 foot concrete slab bridge. This project was completed at the beginning of 1925. This new alignment bypassed Stanwood and eliminated 2 more railroad crossings. The road was called Highland Drive but it was better known as the Stanwood Cut-off.

On February 1, 1928 the Stanwood Cut-off was improved for 4.39 miles The contractor was J. L. Smith Construction Company, Seattle and they were awarded the contract with a bid of $90,607.91. This work included grading the highway from the Skagit county line to Dahlgren's crossing and paving the roadway from Dahlgren's crossing to East Stanwood. 

The final section of the Pacific Highway between Dahlgren's crossing and the Skagit county line would be concrete paved in 1930.