Saturday, March 08, 2008

Maple Valley--A Look Back




This article in the Seattle P-I awhile back provides a glimpse into the history of Maple Valley.


Maple Valley, once a woodsy lakeside resort for city dwellers fleeing urban life, has grown into a small city that completely encircles Lake Wilderness and two other lakes southeast of Seattle.
And though the wilderness is gone, the region’s lakes and woodlands continue to attract people pursuing recreational activities within a forest, from hunting and fishing to hiking and canoeing.
In fact, residents still can find a taste of the kind of life that shaped Maple Valley’s early history.
Lake Wilderness, the natural landmark at the center of the city, was once the site of one of King County’s larger lumber mills. In the late 1870s, the first settlers began developing what would later become Maple Valley.
By 1885, trains were hauling coal to neighboring Black Diamond, a city whose industrial awakening revolved around the “black diamond” – coal – and contributed to the growth of Maple Valley.

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