The hills and valleys just below Mount Rainier are beautiful and lush with a scenic majesty in which the Mountain seems to equal the sun in its competition for dominance of the sky. Coal and copper was discovered here in the foothills and canyons of the Carbon River in the late 1800s and the little towns of Carbonado and Wilkeson are what remain of the era that discovery spawned.

To transport the coal the Northern Pacific Railway built a line from Tacoma to Wilkeson in 1877 and named the town after a board member and investor, Samuel Wilkeson. The line was eventually lengthened to Carbonado and Fairfax. It was also the location of natural sandstone formations that were the source of material for construction of the new capitol in Olympia and paving stones for the streets of Seattle. At the height of the Northwest’s coal mining industry both the towns of Carbonado and Wilkeson had populations of several thousand, but today both are well under 1,000.

Tourists were drawn to the northwest side of Mount Rainier in those days as now. Before the Carbon River Road was built, tourists traveled by train to Wilkeson, then by horseback to the river from where hikers and climbers had to pack in. Due to labor strikes, the growth of hydro power and petroleum based energy, the demand for coal diminished and the small mining towns were nearly abandoned. Today other small towns like Fairfax, Montezuma and Melmont are gone and their foundations overgrown, but Carbonado and Wilkeson remain. The road goes through the center of the towns that weathered the demise of coal mining and a few old coke ovens are just steps away. Three miles south of Carbonado a long unused railroad grade leads to the site of Melmont. It was once just past the 494 foot long Fairfax Bridge that was built in 1921 and still stands high above the river. Reminiscent of its Croatian heritage, Wilkeson’s Holy Trinity Orthodox Church with its bright blue Byzantine dome is still the town’s brilliant jewel.

Many outdoor recreational activities are available such as hiking, snowmobiling, white water rafting, fishing, hunting, bird watching, biking, camping, rockhounding, searching for mines and ghost towns and more. Wilkeson holds an annual summer celebration with parades, food concessions, craft displays and sales. Several nearby churches offer the opportunity for an active spiritual life. All of the big city life of the Nortwest Metroplex such as performance art, museums, pro sports, the Puyallup Fair ground events and more are available.

Carbonado is served by the original Carbonado Historical School District which consists of one elementary school. When the children are ready to move up they enter the Orting School District. Wilkeson boasts the oldest historical school building in the state in their elementary school which is a part of the acclaimed White River School District centered in nearby Buckley. Both Carbonado and Wilkeson elementary schools get rave reviews from their parents about the nurturing and highly qualified staff. Community colleges and four year universities are available in the nearby cities.

The city of Carbonado serves 784 citizens in Pierce County with a mayor-council form of government. It has four employees who provide a range of services including water, sewer and garbage utilities. In addition the tiny community operates a fire department and a cemetery. It contracts with other local governments for police and court services. Wilkeson serves 450 residents and also has a mayor-council form of government. It provides vital functions such as drinking water and waste water services. It enjoys an interlocal agreement with neighboring South Prairie in which they share the costs of police, prosecution and court services while fire protection and garbage service is provided by Pierce County.

The housing market in Carbonado and Wilkeson has very little new construction taking place and established residents generally do not want to sell.

Article from: Alaskan Magazine And Canadian Yukoner (1900), about metal mines in the Carbon River Valley

CARBON RIVER DISTRICT.

"Tis only a question of time when the march of progress and development will reach that section of Pierce county (Carbon River district) which has already awakened interest as a mineral belt, and then the impetus to rapid development of the great copper and gold wealth of that section which Nature has so favored will enable her to take the place she is destined to fill among the big mining camps of the Northwest.

The most notable feature in the geology of the district is the market predominance of rocks of igneous origin. The eruptive rocks enclose bands and patches of dark fossil slates and granite, which is the formation throughout. The character of this formation is chalcopyrite copper, which carries gold and silver and is found in true fissure veins, intersected with cross lodes, and intersecting main veins at right angles. These also carry good values. The veins which expose the vein rock to good advantage shows the gangue to be heavily mineralized with copper sulphides carrying gold and silver.

On the sides of the mountain the veins crop out boldly, permitting development to be made by adit tunnels to almost any depth, thus avoiding sinking of expensive shafts, and erecting expensive machinery for hoisting, pumping, supplying air, etc.

Up to the present time, covering a period of two and one-half years, it has been demonstrated that the formation is free from irregularities, such as dykes, slips and faults. The mineral zone is over three miles wide and a little over two miles long, the ledges in the dry season being easily traceable. Altogether only about 150 to 175 locations have been made in the district, and there is room for thousands more. From beyond the head of Canada Creek clear to White River good prospects are to be had. all through virgin country well mineralized, and only awaiting that hardy pioneer, the prospector. On the other side of Bald Mountain, at the head of South Prairie Creek, good locations can also be had.

Of course if one accepts the opinion of everyone it would be impossible to decide one way or the other as to the merits or demerits of a mineral country. But if confidence is placed in a mining engineer of good repute, following up this with personal investigation, it is then mort satisfactory to yourself to know you have able ore chutes, or deposits, in well defined veins that when properly opened will prove of great value.

In order to bring the public to a sense of realizing the importance of this particular mineral section of the country, I would say that capital judiciously expended is only required to produce immense returns from the development of the mines, and that sufficient funds invested under proper management will bring great remuneration to the shareholders of any company organized to work the prospects of this section on a proper business basis. From the knowledge and experience gained through my visit to these mining properties, I am more than fully convinced that the properties are among the best in their class in the United States and will prove good paying when properly developed.

Carbon River district today offers inducements to the able-bodied, energetic and thrifty to make money by hard licks and perseverance. The day will come when fortunes will be taken from the mines, and it will be the means of assisting in developing this country. Let encouragement be given by our Pacific Coast people, let them take hold of these good things so near their own door and legitimately endeavor to add to the great wealth of their other resources, thus showing to the outside world of investors that they themselves have confidence in the meritorious mining propositions cf this country which they are willing to endorse by promotion and investment of their dollars and cents.

The first official report of the internal resources of the district was made by VV. J. Wood, M. E., in January, 1898, for the Leola Mining Company, of Tacoma, whose prospects had been located by I. H. Wilkenson. About the same time goes without saying, for by his pluck, perseverance and energy he has pushed his company to the fore, not withstanding adverse criticisms of the wiseacres who laughed at the "idea" of mineral being found in the Cascade Range. Since then the pessimist has given way to the optimist who is loud in his praise of that district now represented by a number of regularly incorporated companies, wise managers are developing the "finds" which indicate success of proportions never dreamed of.

Some of the most promising claims on the west side of Canada Creek are those of the Washington Co-operative Syndicate, embracing the Surprise, Cambria, Snowdon, Rainier, Ship Lake, Ship Lake Extension, Alpina, Sunnyside, Huron, Okomos, Hog-Back, Leadville, Fairy Hill. On the east side, E. Lake, 'Jim Dandy, North Mine, Tacoma, Eureka, and Junction. At the Surprise tunnel the ore veins run southeast by west through Ship Lake and Ship Lake Extension into the Alpina. On the Sunnyside there is an open cut sixteen feet long and about twelve feet deep, showing a three foot ledge of copper, the ore being of the same character as that of the Surprise. Another vein one hundred feet farther north looks well, the ore vein in this carrying a white metal which assays $20 in gold and silver. On East Lake an opening extending in on bottom ten feet, with face of seven feet, shows a. sixteen inch vein of ore. This also is of the same character as Surprise and assays $15 mostly copper. The vein from the East Lake is plainly traceable to the Summit prospect, where a dyke coming down through the Eureka and across the Tacoma is encountered. The course is changed here by a blue dyke running south thirty-nine degrees east. Most of the development work done has been on the Surprise, a tunnel having been driven 135 feet. At the extension of 120 feet a cross vein of solid ore twelve feet wide carrying copper, gold and silver was encountered. This cross vein is well defined and clearly traceable through the HogBack, Clipper and Mount View Extension. Ore from this cross vein gives assay of $33.48 copper, gold and silver, copper predominating. The rock is mostly decomposed quartz, which would indicate that as great depth is reached the copper and gold values would increase.

Four veins in the Surprise claim are traceable across top of mountain. Development work on the Surprise has been well and economically done, and I have no hesitation in saying that due care and diligence has been exercised by the management in the interests of the company's stockholders, possibly more so than if it were a close corporation, instead of a cooperative concern. I further believe that when a shaft is sunk to a depth of fifty to sixty feet on the Surprise, near where cross vein has been encountered, that there will be sufficient shipping ore uncovered to permit of shipments of from fifty to one hundred tons per day being made. There is now on their dump about one hundred tons of first, second and third class ore ready for shipment that will give an assay of $50 per ton. This, with present packing transportation facilities would give a profit of $25 per ton net to the company.

Among other properties in this section is the Summit, owned by Mr. Remington and others, of Tacoma. This claim is located at the southeast end of the Syndicate's Jim Dandy. They have a tunnel in about twenty feet. The showing is quartz porphyry and is well mineralized. At the other end of this claim a second tunnel of about twelve feet has been run. Here quartz crystals were found, this indicating gold. On the Clipper (one of the claims owned by the Leola Mining Company, of Tacoma, of which Chester Thorne is president and Charles Richardson secretary) a tunnel has been run 380 feet. Ore veins are to be seen in greater or less fissures. Indications are that the main ore body is about one hundred feet south of present workings, from which assays of $43 in copper, gold and silver have been made. That they will have plenty of paying ore when they cross-cut to main body there can be no question.

Sexton Brothers have five claims on the south side of Carbon River, about five miles from Fairfax. Development work consists of two tunnels, one of fourteen Feet, and one of seventy feet lower down to cross-cut vein; they expect to strike cross vein in about 150 feet, which they estimate reaching by July 1st.

Brien Brothers, of Wilkeson, have a group on the south side of Carbon River, six miles from Fairfax, and one mile east of Sexton Brothers' prospects the ledge is about twenty feet wide and the little development work done shows good values.

Warren & Harriman have twelve splendid prospects about one-half miles from Syndicate claims, upon which they already have begun work this season. Not having the necessary time I did not visit their property, but understood the showings are good. A mining expert from Eastern Oregon is expected any day to make a report on the property on behalf of Columbus, Ohio, capitalists.

On the eastern slope of Bald Mountain veins are plainly traceable for miles, the ledges being from a few inches to ten and twelve feet in width. Croppings are found well mineralized containing pyritic ore.

Anyone who will take the time and see for themselves this comparatively virgin mining country, cannot but have the most unbounded faith in its future resources, and the great wealth it will bring to this coast.- I am not a "boomer," and full well realize we are not in a condition to have an excitement brought upon our people, as the recollections of the real estate booms are yet unpleasant memories, but I do want the people of the State of Washington to realize the golden opportunities now at their very threshold, for Copper is King, and the Carbon River district is destined to be among the greatest of copper producers. The merits of this country will inevitably attract capital from the different commercial centers of the United States, and if you, my home friends, are skeptical on this subject I shall not attempt to further satisfy you, but simply say: Go see for yourself; then you will believe."

Frank A. Mackenzie