Archives West Finding Aid

In the late 19th century, mining was one of the top industries in the state of Washington. The School of Mining Engineering was chartered in 1893 in response to the growing importance of mining in Washington. A curriculum was developed and instruction began in 1895 with the first degree earned in 1901. Within a decade, enrollment in the School of Mines doubled. The School of Mines was renamed in 1911 to the College of Mines. In the following decade, the curriculum broadened to include metallurgy and a speciality in coal mining. Student interest and the College's presence on campus also increased. Throughout all the changes, one constant was Dean Roberts' emphasis on maintaining connections between the College and working professionals, and students toured mines to gain hands on experience. Today the College of Mines has evolved into the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

The Ethel, Sunset, and Apex Mines are located near the town of Index in Snohomish County, Washington. Ethel Mine produced copper and operated between 1902 and 1918 and again briefly in 1942. Sunset Mine was the largest copper mine in the area and operated until 1950. Apex was a gold mine.

In 1909, Irondale was a town of 1,000 with plans to accommodate 20,000. At the time, Irondale was primed to become the largest and most important manufacturing center in the western United States. However in 1911, the Western Steel Corporation abruptly declared bankruptcy, causing economic collapse in the town.

Texada Island is the largest island in the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia, Canada. Van Anda is one of the main settlements on the island and the site of a major copper discovery in 1898. Nearby is the Marble Bay Mine which produced copper and later limestone. The shaft house of the mine was called "The Chinese Pagoda" because there was a Chinese community in Van Anda. The Cornell Copper Mine was also nearby. Powell River is a small town located east of Texada Island on mainland Canada. It was the company town of the Powell River Paper Company which had a pulp mill that was serviced by the Powell Lake dam. The mill produced its first roll of paper in 1912.