The Coal Mines Trail
Unearth the history of the Coal Mines Trail linking Cle Elum, Roslyn, and Ronald in the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area.
Dedication
This trail is dedicated to the pioneers that settled this area and the indigenous groups that consider these lands home. The Coal Mines Trail was formed as a co-operative effort among Kittitas County, the City of Cle Elum, and the City of Roslyn in 1994. The trail follows the abandoned Burlington Northern Railroad bed through coal country. Our goal is to provide a multi use recreational facility and a utilities corridor.
History of the Lands
For over 11,000 years, indigenous tribes have settled and called Kittitas Valley home. The lands around Cle Elum (tlєi’lam) and Roslyn have been used for foraging root vegetables and berries, fishing salmon, and trading with nearby tribes. The ancestral trails of the area, extending into modern day Snoqualmie Pass, were used through the 1930s.
In 1853, gold found by prospectors began a migration of settlers into the area, and in 1880, gold and silver were specifically found in Cle Elum. The first cabin built in modern day Roslyn was built by Nez ‘Cayuse’ Jenson in 1880, and Thomas Gamble and Walter Reed set up the first homes in Cle Elum in 1883.
Coal was first discovered in Roslyn in 1883, and only three years later, it was discovered in Cle Elum. By 1886, Cle Elum had two general stores, blacksmiths, a stable, churches, saloons, restaurants, and a school, which only foreshadowed the town’s success. That same year, the Northern Pacific Railroad connected Cle Elum to Roslyn and Ronald, and mining operations began in full swing.
The expected success of the town led to the Northern Pacific Railroad transforming Cle Elum and Roslyn into company towns. In early 1900s, buildings went up, and the towns began to grow.
Due to the job prospects, Cle Elum drew in people from all over the United States and Europe, including Italy, Poland, Slovene Lands (modern-day Slovenia), and the British Isles. In 1886, there were only a few hundred people, however by the early 1920s, there were over 4,000.
Almost half of the Washington State’s coal was produced in these small towns by the early 1900's.
However, in 1920, after mining many million tons of coal, production began to slow down, and by 1963, the final mine had closed permanently. Mining coal was no longer profitable, even though coal didn't run out. This led to a swift drop in population among three cities (Cle Elum, Ronald, Roslyn)
Historical Points of Interest
Locations of historical sites are approximated and may not be exact. Some of these locations are currently occupied by local residents or are no longer standing, so visitors should stay on the trail.
(1) Dump of No.7 Mine
(1) Dump of No.7 Mine. Click to expand.
Also known as the Cle Elum Mine, it extends from the top of the ridge to a depth of 400 feet underground. The miners separated out the shale, sandstone, low-grade coal, and clay, which were dumped in piles close to the mining sites. The dump caught fire from spontaneous combustion and fused the materials to create red shale, valuable in creating cinder blocks, after the mine’s exhaustion in 1937. Currently, this area hosts the entrance to the trail where a new rest area is being built.
(2) Sleepy Hollow
(2) Sleepy Hollow. Click to expand.
This is a previous settlement land leased from the Northwest Improvement Company (NWI). The name is believed to originate from its isolation and peaceful surroundings.
(3) Coal Washer
(3) Coal Washer. Click to expand.
Coal washers were used to clean and screen the size of coal, and were sorted from overhead hoppers with gated chutes. The grades sold here include pea, nut, and egg coal, according to the size. The dump is estimated to contain about 3 million tons.
(4) Settlement of No. 5
(4) Settlement of No. 5. Click to expand.
There were 32 four-room houses located on 20 acres of land built by the NWI. These were rented out for $7.00 a month to Eastern European immigrants. The children would collect fallen coal from the loaded mine carts for the families use.
(5) No. 5 Mine Workings
(5) No. 5 Mine Workings. Click to expand.
The No. 5 Mine was the deepest in the Roslyn Cle Elum Coal Field. At its highest production in 1929, the No. 5 extracted 214,744 tons of coal, becoming the second highest producing mine in Washington State. It came to a close in 1948.
(6) Spur Rail Line to No. 9 Mine
(6) Spur Rail Line to No. 9 Mine. Click to expand.
Found a mile east of the Number 9 site, this connected the main rail line to the mining site to haul the supplies and coal. On December 27, 1963 the last operating NWI-owned mine (No. 9) had closed.
(7) No. 4 Mine & Dump
(7) No. 4 Mine & Dump. Click to expand.
In Roslyn, this was the last operating mine in the coal-fields. The settlement close to this mine was called “Ducktown” due to the various chickens, geese, and ducks the residents raised. In October of 1909, The No. 4 Mine had an explosion that killed 10 maintenance miners during a weekend shift. If this was a working shift, 400 men would have died.
(8) Shaft Street Powerhouse
(8) Shaft Street Powerhouse. Click to expand.
The powerhouse generated electricity through a coal-fired steam boiler and supplied power to the mines. NWI dissolved in 1957 and its service was sold to Puget Sound Power and Light. The building was torn down after the last mine closed in 1963.
(9) Roslyn Foundry
(9) Roslyn Foundry. Click to expand.
Opened in 1921, the Foundry sold wooden molds for machine parts as well as metal casting to the mines. The US Forest Service purchased metal castings for stoves installed at nearby campgrounds in the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest; metal manholes with the signature stamping can be found all over the Northwest.
(10) NWI Co. Horse Barn
(10) NWI Co. Horse Barn. Click to expand.
Horses and mules from mines 1, 2, and 6 were housed in this barn. The horses were used outside for supporting wagon hauling, while mules were used inside the mines. In 1892, these horses loaded a 50,000 pound lump of coal to ship to the Chicago World’s Fair.
(11) No. 1 Mine
(11) No. 1 Mine. Click to expand.
The first mine site was set up in Smith Canyon. The first 1,500 tons of coal were shipped from here. In 1887, the word that this mine opened spread and this camp had grown to house 500 miners. In May of 1892, a defective ventilation system coupled with an accumulation of gas caused an explosion that killed 45 men.
(12) Site of Mine Buildings
(12) Site of Mine Buildings. Click to expand.
Alongside the largest cluster of mines, the Northwest Improvement Company headquartered this conglomeration. This included the warehouse, wash house, garage, and machine shop. The warehouse stored mining materials for maintenance and repairs done at the machine shop. The wash house was fueled through coal fired broilers that provided the hot temperatures for baths.
(13) Mining Offices
(13) Mining Offices. Click to expand.
Various operations occurred in these offices, which varied from billing, sales, and blueprints for underground tunnels and above-ground road surveys from the engineering offices. These mining officials resided throughout the south-side of Pennsylvania Ave.
(14) Rosyln Depot
(14) Rosyln Depot. Click to expand.
This is located north side of the street opposite from the NWI Co. Store, where trains carried miners and delivered freight and emptied coal cars. In 1916, it was snowbound with seven feet of snow. In 1920, the passenger service was discontinued but freight was still delivered to residents. After the last train to Ronald, the Roslyn Depot closed in 1986.
(15) NWI Company Store
(15) NWI Company Store. Click to expand.
The Roslyn NWI Store opened in 1903 and the Ronald Store in 1910, making them some of the first department stores in the region. The front of the store was retail sales with the back portion handling shipments and inventories.This NWI Company Store lasted from 1886-1957, which now houses various stores, with a memorial to the miners out in the front.
(16) Runje Field
(16) Runje Field. Click to expand.
What started as an athletic field and playground has since developed into an area for sport competitions and picnics. The Fourth of July, Labor Day Parades, and May Day celebrations were held here. This field is named after Slim’s Taverns owner, Slim Runje, who was one of Roslyn's biggest baseball boosters.
*Roslyn Cemetery
*Roslyn Cemetery. Click to expand.
While this cemetery is not directly along the trail, it serves as a reminder of those who built these towns and the cultures that brought diversity and uniqueness. With twenty-seven cemetery communities representing various ethnic background, it is a necessary stop and token landmark in Roslyn
(17) Powder House
(17) Powder House. Click to expand.
These were built outside residential areas to minimize danger from explosions, secured with a padlocked steel door and made from local quarried sandstone. These housed blasting powder used in mining operations and soon stored hundreds of tons of dynamite. The miners were issued brass tokens to supervise the purchase of powders.
(18) No. 3 Mine
(18) No. 3 Mine. Click to expand.
The tipple was located right above the rail line with the entrance descending down a 6,000 ft. incline at an 18% pitch. In 1927, the mine was completed and mechanized. In 1947, this mine alone supplied half of Washington State’s coal.
(19) No. 3 Coal Mine Dump
(19) No. 3 Coal Mine Dump. Click to expand.
Burned ‘slag’ which was composed of the undesirable slate, sandstone, and rocks from coal mining were all stored in dumps. The coal had to meet government standards, so these mine dumps were an unavoidable part of mining operations.
(20) Mule Pasture
(20) Mule Pasture. Click to expand.
The mine’s mules spent most of their time underground, and once put out to graze, had to be blindfolded to protect themselves from the sun. In the 1920s, the mules were replaced with electric motors used for underground haulage.
(1) Dump of No.7 Mine
Also known as the Cle Elum Mine, it extends from the top of the ridge to a depth of 400 feet underground. The miners separated out the shale, sandstone, low-grade coal, and clay, which were dumped in piles close to the mining sites. The dump caught fire from spontaneous combustion and fused the materials to create red shale, valuable in creating cinder blocks, after the mine’s exhaustion in 1937. Currently, this area hosts the entrance to the trail where a new rest area is being built.
(2) Sleepy Hollow
This is a previous settlement land leased from the Northwest Improvement Company (NWI). The name is believed to originate from its isolation and peaceful surroundings.
(3) Coal Washer
Coal washers were used to clean and screen the size of coal, and were sorted from overhead hoppers with gated chutes. The grades sold here include pea, nut, and egg coal, according to the size. The dump is estimated to contain about 3 million tons.
(4) Settlement of No. 5
There were 32 four-room houses located on 20 acres of land built by the NWI. These were rented out for $7.00 a month to Eastern European immigrants. The children would collect fallen coal from the loaded mine carts for the families use.
(5) No. 5 Mine Workings
The No. 5 Mine was the deepest in the Roslyn Cle Elum Coal Field. At its highest production in 1929, the No. 5 extracted 214,744 tons of coal, becoming the second highest producing mine in Washington State. It came to a close in 1948.
(6) Spur Rail Line to No. 9 Mine
Found a mile east of the Number 9 site, this connected the main rail line to the mining site to haul the supplies and coal. On December 27, 1963 the last operating NWI-owned mine (No. 9) had closed.
(7) No. 4 Mine & Dump
In Roslyn, this was the last operating mine in the coal-fields. The settlement close to this mine was called “Ducktown” due to the various chickens, geese, and ducks the residents raised. In October of 1909, The No. 4 Mine had an explosion that killed 10 maintenance miners during a weekend shift. If this was a working shift, 400 men would have died.
(8) Shaft Street Powerhouse
The powerhouse generated electricity through a coal-fired steam boiler and supplied power to the mines. NWI dissolved in 1957 and its service was sold to Puget Sound Power and Light. The building was torn down after the last mine closed in 1963.
(9) Roslyn Foundry
Opened in 1921, the Foundry sold wooden molds for machine parts as well as metal casting to the mines. The US Forest Service purchased metal castings for stoves installed at nearby campgrounds in the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest; metal manholes with the signature stamping can be found all over the Northwest.
(10) NWI Co. Horse Barn
Horses and mules from mines 1, 2, and 6 were housed in this barn. The horses were used outside for supporting wagon hauling, while mules were used inside the mines. In 1892, these horses loaded a 50,000 pound lump of coal to ship to the Chicago World’s Fair.
(11) No. 1 Mine
The first mine site was set up in Smith Canyon. The first 1,500 tons of coal were shipped from here. In 1887, the word that this mine opened spread and this camp had grown to house 500 miners. In May of 1892, a defective ventilation system coupled with an accumulation of gas caused an explosion that killed 45 men.
(12) Site of Mine Buildings
Alongside the largest cluster of mines, the Northwest Improvement Company headquartered this conglomeration. This included the warehouse, wash house, garage, and machine shop. The warehouse stored mining materials for maintenance and repairs done at the machine shop. The wash house was fueled through coal fired broilers that provided the hot temperatures for baths.
(13) Mining Offices
Various operations occurred in these offices, which varied from billing, sales, and blueprints for underground tunnels and above-ground road surveys from the engineering offices. These mining officials resided throughout the south-side of Pennsylvania Ave.
(14) Rosyln Depot
This is located north side of the street opposite from the NWI Co. Store, where trains carried miners and delivered freight and emptied coal cars. In 1916, it was snowbound with seven feet of snow. In 1920, the passenger service was discontinued but freight was still delivered to residents. After the last train to Ronald, the Roslyn Depot closed in 1986.
(15) NWI Company Store
The Roslyn NWI Store opened in 1903 and the Ronald Store in 1910, making them some of the first department stores in the region. The front of the store was retail sales with the back portion handling shipments and inventories.This NWI Company Store lasted from 1886-1957, which now houses various stores, with a memorial to the miners out in the front.
(16) Runje Field
What started as an athletic field and playground has since developed into an area for sport competitions and picnics. The Fourth of July, Labor Day Parades, and May Day celebrations were held here. This field is named after Slim’s Taverns owner, Slim Runje, who was one of Roslyn's biggest baseball boosters.
*Roslyn Cemetery
While this cemetery is not directly along the trail, it serves as a reminder of those who built these towns and the cultures that brought diversity and uniqueness. With twenty-seven cemetery communities representing various ethnic background, it is a necessary stop and token landmark in Roslyn
(17) Powder House
These were built outside residential areas to minimize danger from explosions, secured with a padlocked steel door and made from local quarried sandstone. These housed blasting powder used in mining operations and soon stored hundreds of tons of dynamite. The miners were issued brass tokens to supervise the purchase of powders.
(18) No. 3 Mine
The tipple was located right above the rail line with the entrance descending down a 6,000 ft. incline at an 18% pitch. In 1927, the mine was completed and mechanized. In 1947, this mine alone supplied half of Washington State’s coal.
(19) No. 3 Coal Mine Dump
Burned ‘slag’ which was composed of the undesirable slate, sandstone, and rocks from coal mining were all stored in dumps. The coal had to meet government standards, so these mine dumps were an unavoidable part of mining operations.
(20) Mule Pasture
The mine’s mules spent most of their time underground, and once put out to graze, had to be blindfolded to protect themselves from the sun. In the 1920s, the mules were replaced with electric motors used for underground haulage.
Modern Use
The coal mining operations have left their legacy. Today, they serve a different purpose, and the trail attracts tourists every year. Multiple rest areas are being built along the trail to accommodate for the usage.
The Coal Mines Trail is now used for recreational uses such as biking, hiking, running, and horseback riding. Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the trail except for snowmobiles in the winter.
The trailheads are located in Cle Elum and Ronald with stops in Roslyn. If starting at Cle Elum, the trail begins at the Flag Pole Park on Stafford Street and West 2nd Street (318 W 1st St, Cle Elum). There is parking made available there. If starting at Ronald, there is visitor parking located east of the intersection of E Pennsylvania Ave and South A Street. In Ronald, Parking is only allowed near the kiosk, located in the designated parking lot next to the General Store (7851 2nd Ave, Ronald). Designated parking areas do not require a permit, and there is no fee or pass needed to use this trail.
Nearby Towns to Teanaway Trails, Coal Mines Trail, and Points of Interest
Other Curiosities
Underground Tunnels
The coal mining tunnels extend from the city of Cle Elum to Roslyn, and they are where more than a dozen mines were once located. These tunnels are still present today beneath the modern towns.
ATP Tipples
These tipples were the facilities used to lift coal up from underground shafts for train buckets on surface to catch. The coal was then brought to washing facilities, awaiting other refining processes.
"Storm Water" Pond
Ponds that contained the wastewater that were used to wash coal. Storm water ponds were filled with coal dust, rendering them blackish. Interestingly, fish lived in those ponds.
Tailings
Tailings, or mine waste, refers to the unearthed matter from digging out the coal mining tunnels. This mixture included soil, harmful heavy metal ore (lead, arsenic), and coal dust, which can be brought away by erosion and weathering. Tailings were dumped near the coal mining sites above ground. Tailing piles were also once used for dirt races. These events increased the rate of tailing erosion and were later banned.
The Greenway
The Coal Mines Trail is located within the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area, meaning there are active projects aimed at natural and historical restoration and preservation. Surrounded by mountains, the tract provides habitat and migration routes for wildlife that dwells in the region.
