Galena, Washington
Galena is a ghost town in Snohomish County, Washington.[1] Galena is located in the Cascade Mountains, northeast of the town of Index. North of Galena lies Mineral City. HistoryGalena lies on a speculated route between the territory of the bəsx̌əx̌əx̌əlč band of the Skykomish people, based in modern-day Index, and the Sauk to the north.[2] Galena was platted in December 1891 by John N. Scott. By then, Galena was already the location of much mineral interest, and it received mail three days a week and stagecoach service twice a week.[3] From April 1892 to August 1894, Galena was home to the Inter-Cascade Mountaineer, a weekly mining newspaper.[4] Voting returns from the Galena and Monte Cristo precincts were at the center of a minor controversy during the contentious 1894 county seat election between Snohomish and Everett.[5] In 1894, Snohomish County appropriated $500 to improve a wagon road between Index and Galena. The road was also extended beyond Galena, up Silver Creek.[6] After a 1980 storm, a quarter-mile length of the ridge between Galena and Mineral City collapsed, washing out the road. The route remains impassable by vehicles.[7] The county road from Index to Galena was completed in 1911.[8] In 2006, severe flooding washed Index-Galena Road out, and access to Galena was limited to a 40-mile detour which closed seasonally.[9] In November 2023, the Index–Galena Road reopened to traffic. The project cost $29 million, most of which came from the Federal Highway Administration; Snohomish County contributed $6.3 million and the state government contributed $1.2 million.[10] GeologyGalena is within the Silver Creek Mining District. The area immediately local to Galena contains silver-lead ore, with a smaller amount of chalcopyrite, which contains gold.[11] References
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