La Conner
The north country was still relatively untamed by the mid-1800s. Land was either free for the taking or available from the government at a small homesteader's price. Fur traders, miners and loggers were the first settlers to venture north from a small outpost known as Seattle.

A small log cabin was built on Sullivan's Slough shortly after the American Civil War by Alex R. Underwood. He and another settler, Michael Sullivan, began the enormous task of diking the Skagit flats to reclaim the land from daily high tides and annual flooding. The Skagit flats consisted of a maze of shallow sloughs and unusable marshlands before the diking project was completed.

In 1867, a trading post on the west side of the channel was founded by Alonzo Low. The going was rough and Low sold it 14 months later. Thomas Hayes from Snohomish took it over and established a post office as well. He sold it to John S. Conner in 1869.

The post office was renamed in honor of Conner's wife, who had traveled with him and a wagon full of children across unsettled territory. Conner took her first two initials and her married name to form the town of La Conner.

The result of the diking system was acres of fertile farmland that soon was filled with rows of oats, barley, hay and potatoes. Little by little, families staked claims and small businesses sprouted along the channel.

In 1873, two brothers, James and George Gaches, saw the potential to the north and purchased Conner's store. The brothers later became agri-brokers for the produce growing on the flats. Near the turn of the century, Gaches and his wife, Louisa, built what is now Gaches Mansion. At that time, it was used as a hospital for a period and later housed the Museum of Northwest Art.

The building that now houses the La Conner Civic Garden Club supports a bronze tablet on the porch that reads: This building was built about 1875 for a grange hall. It became the first federal court north of Seattle, the district court for Whatcom County, and the first courthouse for Skagit County.

By late 1883, La Conner was clearly the leading settlement in Skagit County and by the turn of the century, La Conner's population reached more than 1,000. By this time, it had become a thriving part of the northwest economy because of its proximity to the water. It was also the connection to the water that was the cause for its decline in the early 1900s. A series of devastating floods, along with the faltering fishing industry and the onset of the Depression era led to a period of stagnation and struggle for the town.

The town became something of an artists' colony after an artist named Morris Graves came here looking for a quiet, unassuming place to concentrate on his craft in 1937. The Museum of Northwest Art on First Street is a tribute to the contribution of the artist, with a commitment to continuing the Northwest tradition in the arts.

Today, La Conner is a small, thriving community rich in history and years of work and struggle. With its natural beauty and an eclectic variety of shops, it is one of Washington's most popular destinations.

All the staff at the Calico Cupboard Café & Bakery welcome you to La Conner and hope you enjoy your stay with us.

Mount Vernon
The county seat and leading trade center of Skagit County, Mount Vernon is located 22 feet above sea level along Interstate 5 on the banks of the scenic Skagit River.

Harrison Clothier, a teacher from New York State, and his partner Ed English, saw the beautiful land along the river and noted the potential for a new town. In February of 1887, they bought a parcel of land and plotted a town, naming it after the first resident's birthplace of Mount Vernon, Virginia.

A cabin was built to serve a variety of needs including trading post, living area, real estate agency, newspaper bureau and post office. En years after Clothier and English arrived in the area, they founded the Skagit Saw and Manufacturing Company, a business upon which fledgling Mount Vernon gained a stronghold.

The river was cleared of log jams that impeded travel past Mount Vernon by the late 1800s and steamboats were able to travel many miles upstream into the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The mill provided many jobs as people flocked to Mount Vernon for a better way of life. With them, commerce flourished in and around the big bend area and Mount Vernon became a sought-after trade and transportation center.

By the 1930s, diking districts had built earthen embankments to keep flood waters at bay. Bridges opened land to the east and north to further development. Roads, once nearly impassable due to mud, were paved and drained.

Many of the hills surrounding the downtown area were logged in earlier decades and became neighborhoods shaded with second-growth timber. Once dependent on the Skagit River for trade and transportation, Mount Vernon turned its back on the mighty stream to welcome commerce brought in by the railroad and new state highways.

Farming soon became the economic backbone of the area and has remained so, and Mount Vernon grew into the center for the county's retaining and food processing.

The Skagit Valley produces about 40 percent of all the frozen peas in the United States. Other major crops include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, broccoli, potatoes, cauliflower, grass, spinach, beet seed and filberts.

The first daffodils, tulips and irises turn the Skagit Valley into a canvas of color in March and last to the end of May. During April, the five Chambers of Commerce in the valley combine to present the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, a two-week extravaganza timed to coincide with the blooming of the 2,000 acres of rainbow-hued tulips. This event, a major attraction in the Northwest, lures 500,000 tourists to the usually peaceful valley.

The staff at Calico Cupboard welcome you to Mount Vernon and Hope you enjoy your stay with us.

Anacortes
In the 1850's, densely forested Fidalgo Island was settled by non-Indian people and in 1873 the Swinomish Indian Reservation was established. It was not until 1876, when Amos Bowman arrived in the area, that Anacortes gained prominence.

By trade, Amos Bowman was a mapmaker and geologist who fervently hoped the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) would establish a western terminal on Fidalgo Island . His plan was dashed by the CPR even before Bowman had reached the Fidalgo Island shores in 1876. Although he was disappointed, Amos Bowman invested in his future and in Anacortes, by purchasing 168 acres of land and constructing a home store and a wharf.

The post office was established in 1877 and named “Ann Curtis Post Office” after Bowman's beloved wife. The name was later changed to Anacortes. Some speculate that the modified name was chosen to echo the Spanish influence of neighboring islands and waters such as San Jaun, Lopez and Juan de Fuca.

Some people believed, although the CPR dream never materialized that other railroad companies such as Northern Pacific and Union pacific were on their way to bolster shipping and trade. Committed to the dream, by 1891 the Anacortes community boasted a range of businesses and services to meet the needs of its residents.

Many neighboring communities and Seattle-based investors were drawn to Anacortes. Turn-of-the century notables, including Dexter Horton, Arthur Denny and James McNaught, joined the Anacortes expansion push with land purchases and investments.

Although the dream of having a railroad terminal in Anacortes was never realized, bowman's dream of creating a special community did come true. Today Anacortes is the second largest city in and the number one industrial and shipping center in Skagit County . The shipyards, seafood processing facilities, oil refineries and tourism are all important contributors to an ever growing economy. Residents and visitors alike come to “Anacortes, Northwest Park Place ” for its prime real estate and exclusive residential areas, yacht charters and marina facilities.

All the staff at calico Cupboard would like to welcome you to Anacortes and hope you enjoy your stay with us.