Diablo takes its name from Diablo Canyon, named by early prospectors and miners for the difficulty of traversing it.[3][4]
History
Before settlers arrived the Kwabatsabsh people, now a part of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, lived in the area. Reflector Bar, at the confluence of the Skagit River and Stetattle Creek, may have held some importance to the tribe. While it's generally accepted that Stetattle means barrier or boundary in the native language, it is unclear why the creek was named that. According to one Forest Service supervisor in 1926, C.H. Park, it may have been the border between the territory of the Skagit people and other tribes to the north,[5] while a guide book published later in 1941 claims Stetattle to be the border between worlds, above which lies the world of ghosts in native legends.[6] This latter interpretation is echoed in several other publications.[7][8][4] Interviews with the Skagits have helped indicate when past disasters had happened, such as a flood in 1815.[9]
The first house at Cedar Bar, constructed by Lucinda Davis
A homestead was claimed by Lucinda Davis and her children at Cedar Bar near the modern-day site of Diablo in June 1898.[10][7] At the time, the area was only accessible through an overland trail from Newhalem.[11] The Davis family opened an inn that served hundreds of local miners, forest rangers, and hunters.[10] It had modern amenities, including electricity and a radio, that were unusual for a remote location at the time.[12][13] In 1904, the Reaburn climbing party renamed what had previously been known as Stetattle Peak to Davis Peak in honor of the Davis family.[14]
Under the Forest Homestead Act of 1906, the United States Forest Service reevaluated the validity of the Davis claim to Cedar Bar. Their claim for 100 acres (40ha) was reduced by the Forest Service, who proposed 40 acres (16ha) for a ranger station and other uses. The Forest Service claim went to patent in 1910 and title papers were finally signed in 1917. In the 1920s Seattle City Light began to show interest in the area's potential for hydroelectric dams, and started condemnation proceedings by 1928.[10] In 1929 after surveys of the area and expansions of the dam project led to the Davis family losing their land, they moved to Sedro-Woolley.[12][10]
In 1917, Frank Davis built the first Sourdough Mountain Lookout, which was later replaced by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933.[15] The CCC had a team of 18 men living in Reflector Bar at the time.[16] Seattle City Light later honored the Davis family by constructing a replica of their power station, including the original waterwheel.[11]
Diablo was created as a company town to support construction of the Diablo Dam and other dams as part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. Construction of the Diablo Dam began in 1927 and was completed in 1930 for Seattle City Light.[17] The town of Diablo developed as two separate parts, Reflector Bar upstream and Hollywood (Cedar Bar) downstream.[citation needed] The two developed mostly separately, only connected by one road and a short-lived railroad. The land in Hollywood remains owned by Seattle City Light, while Reflector Bar is on land managed by the United States Forest Service.[citation needed]
Reflector Bar
A river bar named for the small reflector shelter built there, Reflector Bar was the site of the ranger station that the Forest Service had built.[16] In 1927 the Forest Service allowed City Light to occupy the area.
In late 1927 or early 1928 a railroad bridge was built over Stetattle Creek connecting the line from Reflector Bar to Newhalem. The rails were electrified, although a steam engine was also brought in to climb the steep grade.[18][11]
By 1928 Reflector Bar had many buildings laid out in a U-shape with a mess hall in the center. In addition to the many cottages in the U, there were 10 larger four-room houses built for upper management of the dam project. Around this time there was also a tennis court built, one of the only amenities, the others being a small zoo[18] and at some point a swimming pool.[19]
Two years after the dam was completed, in 1932, many of the buildings were demolished. The powerhouse for the dam still needed to be constructed, so for a time Reflector Bar was home to a 300-ton crane made by Harnischfeger Corporation. In 1934 a water tower was built, now a prominent landmark in the town, and the mess hall was converted into a commissary, carpenter's shop, store room, and recreational hall.[18]
In 1942 Reflector Bar may have been an Aircraft Warning Service site, but seemingly was never used as such in practice.[20]
By the 1970s most of the buildings had been demolished and replaced with lawns, despite previous plans to turn the area into a wild garden.[18]
Hollywood
The area where the Davis ranch was had been renamed from Cedar Bar to Hollywood, and there were at one point in the mid-1920s around 20 shacks were scattered throughout the Hollywood area, possibly built by the Davis family to rent out to employees before the condemnation of their land. In 1935 a building was donated for use as a school to teach 8 children. In 1946, due to a population bolstered by the construction of Ross Dam, a much larger school was built.[18] The building still stands, converted into a dining hall, visitor center, and museum.[1]
Due to complaints from employees about the crude construction of the buildings, and lack of sewer or water connections, in 1938 City Light built 5 more houses, plus an apartment which could fit 10. By 1938 only 5 of those original shacks still stood. By 1952 it was decided that 36 new buildings were to be built. 11 in Reflector Bar, and the rest in Hollywood. It was reasoned that the old buildings could be kept, and so 60 as originally planned was not required. Eventually all but one of the houses built in 1938 still stood.[18]
The Diablo area has had floods recorded as far back as 1815,[9] but after a particularly rough winter of flooding leading into 1950 City Light decided to fill in the lower areas of Hollywood, increasing the elevation 890 feet. This was done partially to alleviate flood damage, but also in preparation for the new Gorge Dam being built downstream. It was at this point that all the original 1920s shacks were demolished to make way for redevelopment. The redevelopment and regrading of the Hollywood area that took place in the 1950s is widely what still stands today. Railroad tracks were removed, the rail bridge was paved over, roads were regraded and repaved, 28 new houses were built, the sewer and water systems were updated, sidewalks were installed, as well as street lights.[18]
Modern-day Diablo
Sourdough Fire from Pyramid Lake Trailhead
In 1972, when City Light decided to automate their dams, most people living there were relocated. Only essential employees were kept. The town stays under City Light control,[11] but is now used to house National Park Service employees and employees from the North Cascades Institute who run the nearby North Cascades Environmental Learning Center.[1]
Seattle City Light and the Park Service also work together to maintain the trails in and around Diablo.[1]
From July 29, 2023, to October 1, 2023, the Sourdough Fire caused the closure of the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) and evacuations of recreational facilities, the three dams in the area, as well as the community of Diablo itself.[21][22]
From 1928 until the start of World War II, City Light offered guided tours of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. From Rockport, visitors rode City Light's steam locomotive 23 miles to Newhalem. The next day, visitors boarded another train to Diablo, where they toured the powerhouse and rode an incline lift to the top of the dam. Next, they rode a barge or tour boat to Ruby Creek, then returned to Rockport. Over 100,000 people visited the Skagit Project by 1941. After the war, shortened tours resumed.[26]
Since 1986, Diablo has been home to the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. The center provides lodging, getaways, lake tours of Diablo Lake, photography and art classes, and a conference center.[27][28] The North Cascades Institute, which runs the center, partners with Seattle City Light to offer tours of the dams and powerhouses.[29]
12Kirk, Ruth (1995). Exploring Washington's Past: A Road Guide to History. University of Washington Press. p.235. ISBN9780295974439.
↑Ray W. Felton, “Speaking of the Skagit Power Plants,” The Seattle Star, August 17, 1926, as quoted in Luxenberg, Historic Research Study, 101.Historicd
↑Wilma, David (2010). Power for the people: a history of Seattle City Light. Seattle, Washington: History Ink, in association with University of Washington Press. p.44. ISBN978-0-295-98576-3. OCLC613433169.
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