The property that is now headquarters to DirtFish Rally School had seen a great deal of history before people started having the time of their life behind the wheel of Subaru rally cars! This week marked the 100-year anniversary of the property since the opening of the sawmill. In 1917, the Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company opened its doors as the headquarters in the same location that the DirtFish headquarters now resides.
The 300+ acre property has seen quite the evolution in the last 100 years. From being the second all-electric lumber mill in the country to being part of the set for the cult-classic TV show, Twin Peaks, the ground and building have many stories to tell. After opening its doors, the owners of Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company built a self-sufficient town to supplement the workforce at the mill. The town featured 250 houses, a 50-bed hospital, hotel, grade school, YMCA and so much more, giving the residents enough resources that there wouldn’t be a need to leave the town for practically anything.
The mill was able to survive very difficult times like the Great Depression, but still continued operation until 1989 when Weyerhauser shut down the mill. Following the shutdown, Weyerhauser continued business with drying kilns and a planing plant until finally making the decision to completely conclude operation in 2002. The Snoqualmie Mill property remained vacant until it was purchased by DirtFish in 2010. Since then, DirtFish has attracted thousands upon thousands of people to the historical site to help continue its story for years to come.
Looking through historical photos of the property and the town, you can sure see how things have changed! You can also see how some things have stayed the same over the years. Below are comparison photos of back then and now. It is truly amazing to see what the property was like with houses, the mill building and stacks of lumber scattered around the mill site.
Aerial views from 1952, 1990 and today.
The grounds surrounding the Planer building; it is astounding to see all of the buildings that used to fill the property!
The interior of the Planer building.
The view of Mill #1 and the iconic smokestack that was seen in the Twin Peaks TV show.
