Pattison’s Ferry
In the summer of 1883, Clayton Packard, the owner of the Snohomish Eye, made a trip on foot up the river from Snohomish to Cherry Valley, near Duvall. This is what he wrote about Pattison’s Ferry at Park Place, about a mile west of downtown Monroe:
Park Place, though the name might indicate it, is not a great town but rather a “X Roads.” Here, not long ago, was the postoffice kept by H. McClurg who has here a valuable claim. Within a short radius are the places of Allan McDougal, rapidly coming to the front as one of the fine Skykomish farms; that of George Kelsey and that of George Allen on the Marsh road. Across the river is the claim of William Pattison. Schoolhouse No. 2 is located at Park Place and the settlement has a townlike appearance. Following the Snoqualmie branch of the road, about sixty rods [approximately 1,000 feet] below Park Place, we arrived at Pattison’s ferry and found Messrs. Bonsell blasting out a huge rock, which in high water formed a large eddy, interfering with the landing of the ferry. The rock was the size of an ordinary one-story house, and about 1,000 tons of it had to be moved. Pattison began the construction of his ferry about two years ago and it was first operated July 4, 1882. It is what is known as a flying ferry, but is built on a primitive plan, so far as the boat is concerned, which consists of two mammoth canoes staid together with crossties, on which a floor is laid. The rope which carries the boat back and forth is of wire, two and one-half inches in circumference, and 525 feet long, with an addition of 250 feet of iron rod for shorefasts. He expects to have a new and larger boat by next fall. The people appreciate the advantages of the ferry but say they cannot afford to pay the rates allowed by the county commission which are $1.50 for bringing their teams to the city and returning. There is talk of an opposition ferry three-quarters of a mile below.