Cedar Falls, Washington Explained

Cedar Falls
Other Name:Moncton
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:USA Washington
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within the state of Washington
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Washington
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:King
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population As Of:2010
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:Pacific (PST)
Utc Offset:-8
Timezone Dst:PDT
Utc Offset Dst:-7
Elevation Ft:942
Coordinates:47.4253°N -121.7767°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP codes
Postal Code:98022
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1517561[1]

Cedar Falls is an unincorporated community in King County, Washington.

History

Located on the Rattlesnake Prairie and the Cedar River watershed, Cedar Falls began under the name, Moncton, in 1906 under expansion of the transcontinental line of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad (CMStP&P) through Snoqualmie Pass. The community became a construction camp for the Seattle Municipal Light and Power Plant and as a joint-company town of Seattle City Light, the Seattle Water Department, and the CMStP&P. Each company provided separate housing and amenities for its employees and their families.[2] Due to its location to Cedar Lake, the town became known as Cedar Falls and by 1909 was host to a grocery, hotel, and schoolhouse.

Seattle City Light began operations in the community to provide power to Seattle with the build of a dam outside the town in 1912 on the Cedar River. The power company received warnings about the porous glacial geology in the area but continued the construction. After the water retention structure was completed in early 1915, immediate flooding due to seepage began to occur. Almost the entirety of the population left their homes within months due to the rising water levels. Officials denied the dam was the cause of the flooding but after several months, Cedar Falls was condemned and compensation was provided to residents.[3]

Notes and References

  1. 1517561. Cedar Falls.
  2. Book: Wilma, David . Power for the people : a history of Seattle City Light . History Ink, in association with University of Washington Press . Seattle, Wash . 2010 . 978-0-295-98576-3 . 613433169 . 64–66.
  3. News: Sherrard . Jean . A drowned ghost town near North Bend reemerges in times of intensified drought . October 5, 2024 . . January 11, 2024.