A history of Sultan,
then and now
Postcards, papers and photographs of Sultan from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The area around the Sultan and Skykomish rivers was occupied by the Skykomish, a branch of the Snohomish people, prior to the arrival of American settlers. The Skykomish had a permanent village at the confluence named tʷ'tsɬitɬd, along with a nearby fishery named stək'talidubc. Following the discovery of a rich gold vein along the Sultan River, the land around the confluence was claimed for a homestead by John Nailor and his wife in 1880. Among the first arrivals to the area were Chinese prospectors, who later settled the land but were evicted in 1885. Nailor built a small store and hotel to serve miners and loggers, eventually serving as the first postmaster after the settlement received a post office in 1885. The town and river were named "Sultan", an anglicization of Tseul-tud (also known as Tseul-dan), then chief of the Skykomish tribe.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Sultan’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewNailor residence, Sultan, Washing…, c. 1885: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Sultan, decade by decade
CommonsLoggers with felling axes and crosscut saw sitting in under…1890
CommonsLumber company drying shed, Sultan, Washington, ca.1890c. 1890
CommonsBoat MINNIE M.on the Skykomish River at Sultan, Washington,…c. 1891
CommonsSultan, Washington, 18921892
CommonsSuspension footbridge across the Skykomish River at Sultan,…c. 1892
CommonsSuspension footbridge at Sultan, Washington, ca. 1892c. 1892
CommonsFirst schoolhouse in Sultan, Washington, ca. 1895c. 1895
CommonsT.W. Cobb and Co. general merchandise store, Sultan, Washin…c. 1895
CommonsFourth of July Parade in Sultan, Wash., July 4, 1896 - DPLA…1896
CommonsFourth of July Parade in Sultan, Wash., July 4, 1896 - DPLA…1896
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Nailor residence, Sultan, Washington, ca. 1885 (c. 1885) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (12). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.