Big Four (Extracted from www.historylink.org, written by David Cameron and Louise Lindgren, Oct 07, 2010) Big Four Mountain is named for a huge numeral 4 made by a snowfield near the summit and visible from Monte Cristo. In 1915 Everett bankers and lumbermen Wyatt and Bethel Rucker took over the railway from Hartford to Monte Cristo, transporting logs to their Lake Stevens sawmill. In 1920 they constructed Big Four Inn as a quality railroad hotel. Until it burned in 1949 the inn served rail, then highway travelers, and as a wartime Coast Guard facility. The complex consisted of the large main building, an annex for dances and conventions, small cabins to the east, a row of tent pads bordering a nine-hole golf course to the south, a man-made lake to the southeast bordering the tracks to Perry Creek, and a Mt. Dickerman ski area. In 1917 the Ruckers built a trail and bridge across the river to the scenic but dangerous Big Four Ice Caves. These are created by heavy winter snow falling from the sheer mountain face, turning to ice at the base, then hollowing out each summer by melting streams beneath. To reduce impacts at the inn site, a second trail to the Ice Caves bridge begins at Perry Creek (Mile Post 26). Railroad gas car No. 4 in front of Big Four Inn (detail), Big Four Mountain, Snohomish County, ca. 1930 Photo by John A. Juleen, Courtesy Granite Falls Museum (Image No. 2006.37.456) Remains of Big Four Inn after fire, Big Four Mountain, Snohomish County, September 1949 Courtesy Cameron/Lindgren collection , OCR Text: Big Four (Extracted from www.historylink.org, written by David Cameron and Louise Lindgren, Oct 07, 2010) Big Four Mountain is named for a huge numeral 4 made by a snowfield near the summit and visible from Monte Cristo. In 1915 Everett bankers and lumbermen Wyatt and Bethel Rucker took over the railway from Hartford to Monte Cristo, transporting logs to their Lake Stevens sawmill. In 1920 they constructed Big Four Inn as a quality railroad hotel. Until it burned in 1949 the inn served rail, then highway travelers, and as a wartime Coast Guard facility. The complex consisted of the large main building, an annex for dances and conventions, small cabins to the east, a row of tent pads bordering a nine-hole golf course to the south, a man-made lake to the southeast bordering the tracks to Perry Creek, and a Mt. Dickerman ski area. In 1917 the Ruckers built a trail and bridge across the river to the scenic but dangerous Big Four Ice Caves. These are created by heavy winter snow falling from the sheer mountain face, turning to ice at the base, then hollowing out each summer by melting streams beneath. To reduce impacts at the inn site, a second trail to the Ice Caves bridge begins at Perry Creek (Mile Post 26). Railroad gas car No. 4 in front of Big Four Inn (detail), Big Four Mountain, Snohomish County, ca. 1930 Photo by John A. Juleen, Courtesy Granite Falls Museum (Image No. 2006.37.456) Remains of Big Four Inn after fire, Big Four Mountain, Snohomish County, September 1949 Courtesy Cameron/Lindgren collection , Granite Falls Historical Society,Documents (articles, clippings, letters, papers),Mapping Articles,A-E,Big_Four.pdf,Big_Four.pdf Page 1, Big_Four.pdf Page 1