In the decade of the 1890s, Monte Cristo became the center of a mining boom. It attracted thousands of miners, businessmen, laborers and settlers into the rugged Cascade Mountains of eastern Snohomish County, yet its fate was determined not by their efforts but by the difficult climate, unknown geology, and decisions made by financiers a continent away. When the mining venture died, the area became a tourist destination and in more recent years is a well-loved hiking location. Today the isolated area still is a popular site for visitors attracted by its history and dramatic setting. Everett resident Enid Thrall loved Monte Cristo and explored it in her youth. She was particularly in love with the plants and the area’s scenic beauty. Enid eventually married Ed Nordlund and in 1954 built a small cabin in what had once been the mining town of Monte Cristo. The Nordlunds gathered photos from friends and took many of their own in slides and movies.