Chapter 8: Appalachia and the Ozarks

Just like the mountanous Appalachia, Washington is known for the Cascade Mountain Range.

Mount Rainier is the tallest of all peaks, standing at 14,411 feet, and is one of the many active volcanoes in the range. The most famous peak in the range is Mount St. Helens because of its very forceful eruption on May 18, 1980. Another peak in the range is Mount Baker, which set the US record of the most snow fall in a single season at 1,140 inches of snow.

Another similarity that the state has with the Appalachia and the Ozarks is its mining activities. Coal has been mined since 1853. In 2004, coal mining in the state ranked 7th nationally and 13th for nonfuel mineral mining. This industry employed 3,976 workers in 2004 with an average annual income of $50, 854.



Boston American Mining Company buildings, Monte Cristo, Washington, 1912



Renton Coal Mine, Renton, Washington, 1911

 More than 1% of the total US nonfuel mineral production value is produced in Washington. Construction sand, gravel, portland cement and crushed stone are the state's leading nonfuel minerals. The state is ranked 2nd in production of olivine (also known as peridot) and 4th in diatomite (also known as opal).



Peridot



One of the agricultural products in the Appalachia and the Ozark is apple.Washington is known to be the leading producer of apple in the United States. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, in the years 2004-2005, the state produced 58% of all apples in the US. The next leading state is New York with just 11%.



Sources:
Barnett, Tony. "The Cascade Mountain Range Washington." Snohomish County Real Estate - Homes for Sale. 03 Sept. 2007. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://www.barnettassociates.net/cascade-mountain-range/>.

"Mining In Washington State." National Mining Association. 2005. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nma.org/pdf/states/wa2004.pdf>.

"Washington State Coal Mine Map Collection." Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/GeologyPublicationsLibrary/Pages/coalmaps.aspx>.

"World Apple Situation." USDA/FAS Horticultural & Tropical Products Division, Mar. 2005. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. <http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/horticulture/Apples/World%20Apple%20Situation%20MY%202004%202005.pdf>.