Persis and Amos Gunn homesteaded at Index beginning in 1888. The town soon became a center for logging, mining and railroad construction. Because it was so close to Stevens Pass, the Great Northern Railway set up its headquarters at Index during the construction of its line through the pass in 1892. Nearby quarries provided granite for the steps of Washington's State Capitol in 1893. The old capitol building in downtown Olympia, once the Thurston County Courthouse, now houses the state's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
<p>This photographic postcard shows the view to the east along Main Street, Index, Washington, in the 1910s. At this time, the town had a population of 300.
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<ul><li>Subjects (LCTGM): Business districts; Mountains; Streets</li></ul>
Pickett Photo Co.
circa 1915 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1915-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/search">Museum of History and Industry</a>