Echoes of Industrialization, Hydroelectric Power, and J.D. Ross in the North Cascades National Park

In the early twentieth century, J.D. Ross (1879-1939), the “Father of Seattle City Light,” sought to bring hydropower to the Pacific Northwest. With the founding of Seattle City Light's construction of hydroelectric dams in what is now the North Cascades National Park Complex, Ross envisioned not only a place that generated power but a destination for the people of Seattle that would attract visitors through exceptional experiences, lighted trails, and music. The music was piped through hidden phonographs and amplifiers, echoing through the trails, gliding along the glacial lakes, and echoing through the mountains.

But how are those same echoes heard today? Situating the development of the dams within the context of the expansion of hydroelectric power and the subsequent establishment of National Park status invites a new understanding of the use of music in the lands. It also asks questions about whose music is heard and the purpose…