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When the second Nisqually dam was begun in 1942 the town of Alder was doomed.
Located along the route of the Tacoma Eastern Railroad the Alder area had nearly 200 residents. Logging and farming provided the livelihood for most of the residents. The town that had begun in the early 1900s soon had two logging companies, a livery company, a saw and shingle mill, two hotels, a fraternal hall, a church, a school, and many homes.
Then came WWII and the demand for more electricity to feed shipbuilding and aircraft manufacturing operations. When the last bucket of concrete for the dam was poured in September of 1944 most of the town had already left. The highway and railroad had been rerouted and soon waters covered the old town.
Now, during winter and spring, there is little to see. Even into early summer water levels may be so high that there is no sign that a town once stood here. But by late summer as water in the reservoir is drawn down the old town emerges. Waypoints have been provided so that you can visit some of the old town. Or you can follow the old highway down past the cache location to where the road emerges out of the lake water. If the water is low enough look ahead and to the left as you near the water. You may be able to see the remains of the old railroad that paralleled the highway, a few concrete piers still remaining where the tracks crossed the creek. But then as the rains return in the fall the dam reservoir refills, covering the old town once again.
2016 was the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and to celebrate, Visit Rainier and WSGA hosted the Visit Rainier Centennial GeoTour - 100 caches placed in and around Mount Rainier National Park. The geocaches highlighted the rich history, scenic wonders, quaint communities, and hidden gems of the Rainier region. Participants received geocoin and pathtag prizes for finding all the caches.
