WHEN COAL WAS KING: Andy Gorjup Ravensdale

This historical piece explores Ravensdale’s coal mining era through the story of Andy Gorjup, an Austrian immigrant who worked as a mine engineer and electrician. The article traces how the Northern Pacific Railway’s 1900 Palmer Cutoff enabled Ravensdale’s coal boom, which peaked before a catastrophic 1915 mine explosion killed 31 workers. While Ravensdale is a neighboring community to Maple Valley, this is primarily regional history rather than current news affecting local residents.