On the banks of the Skagit River in the late 1800s, an untamed wilderness was settled by Jasper Gates. He was followed by Harrison Clothier and Edward English, who had a vision for a new town. But before the city of Mount Vernon could become a reality, the early settlers would have to use simple tools and pure determination to clear two ancient logjams that prohibited travel up the river. Once the river was navigable, the logging industry could flourish,...