Editing Index, Washington (section)

==History==

===Pre-incorporation===

Prior to settlement by European Americans, the [[Skykomish people]] had many villages along the [[Skykomish River]] between [[Sultan, Washington|Sultan]] and Index. One large and important village of the {{Langx|lut|bəsx̌əx̌əx̌alč|label=none}} band was at {{Langx|lut|x̌əx̌aʔusalʔtxʷ|label=none}} (derived from {{Langx|lut|sx̌aʔus|label=none}}, meaning "[[sawbill duck]]")<ref name="Roe">{{cite book |last=Roe |first=Joann |title=Stevens Pass: The Story of Railroading and Recreation in the North Cascades |publisher=[[Mountaineers Books]] |year=1995 |isbn=0898863716 |location=Seattle |page=150 |oclc=32199366}}</ref> in modern-day Index.<ref name="Hollenbeck-Moss">{{cite book |last1=Hollenbeck |first1=Jan L. |last2=Moss |first2=Madonna |year=1987 |title=A Cultural Resource Overview: Prehistory, Ethnography and History: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest |publisher=[[United States Forest Service]] |pages=161–164 |oclc=892024380 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/005998596 |via=[[HathiTrust]] |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-date=March 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329085846/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/005998596 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the village were several longhouses, including a large [[potlatch]] house. {{Langx|lut|x̌əx̌aʔusalʔtxʷ|label=none}} was the base camp for people traveling into the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]] for hunting and gathering.<ref name="Hollenbeck-Moss"/> The Skykomish people were signatories of the 1855 [[Treaty of Point Elliott]] and many were moved to the [[Tulalip Indian Reservation]], where they later amalgamated with the [[Snohomish people|Snohomish]] and [[Snoqualmie people|Snoqualmie]] tribes.<ref name="Roe"/> Some members of the tribe elected to stay in the Skykomish Valley, primarily near [[Gold Bar, Washington|Gold Bar]] and [[Sultan, Washington|Sultan]].<ref name="HL-Incorporation">{{cite web |last=Lindgren |first=Louise |date=November 21, 2019 |title=Index incorporates on October 11, 1907. |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/20911 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |accessdate=February 4, 2025}}</ref>

The first non-native settlers in the area were prospectors who placed individual [[mineral rights]] for claims in the Cascades, beginning with a [[gold rush]] in 1874 along Silver Creek near what later became the community of [[Galena, Washington|Galena]].<ref name="Roe"/> Amos Gunn, a [[American Civil War|Civil War]] veteran from Illinois, arrived at the fork of the Skykomish River with his wife and six children in 1889 and bought a [[Adverse possession|squatter's claim]] to establish a [[Homestead Act|homestead]]. He constructed a home that also served as a hotel for prospectors and railroad workers on the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]].<ref name="PI-1983">{{cite news |last=Warren |first=James |date=November 8, 1983 |title=Gunn family traveled west to found the town of Index |page=D2 |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]}}</ref><ref name="Roe-151">{{harvp|Roe|1995|p=151}}</ref> His wife Persis named their site "Index" for nearby Mount Index (later renamed [[Baring Mountain]]),<ref name="IllustratedHistory">{{cite book |last1=Cameron |first1=David A. |last2=LeWarne |first2=Charles P. |last3=May |first3=M. Allan |last4=O'Donnell |first4=Jack C. |last5=O'Donnell |first5=Lawrence E. |year=2005 |title=Snohomish County: An Illustrated History |page=96 |publisher=Kelcema Books LLC |location=Index, Washington |isbn=978-0-9766700-0-1 |oclc=62728798}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Meany |first=Edmond S. |author-link=Edmond S. Meany |year=1923 |title=Origin of Washington geographic names |page=119 |publisher=University of Washington Press |location=Seattle |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027074981;view=1up;seq=135 |via=[[HathiTrust]] |access-date=August 14, 2016 |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510143132/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027074981;view=1up;seq=135 |url-status=live}}</ref> itself named for its resemblance to an [[index finger]].<ref name="PI-Change">{{cite news |last=Graydon |first=Don |date=September 6, 1997 |title=Small town 'on brink of change' |page=D1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Phillips |first=James W. |year=1971 |title=Washington State Place Names |page=[https://archive.org/details/washingtonstatep00phil/page/65 65] |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |isbn=0-295-95158-3 |oclc=1052713900 |url=https://archive.org/details/washingtonstatep00phil |url-access=registration |via=[[The Internet Archive]] |access-date=November 18, 2019}}</ref> Mount Persis and Gunn's Peaks were also named for the family.<ref name="Roe-151"/><ref name="Herald-School">{{cite news |last=Slager |first=Melisa |date=December 4, 2005 |title=Tiny town's school endures |page=B1 |work=[[The Everett Herald]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-tiny-towns-school-endu/164737601/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=February 4, 2025}}</ref> Mines in the area yielded gold, silver, copper, and [[galena]] among other minerals, which spurred further settlement around the North Fork Skykomish River.<ref name="PI-Change"/>

Index was assigned a [[post office]] in November 1891 and Amos Gunn was appointed its first [[postmaster]]. He initially delivered mail and parcels by horseback from Wallace (now [[Startup, Washington|Startup]]) on a {{convert|12|mi|km|adj=mid}} overland trail.<ref name="HL-Incorporation"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Burgstahler |first=Ruth |year=1980 |title=Index: A Historical Perspective |page=8 |publisher=Index Historical Society |oclc=6384024}}</ref> The Gunns' hotel was expanded two years later to accommodate an increasing number of prospectors who arrived on the Great Northern and traveled onward towards Galena and [[Mineral City, Washington|Mineral City]].<ref name="Roe-151"/> The railroad across [[Stevens Pass]] had been completed in January 1893, and was followed within a few years by a [[stagecoach]] road from Index to Galena.<ref name="HL-Incorporation"/> The town [[plat]] for Index was filed by Amos Gunn on April 25, 1893, shortly after a controlling interest in the settlement was acquired by the Everett Terminal Land and Milling Company.<ref name="PI-1983"/><ref name="Roe-154">{{harvp|Roe|1995|pp=154–155}}</ref> The plat reserved {{convert|100|ft|m}} for the main street, which had been surfaced with gravel due to frequent flooding from the Skykomish River and was sought for use for a branch railroad to Galena.<ref name="HL-Incorporation"/><ref name="PI-Change"/> A fire destroyed the Gunns' hotel, [[general store]], and several residences in the town on July 22 of that year, but had not damaged the Great Northern depot.<ref name="PI-1983"/> The town's buildings were rebuilt as mining activity had temporarily subsided due to the [[Panic of 1893]] and was eclipsed by logging and farming as the main local industry.<ref name="HistoryLink">{{cite web |last=Lindgren |first=Louise |date=September 4, 2009 |title=Index — Thumbnail History |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/9143 |work=HistoryLink |accessdate=October 29, 2014}}</ref> The Copper Bell and Sunset mines were opened in 1898 and brought the town to its peak population of 1,000 in 1900.<ref name="PI-1983"/><ref name="Roe-154"/> The Sunset Mine was the largest in the area and produced {{convert|1,500|oz|kg}} of gold, {{convert|156,000|oz|kg}} of silver, and {{convert|12.9|lbs|kg|disp=preunit|million |million }}<!--Spaces are necessary for the template's output--> of copper during its lifetime.<ref>{{harvp|Cameron|LeWarne|May|O'Donnell|2005|p=154}}</ref>

===Early 20th century===
[[File:Index panorama, 1912 (PICKETT 104).jpeg|thumb|right|Panoramic view of Index, photographed in 1912 by Lee Pickett]]

Amos Gunn sold his properties in Index in 1899 shortly after the death of his wife Persis.<ref name="Whitfield">{{cite book |last=Whitfield |first=William M. |year=1926 |title=History of Snohomish County, Washington |pages=611–612 |publisher=Pioneer Historical Publishing Company |location=Chicago |oclc=8437390 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102122401 |via=[[HathiTrust]] |access-date=April 30, 2020 |archive-date=June 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629200801/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102122401 |url-status=live}}</ref> The town continued to grow with the arrival of social clubs, a schoolhouse, and its first newspaper, the ''Index Miner'' (later the ''Index News''), in 1899. In November 1902, a second major fire destroyed several buildings in the town, including the [[assay office]], and killed one person.<ref name="Whitfield"/> A granite [[quarry]] also opened east of Index in 1904 and later provided materials for the [[Washington State Capitol]] building in [[Olympia, Washington|Olympia]].<ref name="PI-Change"/><ref name="Whitfield"/> It became one of the main employers in the area, along with logging to supply a new [[sawmill]] that was later acquired by the Index-Galena Lumber Company.<ref name="PI-Change"/><ref name="Burgstahler-21">{{harvp|Burgstahler|1980|pp=21–24}}</ref> Plans to build a [[hydroelectric dam]] and a [[pulp mill]] at sites along both forks of the Skykomish River were proposed but never began construction.<ref name="HistoryLink"/> Index was also promoted as a tourist destination for [[recreational fishing|sport fishing]] and mountaineering;<ref name="HL-Incorporation"/><ref name="PI-1983"/> by 1905, it had five hotels and drew hundreds of visitors by train during the summer season.<ref name="HistoryLink"/>

Index was officially incorporated as a [[City government in Washington (state)|fourth-class city]] on October 11, 1907, with several hundred residents.<ref name="HL-Incorporation"/> A [[volunteer fire department]] was established and moved into a permanent [[fire station]] in 1913; its old facility was converted into a [[town hall]] with a [[jail]].<ref name="Burgstahler-21"/> An unpaved county road was completed from Gold Bar to Index in 1911, which brought regular automobiles to the area and scheduled bus service. The road included a bridge over the Skykomish River that was destroyed by one of two major floods in 1917 and later rebuilt.<ref name="HistoryLink"/> The [[Stevens Pass Highway]] (now part of [[U.S. Route 2 in Washington|U.S. Route 2]]) opened on July 11, 1925, and opened the area to [[skiing]] with the development of a new [[Stevens Pass Ski Area|ski area]] a few years later.<ref>{{harvp|Roe|1995|p=125}}</ref> The Great Northern's local "Dinkies" trains, which made daily stops in every Skykomish Valley settlement and provided Index with passenger and postal service, was discontinued in 1925 after the highway opened. The Stevens Pass Highway was rebuilt by the state government in 1933 and [[bypass (road)|bypassed]] Index, which reduced tourist traffic to the town and caused several businesses to close.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Times-Bush">{{cite news |last=Eals |first=Clay |date=June 2, 2022 |title=Index's only inn perseveres amid historic charm and challenge |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/indexs-only-inn-perseveres-amid-historic-charm-and-challenge/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref>

The town's major industries saw reduced business during the early years of the [[Great Depression]], which resulted in the shutdown of lumber mills and mines in the area.<ref name="Roe-158">{{harvp|Roe|1995|pp=158–159}}</ref> The granite quarry closed permanently after a fire destroyed its warehouse in May 1932; it was not rebuilt due to the decreased demand for granite. A [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] camp was established east of Index in 1934 to provide jobs for unemployed men and improve lands owned by the [[United States Forest Service]] in the Cascades.<ref name="HistoryLink"/> On August 16, 1939, a [[wildfire]] that formed west of Index swept into the town and destroyed the church and seven residences;<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref>{{cite news |date=August 17, 1939 |title=Fires Still Threaten Index |page=1 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-fires-still-threaten-in/164887559/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref> hundreds of firefighters from the United States Forest Service and local fire departments in the region prevented the fire from causing further damage before it retreated into the forests.<ref name="Roe-158"/><ref>{{cite news |date=August 19, 1939 |title=300 State and Federal Men on Fire Lines Continue to Fight Flames Near Index |page=1 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-300-state-and-federal-m/164887604/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref> The Sunset Mine, the last remaining copper mine in the area, had financial issues and was taken over by its workers after a dispute over unpaid wages; it was shut down in 1942 by a federal order to halt mining of non-essential materials during [[World War II]]. A natural [[hot springs]] near the town continued to draw tourists and was developed into a major resort named the Garland Mineral Springs; during World War II, it was converted into a [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] training camp.<ref name="HistoryLink"/>

===Post-mining era===
[[File:Index, WA. (1702484342).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Red Men Hall (Index, Washington)|Red Men Hall]], listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1973 and destroyed in 2009]]

Index entered a period of economic stagnation and reduced employment following the Great Depression and World War II, as most of its industries had closed and were not replaced.<ref name="Roe-158"/> Local families left the town and were replaced by a population of retirees and urban residents who maintained [[vacation home]]s; by 1975, there was a permanent population of 171 residents in Index and the surrounding area.<ref>{{cite news |last=Carrick |first=Ned |date=March 21, 1975 |title=She's Indexed 34 years of her life |page=4A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-shes-indexed-34-years/165040152/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref> After Index's [[high school]] closed in 1942, students were moved to [[Sultan Senior High School]]. The other school buildings were condemned by the state [[fire marshal]] in 1952 and replaced three years later by a new consolidated school.<ref name="Herald-School"/><ref>{{harvp|Burgstahler|1980|pp=33–34}}</ref> From 1962 to 1964, Great Northern rebuilt its railroad through Index on an [[embankment (earthworks)|embankment]] with a wider curve that cut off several streets and split the town into two halves.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hagman |first=Tye |date=March 15, 1964 |title=Index—A Town Split in Two by a Railroad |page=4 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The original railroad depot in the town was also demolished and the lone grade crossing was made steeper, creating a blind hill.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref>{{cite news |date=December 8, 1964 |title=Index Seeks RR Crossing Safety |page=1B |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-index-seeks-rr-crossing/164888275/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref>

The town has been frequented by [[rock climbing|rock climbers]] since routes on the Index Town Wall, a set of granite cliffs that face the Skykomish River, were mapped in the 1950s and developed in the early 1970s by enthusiasts from Seattle.<ref name="Climbing-2009">{{cite news |last=Sjong |first=Angele |date=November 13, 2009 |title=Index Club |url=https://www.climbing.com/news/index-club/ |work=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Times-Climbing">{{cite news |last=Scruggs |first=Gregory |date=November 14, 2023 |title=WA climbers purchase 20 acres of popular climbing walls in Index |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/outdoors/wa-climbers-purchase-beginner-friendly-crag-in-index/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=February 5, 2025}}</ref> A replacement of Index's wooden [[water main]] and reservoir system, which are supplied by a mountain [[spring (hydrology)|spring]], began in 1967 and was completed a decade later by the town government using federal and state grants.<ref>{{cite news |last=Carrick |first=Ned |date=December 30, 1967 |title=Snohomish, Skykomish Valleys Look Ahead to Snowball Growth |page=8C |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-snohomish-skykomish-va/165043091/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Carrick |first=Ned |date=April 2, 1977 |title=Index completes new water system |page=4A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-index-completes-new-wat/165044094/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref> The Bush House, a historic hotel that opened in 1898 and closed in the 1930s,<ref name="Times-Bush"/> was renovated and reopened as a restaurant in 1975 and for lodging two years later.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hayes |first=Bruce |date=August 8, 1975 |title=Bush House serves history along with its food |page=11A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-bush-house-serves-histo/165043974/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Herald-1977">{{cite news |last=Carrick |first=Ned |date=November 23, 1977 |title=Turn back to the Index |page=3B |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-turn-back-to-the-index/165042170/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref> It was among the few active businesses in Index along with a general store and [[tavern]]; the town had become a destination for retirees and vacationers by the 1970s and had few permanent residents.<ref>{{cite news |last=Frisino |first=Joe |date=March 18, 1979 |title=Mountain's Magic Looks After Index |page=C1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> The [[Red Men Hall (Index, Washington)|Red Men Hall]], traditionally a meeting place for the local chapter of the [[Independent Order of Red Men]], was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1973.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 28, 1974 |title=Red Men's Wigwam and Index boost colorful past |page=4 |work=The Everett Herald |department=Panorama |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-red-mens-wigwam-and-in/166308763/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 3, 2025}}</ref>

On December 26, 1980, heavy rainfall caused the North Fork Skykomish River to flood Index and the surrounding area with up to {{convert|24|ft|m}} of water.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Peter |date=December 31, 1980 |title=Index flood victims get little help |page=E3 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The flood washed away seven homes, a portion of Avenue A, and the town's water main, with damage estimated at $691,000 (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|691000|1980}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} by local officials.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gullien |first=Tomas |date=December 27, 1980 |title=Index residents keep wary eye on surging Skykomish |page=A3 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=July 6, 2016 |title=Darrington historians, UW students create mudslide archive |page=A1 |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-historians-uw-students-create-oso-mudslide-archive/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Flatt |first=Sherri |date=December 31, 1980 |title=Flood disaster relief main concern of Index residents |page=3A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-flood-disaster-relief-m/165033880/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=March 1, 2025}}</ref> Buildings and roads were later rebuilt by residents, while a temporary [[riprap]] was installed by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]].<ref>{{harvp|Cameron|LeWarne|May|O'Donnell|2005|p=348}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Peter |date=April 8, 1981 |title=Index dispute pits neighbor against neighbor |page=B1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The town government had previously requested aid to repair an existing riprap along Avenue A that had been damaged in a 1975 flood as well as remove a {{convert|100|ft|m|adj=mid}} [[log jam]] that had formed in the river upstream from Index.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 8, 1980 |title=Mayor says Index needs flooding help |page=7D |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-mayor-says-index-needs/167017377/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=March 1, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Harden |first=Mark |date=April 12, 1981 |title=Corps won't reimburse owner of washed-out Index home |page=5A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-corps-wont-reimburse-o/167101774/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=March 2, 2025}}</ref> The Army Corps of Engineers constructed a new, {{convert|500|ft|m|adj=mid}} riprap along Avenue A in April 1981 but denied responsibility for the flood damage, which it described as a "natural occurrence".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maxwell |first1=Blanche |last2=Harden |first2=Mark |date=July 26, 1981 |title=Index, resident reach deal on flood project |page=3A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-index-resident-reach-d/167101784/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=March 2, 2025}}</ref>

===Transition to recreation economy===

The town recovered from the 1980 flood and had organized emergency medical services and a new [[historical society]] within a few years. A total of 19 [[business license]]s were issued by the town government, mostly to [[cottage industry|cottage industries]] and home businesses, in 1984.<ref>{{cite news |last=Harrison |first=Brenda |date=October 2, 1985 |title=They came, they saw, they stayed |page=AE2 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-they-came-they-saw-th/164888571/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref> The reopening of the Bush Hotel was credited with the increase in local businesses, but the nearest [[gas station]] and [[medical clinic]]s remained further west on [[U.S. Route 2 in Washington|U.S. Route 2]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lebow |first=Dennis |date=May 28, 1984 |title=Few agree on valley's tour trade |page=1A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-few-agree-on-valleys-t/171663453/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 3, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Times-1987">{{cite news |last=Shaw |first=Linda |date=October 28, 1987 |title=Main Streets: Index plays against rugged backdrop |page=H1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> After [[Burlington Northern Railroad]] proposed the use of herbicide [[2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid|2,4-D]] along their tracks through the town, local residents protested by blocking access until the railroad agreed to not spray near Index.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bailey |first=Gil |date=August 24, 1980 |title='To Tracks, to Tracks, the Sprayers Are Coming!' |page=A3 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> A total of 11 residents were randomly selected by the [[Washington State Department of Social and Health Services]] for [[urine test]]ing, which found the herbicide was not present in their bodies.<ref>{{cite news |last=Von Sternberg |first=Bob |date=September 4, 1980 |title=Herbicide tests turn up negative |page=1A |work=The Everett Herald |department=Western Sun |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-herbicide-tests-turn-up/171663120/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 3, 2025}}</ref> The town council adopted a resolution to support the [[Nuclear Freeze campaign]], which proposed a halt to development of new nuclear weapons, in 1983 amid rumors that some nuclear warheads would be transported on the railroad through Index.<ref>{{cite news |last=Maxwell |first=Blanche |date=March 22, 1983 |title=Index shouts 'yes' for nuclear freeze |page=1A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-index-shouts-yes-for/165037294/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref>

The Index Town Wall was the site of a drilling experiment in 1984 for a local company that planned to supply a new machine to an Australian [[diamond mine]]. The experiment created a {{convert|12|ft|m|adj=mid}} tunnel that ran {{convert|200|ft|m}} deep into the granite face of the Town Wall; the tunnel was later repurposed by the [[University of Washington]] for physics experiments.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Folkerts |first=Dale |date=April 15, 1984 |title=Mining juggernaut not boring to folks around Index cliff |page=3A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-mining-juggernaut-not-b/164888656/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref> The use of the Town Wall for the experiment and the expedited enviornmental review process for the project was criticized by [[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] and other outdoor recreation groups.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hessburg |first=John |date=February 20, 1984 |title=Climbers fear loss of rock playground |page=C2 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> The Skykomish River around Index began to attract [[rafting]] excursions and operators in the 1980s, which led to conflicts with local residents due to increased traffic and litter as well as the use of town facilities without payment.<ref>{{cite news |last=Browder |first=Seanna |date=January 25, 1986 |title=Rapids up ahead for Skykomish rafters |page=1A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-rapids-up-ahead-for-sky/171663262/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 3, 2025}}</ref> In 1986, the town government approved a plan to build a paid [[boat ramp]] and parking facilities for rafting companies as part of a compromise to address the traffic and litter issues.<ref>{{cite news |last=Browder |first=Seanna |date=March 4, 1986 |title=Index to build rafter facilities and charge fees |page=1B |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-index-to-build-rafter-f/171663291/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 3, 2025}}</ref>

From 1980 to 1990, the town's population declined by 5.4{{nbsp}}percent despite a boom in the number of new vacation homes built in Index and the surrounding area. Most permanent residents continued to commute out of Index to job centers in western Snohomish and King counties.<ref name="Times-1991">{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Diane |date=June 5, 1991 |title=Living the quiet life |page=H1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The town's lone road crossing over the Skykomish River, a one-lane [[timber bridge]], was replaced in September 1999 by a modern concrete bridge. The $4{{nbsp}}million project (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|4000000|1999}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} was primarily funded by the county and federal governments and had been initially opposed by local residents.<ref name="Herald-Bridge1999">{{cite news |last=Moriarty |first=Leslie |date=September 30, 1999 |title=Taking a ride: Bridge's namesake goes for first drive across new span, last spin across old |page=B1 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-taking-a-ride-bridges/164813421/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 5, 2025}}</ref> Index's population had declined to approximately 150 by 1997, but the town government began planning infrastructure projects that would accommodate future population growth, including the replacement of [[septic tank]]s with a modern sewage system and a [[wastewater treatment plant]]. A new hiking trail to [[Lake Serene]] was constructed by the United States Forest Service with a large parking lot and other amenities in anticipation of high demand.<ref name="PI-Change"/>

The state government began purchasing land around the Index Town Wall in the early 1990s and formally proposed the creation of a new {{convert|1,300|acre|ha|adj=mid}} [[state park]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Haley |first=Jim |date=June 6, 1999 |title=Index area soon may be gateway to new state park |page=1B |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-index-area-soon-may-be/171664299/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 4, 2025}}</ref> It was named [[Forks of the Sky State Park]] and the Town Wall was donated to expand the park in 2010.<ref name="PI-Wall"/><ref name="Herald-Crag">{{cite news |last=Dominguez |first=Alejandro |date=September 20, 2010 |title=Crag now part of park |page=B1 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-crag-now-part-of-park/171664317/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 4, 2025}}</ref> A nearby portion of the [[Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest]] was designated as the [[Wild Sky Wilderness]] by the federal government in 2008 to protect over {{convert|106,000|acre|ha}} of alpine habitat for wildlife.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheets |first=Bill |date=May 31, 2008 |title=Victory lap at Wild Sky |page=A1 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-victory-lap-at-wild-sky/171664614/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 4, 2025}}</ref> The Skykomish River flooded portions of Index on November 6, 2006, and caused $7{{nbsp}}million in recorded damage locally, including washouts on portions of Index–Galena Road that were not fully repaired until 2023.<ref name="Herald-GalenaRd"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Velush |first=Lukas |date=November 24, 2006 |title=Route will need years of repair |page=A1 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-route-will-need-years-o/171664815/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 4, 2025}}</ref> Additional recreation areas around the town were developed in the 2000s through a nonprofit conservation group that was organized in response to a 2006 proposal to begin [[clearcutting]] for timber harvesting on Heybrook Ridge. The group raised $600,000 to acquire the land and partnered with the county government to develop Heybrook Ridge County Park, which opened in 2017.<ref name="Herald-Hoedown">{{cite news |last=Nile |first=Amy |date=October 24, 2014 |title=Index hoedown aims to blaze new trails |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/index-hoedown-aims-to-blaze-new-trails/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 5, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Rikki |date=April 10, 2016 |title=New trails with easier access coming to park near Index |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/new-trails-with-easier-access-coming-to-park-near-index/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 9, 2025}}</ref>

The [[Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife]], in a partnership with the [[Tulalip Tribes]], published plans in 2021 to construct a [[fish hatchery]] near [[Sunset Falls]]. The hatchery aims to increase the population of native [[steelhead trout]] in the Skykomish River, which had been stocked with imported trout from the [[Columbia River]] basin.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sanders |first=Julia-Grace |date=March 4, 2021 |title=New hatchery on Skykomish to end practice of importing fish |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/new-hatchery-on-skykomish-to-end-practice-of-importing-fish/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=May 4, 2025}}</ref>