Mrs. Pond, Clara, Clemens and Major Pond. Crossing the Rockies. The Great Northern. August 9.
Mark Twain Archive, Elmira College courtesy of Kevin Mac Donnell, Austin, Texas.

Major Pond either was mistaken about the location, "crossing the Rockies", or he was unaware that these were the Cascades they were crossing. Twain remarked in his journal that they had stopped a short distance from Wellington and threw rocks down the precipice. Embro is the most likely spot for this.

A small huddle of frame dwellings once sat at the east portal of the Cascade Tunnel, adjacent to the railroad station. The tunnel, approximately eight miles long and one of the largest projects of its kind in the country, was completed in 1929. Only four or five Alpine railway tunnels are longer than the new Cascade. Although the tunnel is still in use, Berne is no longer a residential community but a maintenance facility center for the railroad. The road to the center and eastern tunnel is private.

The Great Northern Railway and the Wenatchee Development Company Build a New Town. Although located as a mid-point between Spokane and Seattle, the Wenatchee Valley was largely inaccessible because it is surrounded by mountains. Despite topographical limitations, the City's great potential as a productive agricultural region and business center did not go unnoticed. With this vision in mind, a group of Seattle businessman formed the Wenatchee Improvement Company in December 1890 to acquire property and build a town.