Laurier–Cascade Border Crossing

In 1895, Cascade City was surveyed to form a townsite as a base for prospecting and a stop on the anticipated westward extension of the Columbia and Western Railway (C&W).{{Cite web | url=https://www.nelsonstar.com/community/carson-and-cascade-more-than-just-border-crossings/ |title=Nelson Star |date=2 Sep 2013 | website=www.nelsonstar.com}}

By 1897, the mining boom was drawing numerous prospectors from south of the border. To address the consequences, a customs office opened that year in the town.{{sfn|Legg|1962|p=47}} In August 1899, the rail head of the C&W, a Canadian Pacific Railway subsidiary, reached the town.{{Cite web | url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/greemine/1.0081981#p5z-3r0f:%22Cascade%22 |page=6 |title=Greenwood Miner |date=18 Aug 1899 |website=www.library.ubc.ca}} The same year, the customs office came under the administrative oversight of the Port of Grand Forks.{{sfn|Legg|1962|p=47}}

Under the Washington and Great Northern Railway (W&GN) charter, the Great Northern Railway (GN) laid track northward from Marcus (WA),{{cite book|last1=Turner |first1=Robert D. | last2=Wilkie |first2=J.S. David |pages=56–57|title=Steam Along the Boundary |publisher=Sono Nis Press |year=2007|isbn=978 1-55039-158-9}} reaching the border in March 1902.{{Cite web | url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/xphoenix/1.0186016#p3z-1r0f:%22inst%22 |page=4 |title=Phoenix Pioneer |date=8 Mar 1902 |website=www.library.ubc.ca}} On completion of the ongoing track, Canada Customs applied seals to those freight cars entering at Carson and Cascade, which were purely transiting between these two points.{{sfn|Legg|1962|p=46}}

In 1932, new customs facilities were erected. In 1948, the government bought the site from the Cascade Development Company.{{Cite web | url=https://ucut.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Comments-updated090816-min.pdf#page=293 |page=293 (15) |title=Cascade Border Crossing Project: Cultural Heritage Resources Assessment |date=6 Oct 2004 |website=ucut.org}} That year, the status was upgraded to the Port of Cascade City and oversight of the Carson crossing was transferred from Nelson.{{sfn|Legg|1962|p=47}} For decades, Washington residents have used the crossing to reach their summer cottages at Christina Lake.{{sfn|Legg|1962|pp=46–47}} Canada replaced the building in 2007.{{cn|date=April 2022}}

In 2020, a stolen vehicle rammed through the closed crossing barriers in the early hours. The driver was later detected fleeing on foot. His attempt to evade capture by jumping into the Kettle River ended after a two and a half hour float chase.{{Cite web | url=https://bc-cb.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=2087&languageId=1&contentId=65355 |title=RCMP News: Border Jumper leads police on 2.5 hour 'float chase' |date=27 Jul 2020 | website=rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}

The CBSA office is open 8am to 8pm.{{Cite web | url=https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/offices-bureaux/533-eng.html |title=CBSA: Cascade |website=www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca|date=17 May 2013 }}

File:Laurier_WA_border_station_1936.jpg

The crossing quickly became a popular smuggling route, especially for Chinese wishing to illegally enter the US.{{Cite web | url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/xnelsonecon/1.0184608#p4z-5r0f:%22smuggle%22 |page=5 |title=Nelson Economist |date=13 Sep 1902 |website=www.library.ubc.ca}}

The federal U.S. General Services Administration lists three buildings in Laurier, a border station and two border station residences, built in 1936.{{cite web |url=http://www.gsa.gov/portal/ext/html/site/hb/method/get/category/25431?actionParameter=buildingsBySearchForm&hostUri=portal&buildingVO.searchBy=CITY&hbContentPath=&state.id=49&selectedCities=Laurier&x=132&y=4&buildingVO.buildingType.id=-1&buildingVO.yearBegin=&buildingVO.yearFinish=# |title=Find a Building |publisher=U.S. General Services Administration |accessdate=November 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304132602/http://www.gsa.gov/portal/ext/html/site/hb/method/get/category/25431?actionParameter=buildingsBySearchForm&hostUri=portal&buildingVO.searchBy=CITY&hbContentPath=&state.id=49&selectedCities=Laurier&x=132&y=4&buildingVO.buildingType.id=-1&buildingVO.yearBegin=&buildingVO.yearFinish= |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}

The crossing operates 8am to midnight.{{Cite web | url=https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/oroville-wa-washington-3019 |title=US Customs and Border Protection: Oroville |website=www.cbp.gov}}

The Avey Field State Airport runway/landing strip crosses the international border. Departing passengers use the customs and immigration facilities at the crossing, which is adjacent to the airport’s parking lot.{{Cite web | url=https://www.borderpatroledu.org/washington/laurier |title=Border Patrol Presence in Laurier, Washington |website=www.borderpatroledu.org|date=4 February 2013 }} In 2021, a small plane overshot the runway.{{Cite web | url=https://www.grandforksgazette.ca/news/american-plane-makes-hard-landing-near-christina-lake |title=Grand Forks Gazette |date=17 Oct 2021 | website=www.grandforksgazette.ca}}

• List of Canada–United States border crossings

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Legg |first=Herbert |title=Customs Services in Western Canada, 1867–1925 |publisher=The Creston Review Ltd |year=1962}}

Category:Canada–United States border crossings

Category:Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Ferry County, Washington

Category:1897 establishments in British Columbia

Category:1897 establishments in Washington (state)

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