Stanwood, Washington

Stanwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The city is located 50 miles (80 km) north of Seattle, at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River near Camano Island. As of the 2010 census, its population is 6,231.

Stanwood was founded in 1866 as Centerville, adopting its current name in 1877 after the arrival of postmaster Daniel O. Pearson. It was platted in 1889 and incorporated as a city in 1903. The city was bypassed by the Great Northern Railway, which built a depot one mile (1.6 km) east that grew into its own separate town, incorporated in 1922 as East Stanwood. The two Stanwoods were civic rivals for several decades, until their governments were consolidated after a 1960 referendum was approved by voters.

The city was historically home to several food processing plants, which were its largest employers, and was mainly populated by Scandinavians. Since the 1990s, Stanwood has grown into a bedroom community for Seattle and Everett and has annexed uphill areas that were developed into suburban subdivisions. Stanwood is primarily served by State Route 532, which connects Camano Island to Interstate 5, and also has a train station that opened in 2009.

Touchet, Washington

The original inhabitants of the Walla Walla valley were the Nimi'ipuu people. These people, which originally included bands of Palouse, Yakamas, Umatilla, Walla Walla and Wanapum, were collectively renamed Nez Perce by Lewis and Clark when they passed through the Walla Walla Valley on their return journey in 1806.[3][4]

The Walla Walla & Columbia River Railroad from Wallula to Walla Walla was not completed until 1875, but by March 1874, 16 miles of track were completed up to Touchet. By the end of that year Touchet farmers shipped 4,000 tons of wheat and received 1,100 tons of merchandise.[6]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 396 people, 135 households, and 112 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 326.1 people per square mile (126.4/km²). There were 140 housing units at an average density of 115.3/sq mi (44.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.68% White, 0.76% Native American, 4.29% from other races, and 2.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.66% of the population.

Washougal, Washington

This small community is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River, with its lowlands and famous prairie situated on the west entrance to the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Motorists who approach Washougal from the west on the Lewis & Clark Highway can see Mount Hood rising above the Cascade Mountains framed by the columnar cliffs that signal the gateway of the Gorge. It is home to Excelsior High School and Washougal High School.

It can be accurately stated that Washougal is the "crossroads to discovery" in the Pacific Northwest. Shortly after Capt. Robert Gray, a Boston fur trader, entered the mouth of the Columbia River in May 1792, the famed British explorer George Vancouver traveled to the region to verify Gray's discovery. In October 1792, Vancouver directed a young Lieutenant named William Broughton to lead a party of men in a long boat up the Columbia to explore its head waters. Broughton came as far as present day Washougal and landed near the east end of Reed Island. He named Mount Hood after a British admiral and Point Vancouver after his commanding officer. Broughton incorrectly assumed the head waters of the Columbia originated from Mount Hood. In reality, the river originates some 1,000 miles to the north and east in Canada, but it would be 18 years later before the entire river was charted by another famed British explorer named David Thompson.

Captain Gray's discovery of the Columbia opened trade between Europeans and Chinook Indians who lived along the lower Columbia between the Cascade region and the river's mouth. U.S., British, Spanish and Russian fur traders bartered for sea otter and beaver skins in the late 18th century. Then, another important group of explorers visited the region in 1805–1806, but this group came from the east, which marked the first cross-continental expedition. These famed explorers were Meriwether Lewis & William Clark.

Zillah, Washington

Zillah is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States, with a population of 2,964 as of 2010 census. Tourist attractions include the Teapot Dome Service Station, the fortuitously named Church of God Zillah and a number of local wineries.

Zillah was founded in 1891 following the completion of the Sunnyside Canal project, an irrigation scheme delivering water from the Yakima River to the arid lower Yakima Valley. Walter Granger, superintendent of the canal company, chose the town site in 1892. The town was named for Miss Zillah Oakes, daughter of Thomas Fletcher Oakes, who, as president of the Northern Pacific Railway, had backed the building of the canal. The town was named after Miss Zillah because she would scream and cry on the way to the new town, while on the trip her father promised to name the town after her if she would stop. Granger housed the headquarters of the Washington Irrigation Company in Zillah, giving it economical advantages for a time. He also made his residency in Zillah, becoming its mayor after retiring from the irrigation company. Zillah was officially incorporated on January 5, 1911.[7]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 2,964 people, 1,033 households, and 741 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,665.2 inhabitants per square mile (642.9/km2). There were 1,105 housing units at an average density of 620.8 per square mile (239.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 63.8% White, 0.3% African American, 3.8% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 27.1% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.5% of the population.

Starbuck, Washington

Named for railroad official W. H. Starbuck, the town was originally a junction on the main line of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. The town was platted in 1894, and built its first bank ten years later. In 1886, the railroad completed a line eastward from Starbuck to Pomeroy and Pataha City in Garfield County (This line remained in operation until 1981). The town was officially incorporated on September 18, 1905. In 1910, a large brick school was built.[6]

In 1914 a bridge over the Snake River was completed downstream from Lyon's Ferry, which greatly diminished the railroad traffic through the town. The economy of the town turned to agriculture, but in 1929 the bank failed. The town's population dwindled steadily until the mid twentieth century. The High School shut down in 1956, and students had to bus to Dayton. In 1961, the railroad station was shut down as well.[6]

In 1968, the Snake River Bridge (originally built over the Columbia at Vantage in 1927, then disassembled in 1963) was re-assembled in the area, providing additional access over the Snake River. In 1970, the Little Goose Dam was completed about nine miles northeast of Starbuck.

Toutle, Washington

Toutle is an unincorporated community in Cowlitz County, Washington. Toutle is located 10 miles (16 km) east of Castle Rock along Washington State Route 504, which is also known as the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway.[2] The Toutle community, similar to Toutle River, takes its name from the Hullooetell, a band of the Skillot - a Chinookan tribe.[3] The Toutle community is part of the Toutle Lake School District, a K-12 school district of about 600 students. Toutle is near Mount St. Helens and the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, which lies at the end of the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States.

Washtucna, Washington

Washtucna is a town in Adams County, Washington, United States. The population was 208 at the 2010 census, a 20% decrease over the previous census. The town was named for a lake 12 miles from the town in Franklin County which was in turn named after a Palouse Native American chief.[5]

George Bassett, an Iowan settler homesteaded the future site of Washtucna in 1878[5] with his wife Alice Lancaster Bassett. Their goal was to raise horses, and until 1900 their ranch was the site of an annual roundup of wild horses. In 1882, the first Post Office in Adams County was established with Bassett as postmaster. The post office was taken over by T.C. Martin in 1894 who then opened the first store in Washtucna.

The first rail line into the area was completed by the Oregon Improvement Company in 1886, and shipped 30,000 bushels of wheat in its first five years. Several attempts at large-scale irrigation projects were attempted between 1892 and 1917, but all failed. Dry land wheat farming has persisted since that time.

Steilacoom, Washington

Steilacoom (/ˈstɪləkəm/) is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,985 at the 2010 census.[5] Steilacoom is on the coast of Puget Sound, on a branch not visible on the map to the right. Steilacoom incorporated in 1854 and became the first incorporated town in what is now Washington state. It has also become a bedroom community for soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The origin of the name "Steilacoom" is unclear. According to the Legacy Washington program, the town’s name is derived from an Indian word meaning “little pink flower.”[6] Another version is that it was named by fur traders with the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and is an adaptation of Tail-a-Koom, the name of an Indian chief. In 1824 HBC chief factor John Work called it "Chilacoom". Another early spelling was "Chelakom".[7][8] The Town of Steilacoom says it was named after the Steilacoom tribe, especially their main village in the Tacoma area, located on Chambers Bay. This village was called Scht’ləqʷəm, later anglicized as Steilacoom.[9]William Bright says the name comes from the Southern Coast Salish subgroup /č'tílqʷəbš/, anglicized as "Steilacoom".[10]

European-American settlement at Steilacoom was founded by Lafayette Balch, a sea captain from Maine, and it was officially incorporated in 1854. It is the oldest incorporated town in Washington. It has four individual buildings and sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the oldest Catholic Church in the state and the first Protestant Church north of the Columbia River, as well as the Steilacoom Historic District, with 68 contributing properties.

Tracyton, Washington

Tracyton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. Its population was 5,233 at the 2010 census. Tracyton was named for 19th century Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy.[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.3 km²), of which, 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) of it (37.45%) is water.

As of the census[1] of 2010, there are 5,233 people, 1,215 households, and 924 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 2,143.4 people per square mile (829.9/km²). There are 1,288 housing units at an average density of 845.0/sq mi (327.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 80.56% White, 3.67% African American, 0.73% Native American, 6.06% Asian, 0.98% Pacific Islander, 1.99% from other races, and 6.00% from two or more races. 3.61% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Waterville, Washington

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,138 people, 449 households, and 316 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,308.0 inhabitants per square mile (505.0/km2). There were 482 housing units at an average density of 554.0 per square mile (213.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.5% White, 1.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.8% of the population.

There were 449 households of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.6% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the town was 43.3 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.