Fox Island, Washington
Encyclopedia
Fox Island is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Pierce County
, Washington, United States
, on an island of the same name in Puget Sound
. It is located approximately five miles from Gig Harbor
. The island was named Fox by Charles Wilkes
during the United States Exploring Expedition
, to honor J.L. Fox, an assistant surgeon on the expedition. The population was 3,633 at the 2010 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.5 km²), of which, 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) of it (18.31%) is water.
Fox Island is separated from the mainland by Hale Passage to the north. To the southwest, Carr Inlet
separates Fox Island from McNeil Island
.
, Peter Puget
led an exploration party through southern Puget Sound. After an encounter with local Indians ended with Puget ordering a musket fired as warning, the exploration party retreated to Fox Island, where they made camp for the night.
In 1856, during the Puget Sound War
, most of the Puyallup
and "non-hostile" Nisqually
Indians, totaling about 500 people, were removed to Fox Island. John Swan was assigned to supervise the encampment and distribute food provided by the territorial government. On January 5, 1856, Chief Leschi
and other "hostile" Indians arrived at Fox Island with a flotilla of canoes. Trusting Swan, they had come to talk about the war and how to resolve it. While the hostile Indians were on Fox Island, Captain Maurice Maloney took the steamship Beaver to the island, hoping to rescue Swan, but forgot to bring landing craft and was unable to send men ashore. Before Maloney could figure out what to do, Swan came to the shore and paddled a canoe to the Beaver. He told Maloney that there had been no violence, urged him to not come ashore, and said he had promised to return to the island, which he did. Maloney returned to Steilacoom and, along with other military officers, took another steamship, the USS Active from Steilacoom
to Seattle
to get a howitzer (which they failed to acquire), then back to Fox Island, hoping to capture Chief Leschi. But by the time the Active returned, more than 30 hours after Leschi had arrived on Fox Island, the hostile Indians had left.
By August 1856 the war was essentially over. Governor Isaac Stevens
went to the Indian encampment on Fox Island to renegotiate the 1854 Treaty of Medicine Creek
, which had been a major factor in the outbreak of war. Stevens agreed to new, larger reservations for both the Puyallup and Nisqually tribes.
The first non-Indians settled on Fox island in 1856, just after the war ended. One of the first real estate transactions was in 1881 when 56.5 acres (22.6 hectares) were sold for $118. By 1908 there were about 60 homes scattered across the island.
The most important change to this community happened in 1954 when the Fox Island Bridge was completed, connecting Fox Island to the mainland. This allowed easy access to businesses, schools, and medical facilities outside the island. In 1956 the population of the island was 120, by 2000 it had grown to more than 2,800.
On April 29, 1988, at 6:15 PM local time, a nuclear-powered US Navy submarine ran aground on Fox Island shortly after submerging to periscope depth while operating on the nearby Carr Inlet Acoustic Range, an underwater testing facility used to confirm the quietness of submarines following major repairs. The USS Sam Houston (SSN-609) was driven by Officer of the Deck (OOD) Lieutenant Jeffrey H. McClellen and was commanded by its captain Commander Philip J. Keuhlen, both graduates of the US Naval Academy. The incident earned McClellen the nickname "Lemon Head" and Keuhlen the nickname "Pee Wee." The ship remained aground for approximately 8 hours until high tide returned and tugboats were brought in to unstick the ship. No damage was done to the island, and the ship entered a drydock at the Bangor Naval Submarine Base for minor repairs to its hull.
In recent years, Fox Island has become a wealthy suburb of Gig Harbor and, via the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
, Tacoma
. This is mostly due to the amount of waterfront property on the island, in addition to being placed between the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainer. A large amount of the islands residential property have views. Based on per capita income
, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Fox Island ranks 29th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
of 2000, there were 2,803 people, 1,048 households, and 847 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 536.3 people per square mile (206.9/km²). There were 1,150 housing units at an average density of 220.0/sq mi (84.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.08% White, 0.64% African American, 0.75% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races
, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.
There were 1,048 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.4% were married couples
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $69,135, and the median income for a family was $72,284. Males had a median income of $61,208 versus $39,821 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $32,533. About 1.7% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Pierce County
Pierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on an island of the same name in Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. It is located approximately five miles from Gig Harbor
Gig Harbor, Washington
Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,126 at the 2010 census....
. The island was named Fox by Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
during the United States Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
, to honor J.L. Fox, an assistant surgeon on the expedition. The population was 3,633 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Fox Island is located at 47°14′39"N 122°37′12"W (47.244053, -122.619906). There is a dock on the north side of the island. The waters around the island are used for fishing and scuba diving.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.5 km²), of which, 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) of it (18.31%) is water.
Fox Island is separated from the mainland by Hale Passage to the north. To the southwest, Carr Inlet
Carr Inlet
Carr Inlet, in southern Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington, is an arm of water between Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor Peninsula. Its southern end is connected to the southern basin of Puget Sound. Northward, it separates McNeil Island and Fox Island as well as the peninsulas of Key and Gig...
separates Fox Island from McNeil Island
McNeil Island
McNeil Island is an island in western Puget Sound, located just west of Steilacoom, Washington, with a land area of 17.177 km² . It lies just north of Anderson Island. Fox Island is to the north, across Carr Inlet. To the west McNeil Island is separated from Key Peninsula by Pitt Passage. The...
.
History
In 1792, during the Vancouver ExpeditionVancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver. The expedition circumnavigated the globe, touched five continents and changed the course of history for the indigenous nations and several European empires and their...
, Peter Puget
Peter Puget
Peter Puget was an officer in the Royal Navy, best known for his exploration of Puget Sound.-Mr. Midshipman Puget:Puget's ancestors had fled France for Britain during Louis XIV's persecution of the Huguenots. His father, John, was a successful merchant and banker, but died in 1767, leaving Puget's...
led an exploration party through southern Puget Sound. After an encounter with local Indians ended with Puget ordering a musket fired as warning, the exploration party retreated to Fox Island, where they made camp for the night.
In 1856, during the Puget Sound War
Puget Sound War
The Puget Sound War was an armed conflict that took place in the Puget Sound area of the state of Washington in 1855–56, between the United States Military, local militias and members of the Native American tribes of the Nisqually, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Klickitat...
, most of the Puyallup
Puyallup (tribe)
The Puyallup are a Coast Salish Native American tribe from western Washington state, U.S.A. They were forcibly relocated onto reservation lands in what is today Tacoma, Washington, in late 1854, after signing the Treaty of Medicine Creek. The Puyallup Indian Reservation today is one of the most...
and "non-hostile" Nisqually
Nisqually (tribe)
Nisqually is a Lushootseed Native American tribe in western Washington state in the United States. The tribe lives on a reservation in the Nisqually River valley near the river delta. The Nisqually Indian Reservation, at , comprises 20.602 km² of land area on both sides of the river, in...
Indians, totaling about 500 people, were removed to Fox Island. John Swan was assigned to supervise the encampment and distribute food provided by the territorial government. On January 5, 1856, Chief Leschi
Chief Leschi
Chief Leschi was chief of the Nisqually Native American tribe. He was hanged for murder in 1858, but exonerated in 2004.-Life:...
and other "hostile" Indians arrived at Fox Island with a flotilla of canoes. Trusting Swan, they had come to talk about the war and how to resolve it. While the hostile Indians were on Fox Island, Captain Maurice Maloney took the steamship Beaver to the island, hoping to rescue Swan, but forgot to bring landing craft and was unable to send men ashore. Before Maloney could figure out what to do, Swan came to the shore and paddled a canoe to the Beaver. He told Maloney that there had been no violence, urged him to not come ashore, and said he had promised to return to the island, which he did. Maloney returned to Steilacoom and, along with other military officers, took another steamship, the USS Active from Steilacoom
Steilacoom, Washington
Steilacoom is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,985 at the 2010 census. Steilacoom is on the coast of Puget Sound, on a branch not visible on the map to the right...
to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
to get a howitzer (which they failed to acquire), then back to Fox Island, hoping to capture Chief Leschi. But by the time the Active returned, more than 30 hours after Leschi had arrived on Fox Island, the hostile Indians had left.
By August 1856 the war was essentially over. Governor Isaac Stevens
Isaac Stevens
Isaac Ingalls Stevens was the first governor of Washington Territory, a United States Congressman, and a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War until his death at the Battle of Chantilly...
went to the Indian encampment on Fox Island to renegotiate the 1854 Treaty of Medicine Creek
Treaty of Medicine Creek
The Treaty of Medicine Creek was an 1854 treaty between the United States, and the Nisqually, Puyallup and Squaxin Island tribes, along with six other smaller Native American tribes.-Site:...
, which had been a major factor in the outbreak of war. Stevens agreed to new, larger reservations for both the Puyallup and Nisqually tribes.
The first non-Indians settled on Fox island in 1856, just after the war ended. One of the first real estate transactions was in 1881 when 56.5 acres (22.6 hectares) were sold for $118. By 1908 there were about 60 homes scattered across the island.
The most important change to this community happened in 1954 when the Fox Island Bridge was completed, connecting Fox Island to the mainland. This allowed easy access to businesses, schools, and medical facilities outside the island. In 1956 the population of the island was 120, by 2000 it had grown to more than 2,800.
On April 29, 1988, at 6:15 PM local time, a nuclear-powered US Navy submarine ran aground on Fox Island shortly after submerging to periscope depth while operating on the nearby Carr Inlet Acoustic Range, an underwater testing facility used to confirm the quietness of submarines following major repairs. The USS Sam Houston (SSN-609) was driven by Officer of the Deck (OOD) Lieutenant Jeffrey H. McClellen and was commanded by its captain Commander Philip J. Keuhlen, both graduates of the US Naval Academy. The incident earned McClellen the nickname "Lemon Head" and Keuhlen the nickname "Pee Wee." The ship remained aground for approximately 8 hours until high tide returned and tugboats were brought in to unstick the ship. No damage was done to the island, and the ship entered a drydock at the Bangor Naval Submarine Base for minor repairs to its hull.
In recent years, Fox Island has become a wealthy suburb of Gig Harbor and, via the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
Tacoma Narrows Bridge
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a pair of twin suspension bridges in the U.S. state of Washington, which carry State Route 16 across the Tacoma Narrows strait of Puget Sound between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula...
, Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. This is mostly due to the amount of waterfront property on the island, in addition to being placed between the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainer. A large amount of the islands residential property have views. Based on per capita income
Washington locations by per capita income
Washington is the twelfth richest state in the United States of America, with a per capita income of $22,973 and a personal per capita income of $33,332 .-Washington counties ranked by per capita income:...
, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Fox Island ranks 29th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,803 people, 1,048 households, and 847 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 536.3 people per square mile (206.9/km²). There were 1,150 housing units at an average density of 220.0/sq mi (84.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.08% White, 0.64% African American, 0.75% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.
There were 1,048 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $69,135, and the median income for a family was $72,284. Males had a median income of $61,208 versus $39,821 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $32,533. About 1.7% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.