Newcastle, Washington
Encyclopedia
Newcastle is an Eastside
Eastside (King County, Washington)
File:Seattle-lakewashington-lakesammamish.PNG|250px|right|The Eastside is to the right of Seattle.# rough city boundariespoly 137 256 148 256 158 194 172 179 172 237 212 266 133 266Renton...

  city in King County, Washington
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....

, United States. Its population was 10,380 at the 2010 census.

Although Newcastle was not incorporated until 1994, it has been an important settlement and town since the late 19th century and played a major role in the development of Seattle and the Seattle region. Newcastle was one of the region's earliest coal mining areas and its railroad link to Seattle was the first in King County. Timber also played a role in the early history of Newcastle. Coal delivered by rail from Newcastle's mines to Seattle fueled the growth of the Port of Seattle and attracted railroads, most notably the Great Northern Railway.

The Newcastle coal mine began producing coal by the 1870s. More than 13 million tons of coal had been extracted by the time the mine closed in 1963. Newcastle's coal mining legacy, and the mines many Chinese laborers, remains in place names such as Coal Creek
Coal Creek (Washington)
Coal Creek is a creek in Newcastle, Washington, on Seattle's Eastside. It is named for the coal mining industry prominent in the area in the 19th century. There is a popular trail which parallels the creek, allowing views of defunct coal mining equipment and even some bits of coal sitting on the...

, Coal Creek Parkway, and China Creek Golf Course.

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:...

 Newcastle ranks 23rd of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked. In CNN Money's 2011 rankings of best places to live in the United States, Newcastle was in the top 20, along with nearby Sammamish, WA
Sammamish, Washington
-Surrounding cities and communities:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,104 people, 11,131 households, and 9,650 families residing in the city. In 2007, the population is expected to pass 40,000....

. In Newsweek's 2009 rankings of best places to live in the United States, Newcastle was honored with the 17th spot.


History

Newcastle was most likely named after Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

 in England, as it was originally a coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...

 town founded in the 1870s. Coal was discovered along Coal Creek in 1863. The surveyors Philip H. Lewis and Edwin Richardson made the discovery while surveying the area for the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...

. By 1872 75-100 tons of coal per day were being produced at Newcastle. About 60 men worked at the mines. The Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad
Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad
The Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad was the first railroad in Seattle, Washington...

, the first railroad in King County, was built from Seattle to Newcastle in the late 19th century. Coal mining ended in 1963. The area was an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 within King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....

 until it incorporated as a city on September 30, 1994. Currently the city is a suburban community. Most residents work in nearby 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...

, Bellevue
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...

, or Renton
Renton, Washington
Renton is an Eastside edge city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. Founded in the 1860s, Renton became a supply town for the Newcastle coal fields...

. Notable attractions of the area include the Golf Club at Newcastle, a brand new Family YMCA, Lake Boren Park, nearby Cougar Mountain
Cougar Mountain
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is a regional park in King County, Washington, near the towns of Bellevue and Issaquah. The park was established in June 1983 to protect the central core of Cougar Mountain...

, and Newcastle's many parks and trails.

The city is currently working to obtain its own zip code, as postage taxes are going to Renton
Renton, Washington
Renton is an Eastside edge city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. Founded in the 1860s, Renton became a supply town for the Newcastle coal fields...

 instead of to the belonging Newcastle.

Geography

Newcastle is located at 47.533215°N 122.172101°W (47.533215, -122.172101). Coal Creek
Coal Creek (Washington)
Coal Creek is a creek in Newcastle, Washington, on Seattle's Eastside. It is named for the coal mining industry prominent in the area in the 19th century. There is a popular trail which parallels the creek, allowing views of defunct coal mining equipment and even some bits of coal sitting on the...

 flows through the city from the Issaquah Alps
Issaquah Alps
The Issaquah Alps are the highlands near Issaquah, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, including Cougar Mountain, Squak Mountain, Tiger Mountain, Taylor Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge, Rattlesnake Mountain, and Grand Ridge...

 to Lake Washington.

Bordering Newcastle to the north is Bellevue
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...

, to the south is Renton
Renton, Washington
Renton is an Eastside edge city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. Founded in the 1860s, Renton became a supply town for the Newcastle coal fields...

, to the east is Issaquah
Issaquah, Washington
Issaquah is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 30,434 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, Issaquah ranks 25th of 522 areas in the State of Washington to be ranked....

, and to the west is Lake Washington
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...

.

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 city has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.6 km²), of which, 4.5 square miles (11.6 km²) of it is land and 0.22% is water.

Newcastle is near the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

 Headquarters and training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center
Virginia Mason Athletic Center
The Virginia Mason Athletic Center is a privately funded sporting facility situated on of industrial property along the shores of Lake Washington in Renton, Washington. It is the headquarters and practice facility for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. The team holds mini-camps and training camp here...

 in Renton.

Schools

The City of Newcastle is served by two school districts with the boundary line roughly going north-south just to the west of Coal Creek Parkway. The two "in-city" schools are Newcastle elementary, which is operated by the Issaquah School District 411 and Hazlewood elementary, which is operated by Renton School District.

District: Issaquah School District
Issaquah School District
Issaquah School District No. 411 is a public school district in King County, Washington, USA, serving the city of Issaquah as well as portions of Sammamish, Renton, Bellevue, and Newcastle....

 411

Schools: Newcastle Elementary School, Maywood Middle School, Liberty Senior High School
Liberty Senior High School
Liberty High School, also known as Liberty Senior High School or LHS, is a secondary school located in the East Renton Highlands in King County, Washington. Founded in 1977, Liberty anchors the southern region of the Issaquah School District which includes the areas of Mirrormont, Issaquah, Four...



Neighborhoods Highlands at Newcastle, East Olympus, Mile Post, Lake Boren, The Trails at Newcastle, China Creek, China Falls, Reserve at Newcastle, The Golf Club at Newcastle

District: Renton School District
Renton School District
Renton School District 403 is a public school district serving Renton, Washington, USA and southern portions of the adjacent cities of Seattle and Newcastle...

, http://www.renton.wednet.edu

Schools: Hazelwood Elementary School, McKnight Middle School, Hazen High School
Hazen High School
Oliver M. Hazen High School is a secondary school located in the Renton Highlands of Renton, Washington, in the greater Seattle area.- History :...



Neighborhoods Lake Washington Ridge, West Olympus, Hazelwood

Politics

The city council is the legislative branch of Newcastle city government and is the chief policy-making body.

The role of the city council is to establish policies and to enact ordinances and resolutions that are deemed to be in the city's best interests. The city council hires a city manager to ensure that the council's policies, ordinances, and resolutions are implemented.

The policy-making work of the city council is aided by the parks and planning commissions. Members of those commissions are recommended by the mayor and confirmed by a majority of the council.

The current mayor (2008) is John Dulcich. Other councilmembers are: Bill Erxleven, Lisa Jensen, Carol Simpson, Steve Buri, Sonny Putter, and Rich Crispo.

Interim city manager Rob Wyman is the chief executive officer of the municipal corporation and administers the day-to-day operations of the city. The city manager seeks to implement the policy direction established by the city council, and also brings to the city council policy items for its consideration and action. Wyman was appointed as an interim replacement for former city manager John Starbard after a January 12, 2010, meeting in which the city council voted 6-1 to fire Starbard, effective immediately.

The duties of the city manager include supervising the administrative affairs of the city, appointing all employees and addressing all personnel matters, preparing a recommended operating and capital budget for the fiscal year, and working with staff to see that the city's laws and ordinances are carried out (see RCW 35A.13.080).

While most projects and services are assigned to the city's operating departments, the Office of the city manager often provides the lead staffing support to certain high priorities, such as new initiatives, special real estate transactions, or activities that involve intergovernmental relations.

Newcastle is located in the 41st Legislative District. The state senator is Steve Litzow (R) and the two state representatives are Marcie Maxwell (D) and Judy Clibborn (D). The King County Councilmember representing Newcastle is Reagan Dunn (R).

Newcastle is located in the 8th Congressional District. The two US Senators are Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell
Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....

 (D) and Patty Murray
Patty Murray
Patricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...

 (D), and the US Representative is Dave Reichert
Dave Reichert
David George Reichert is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as Sheriff of King County, Washington.-Early life, education and career:...

 (R).

Newcastle leans toward the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...

 received 55 percent of the vote here, defeating Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

, who received around 44 percent.

Police

Newcastle contracts with the King County Sheriff's Office for police services. Deputies assigned to Newcastle wear city uniforms and drive patrol cars marked with the city logo. There are currently 6 patrol officers and one chief assigned full time to the city.

Surrounding Cities

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 7,737 people, 3,028 households, and 2,189 families residing in the city. 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 1,731.5 people per square mile (668.3/km²). There were 3,117 housing units at an average density of 697.6 per square mile (269.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.05% White, 1.62% African American, 0.45% Native American, 18.25% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 1.36% 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 3.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.88% of the population.

There were 3,028 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.7% 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, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $80,320, and the median income for a family was $91,381. Males had a median income of $60,639 versus $41,868 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 city was $35,057. About 1.8% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Although the present-day African American population of Newcastle is small, in the 1880s when it was a mining center, Newcastle had the 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...

 area's largest African American population, greater even than that of Seattle.

Notable residents

James Hasty
James Hasty
James Edward Hasty is a former professional American football cornerback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders from 1988 to 2001.-Football career:...

 - Former NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

 and the New York Jets.

Mack Strong
Mack Strong
Mack Carlington Strong is a former professional American football fullback and running back coach for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He currently is a football sportscaster for Root Sports Northwest...

 - Former NFL Player for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

. He was a fullback.

Alan White
Alan White (Yes drummer)
Alan White is an English rock drummer known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. White was also a member of the Plastic Ono Band, playing live in 1969 at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, which was recorded and released three months later as Live Peace in Toronto 1969...

 - Drummer for the progressive rock band Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...

.

Marcus Trufant
Marcus Trufant
Marcus Lavon Trufant is an American football cornerback who plays for the Seattle Seahawks. He was originally drafted by the Seahawks 11th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington State.-Early years:...

 - Current NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

. He is a defensive corner back.

John Carlson
John Carlson
John Carlson is an American talk radio host on KOMO 1000 NewsradioFisher BroadcastingHe also co-hosted a show from 12:00PM to 2:00PM pacific time called The Commentators, with John Carlson and Ken Schram. The Commentators was discontinued in September, 2010, and starting September 20, 2010,...

 - Current NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks. He is a tight end.

City landmarks

The City of Newcastle has designated the following landmarks:
Landmark Built Listed Address Photo
Newcastle Cemetery c. 1870 1982 SW of 69th Way off 129th Avenue SE
Pacific Coast Coal Co. House#75 1870s 1982 7210 138th Avenue SE
Newcastle Shell 1960s 1991 6420 Lake Washington Blvd. SE
Thomas Rouse Road 1880 1984 136th SE & 144th Place SE

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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