Rainier, Washington
Encyclopedia
Rainier is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Beginning as a train stop in the 1870s, Rainier was first settled in 1890, and was officially incorporated in 1947. The population was 1,794 at the 2010 U.S. Census.
and Tacoma. Situated amidst the ‘ten al quelth’ prairies (Lushootseed
for "the best yet",) it was named for its view of Mount Rainier
. In 1890, Albert and Maria Gehrke were the first permanent settlers to homestead
in Rainier; later that year a post office was established. Rainier was officially platted in 1891.
In 1896, the community's first full time school and church was built by Albert Gehrke and his two brothers, Theodore and Paul; the building is now a state historic landmark.
1n 1906, the Bob White Lumber Company opened, bringing prosperity to the area through logging
and sawmilling. Other lumber companies, such as Deschutes, Gruber and Docherty, and Fir Tree, were soon attracted to the area as well. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, several of these mill operations and many of the local buildings were destroyed by a series of fires, leading many residents to seek work at Weyerhaeuser
Lumber at nearby Vail, which is now a ghost town
.
Rainier's 1940 population was 500. In 1941, the WPA
Guide to Washington described Rainier as "the social center for farmers and loggers of the vicinity, although its closed mills and vacant houses mark it as a ghost lumber town."
Rainier was officially incorporated on October 23, 1947.
, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.2 km2), all of it land. In terms of land cover, 18% (179 acre
s) of the city is urban, 27% (267 acres (1.1 km²)) is forested, and 55% (540 acres (2.2 km²)) is covered with non-forest vegetation and soils.
The climate
of Rainier tends to be relatively mild. Although the temperature reached a record high of 104 Fahrenheit in 1981, the average temperature of the hottest month, August, is 77 °F. Similarly, while the record low temperature was -8 °F in 1979, the average temperature of January, the coldest month, is 32 Fahrenheit. With an average of 8.13 inches of rainfall, November is the wettest month.
, and 3.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.
There were 530 households out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 30.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in Rainier was $42,955, and the median income for a family was $44,226. Males had a median income of $34,609 versus $27,375 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,636. About 6.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
s. In the center of town, the Veterans Memorial Park is dedicated to "all veterans, active duty personnel, reservists of the armed services, and members of police and fire services, and any individual or group that serves our community and country."
Nearby, Wilkowksi Park is the site of the Rainier Roundup, the city's annual bluegrass music
festival occurring on the fourth weekend in August. Beside the park
, the Yelm–Tenino Trail connects the cities of Yelm
, Rainier, and Tenino
in a paved pathway for walkers
and bikers
.
Other parks in Rainier include Gehrke Park, Holiday Park, and Raintree Park.
of Rainier is Randall Schleis. The city council
consists of councilmembers Kristin Guizzetti, Robert Shaw, Rick Succow, Christine Winslow, and Dennis McVey, who acts as Mayor Pro Tem
.
Other government positions in Rainier include that of City Administrator & Clerk–Treasurer
Charmayne Garrison, City Attorney
William Cameron, Fire Chief
Rita Hutcheson, and Public Works Director
Ronald V. Gibson.
consists of an elementary school
, a middle school
, and a high school
. As of May 2009, the district's enrollment was 1206 students, taught by 59 teachers. As of June 2010, the superintendent
of the district is Tim Garchow.
As of May 2009, Rainier Elementary School was serving 555 students, grades K-5, with Paulette Johnson as principal. The enrollment of Rainier Middle School, which serves grades 6-8, was 283 as of 2009, with the principal being Chris Pollard. Rainier High School
, served by Principal Wally Lis, included 368 students, grades 9-12, in 2009.
parent corporation of the Rainier Area Building Community, the Rainier Historical Society has been restoring Rainier's historic schoolhouse, which was built in 1915, and converting it into a community center known as the Lifelong Learning Center. In 2005, the Rainier Food Bank
was opened at the site, serving patrons on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A thrift store was also opened, with the proceeds going to fund the operational costs of the building. An art gallery
and public meeting rooms followed. In November 2009, the Rainier Volunteer Library
opened at the center, featuring a collection of donated books available for borrowing. A partnership with the Timberland Regional Library
brought the addition of a computer kiosk and the ability to pick up reserved books from the Timberland Regional Library system at the Rainier Volunteer Library.
Rainier hosts several annual events. In August, Rainier Roundup Days include a community parade
and a bluegrass music
festival. Also in August, the Rainier Community & Alumni Celebration is held to honor all past & present residents of Rainier. July 2010 marks the community's seventh annual Relay for Life
, during which, over an 18-hour time frame, participants walk around the high school track
to raise money for the American Cancer Society
.
History
Rainier began in the 1870s as a stop on the Northern Pacific Railroad line between Kalama, WashingtonKalama, Washington
Kalama is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is part of the 'Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,344 at the 2010 census.-History:...
and Tacoma. Situated amidst the ‘ten al quelth’ prairies (Lushootseed
Lushootseed
Lushootseed is the language or dialect continuum of several SalishNative American groups of modern-day Washington state...
for "the best yet",) it was named for its view of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
. In 1890, Albert and Maria Gehrke were the first permanent settlers to homestead
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
in Rainier; later that year a post office was established. Rainier was officially platted in 1891.
In 1896, the community's first full time school and church was built by Albert Gehrke and his two brothers, Theodore and Paul; the building is now a state historic landmark.
1n 1906, the Bob White Lumber Company opened, bringing prosperity to the area through logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
and sawmilling. Other lumber companies, such as Deschutes, Gruber and Docherty, and Fir Tree, were soon attracted to the area as well. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, several of these mill operations and many of the local buildings were destroyed by a series of fires, leading many residents to seek work at Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It is the world's largest private sector owner of softwood timberland; and the second largest owner of United States timberland, behind Plum Creek Timber...
Lumber at nearby Vail, which is now a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
.
Rainier's 1940 population was 500. In 1941, the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
Guide to Washington described Rainier as "the social center for farmers and loggers of the vicinity, although its closed mills and vacant houses mark it as a ghost lumber town."
Rainier was officially incorporated on October 23, 1947.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 1.6 square miles (4.2 km2), all of it land. In terms of land cover, 18% (179 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s) of the city is urban, 27% (267 acres (1.1 km²)) is forested, and 55% (540 acres (2.2 km²)) is covered with non-forest vegetation and soils.
The climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
of Rainier tends to be relatively mild. Although the temperature reached a record high of 104 Fahrenheit in 1981, the average temperature of the hottest month, August, is 77 °F. Similarly, while the record low temperature was -8 °F in 1979, the average temperature of January, the coldest month, is 32 Fahrenheit. With an average of 8.13 inches of rainfall, November is the wettest month.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,492 people, 530 households, and 410 families residing in Rainier. The population density was 922.8 people per square mile (355.6/km2). There were 551 housing units at an average density of 340.8 per square mile (131.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.56% White, 0.54% African American, 1.81% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 0.80% from other racesRace (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 3.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.
There were 530 households out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 30.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in Rainier was $42,955, and the median income for a family was $44,226. Males had a median income of $34,609 versus $27,375 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 $16,636. About 6.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Parks and recreation
Rainier features eight acres of parkPark
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s. In the center of town, the Veterans Memorial Park is dedicated to "all veterans, active duty personnel, reservists of the armed services, and members of police and fire services, and any individual or group that serves our community and country."
Nearby, Wilkowksi Park is the site of the Rainier Roundup, the city's annual bluegrass music
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
festival occurring on the fourth weekend in August. Beside the park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
, the Yelm–Tenino Trail connects the cities of Yelm
Yelm, Washington
Yelm is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,848 at the 2010 census. Yelm ranked 10th of 279 eligible incorporated communities in the state of Washington for population growth between 2000 and 2010.-History:...
, Rainier, and Tenino
Tenino, Washington
Tenino is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2010 census.-History:Tenino was officially incorporated on July 24, 1906, though it existed as a rural community since the mid-19th century...
in a paved pathway for walkers
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
and bikers
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
.
Other parks in Rainier include Gehrke Park, Holiday Park, and Raintree Park.
Government
The government of Rainier is comprised a mayor and a city council. As of 2010, the mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Rainier is Randall Schleis. The city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
consists of councilmembers Kristin Guizzetti, Robert Shaw, Rick Succow, Christine Winslow, and Dennis McVey, who acts as Mayor Pro Tem
Pro tempore
Pro tempore , abbreviated pro tem or p.t., is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a locum tenens in the absence of a superior, such as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate.Legislative...
.
Other government positions in Rainier include that of City Administrator & Clerk–Treasurer
City Treasurer
The City Treasurer is a position of responsibility for a city according to the prevailing laws in that city.The treasurer of a public agency is elected by the voting public or is appointed by the city council or city manager...
Charmayne Garrison, City Attorney
City attorney
A city attorney can be an elected or appointed position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the city or municipality....
William Cameron, Fire Chief
Fire chief
Fire Chief is a top executive rank or commanding officer in a fire department, either elected or appointed...
Rita Hutcheson, and Public Works Director
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
Ronald V. Gibson.
Education
Rainier is served by the Rainier School District. The districtSchool district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
consists of an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, a middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, and a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. As of May 2009, the district's enrollment was 1206 students, taught by 59 teachers. As of June 2010, the superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of the district is Tim Garchow.
As of May 2009, Rainier Elementary School was serving 555 students, grades K-5, with Paulette Johnson as principal. The enrollment of Rainier Middle School, which serves grades 6-8, was 283 as of 2009, with the principal being Chris Pollard. Rainier High School
Rainier High School (Washington)
Rainier High School, located in Rainier, Washington, was established in 1909. As of the 2009-2010 school year, it provides instruction for approximately 300 students in grades 9-12 with a staff of about 20 full time and part time instructors. The school was named a 2007 Washington State School of...
, served by Principal Wally Lis, included 368 students, grades 9-12, in 2009.
Community
Under the non-profitNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
parent corporation of the Rainier Area Building Community, the Rainier Historical Society has been restoring Rainier's historic schoolhouse, which was built in 1915, and converting it into a community center known as the Lifelong Learning Center. In 2005, the Rainier Food Bank
Food bank
A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...
was opened at the site, serving patrons on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A thrift store was also opened, with the proceeds going to fund the operational costs of the building. An art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
and public meeting rooms followed. In November 2009, the Rainier Volunteer Library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
opened at the center, featuring a collection of donated books available for borrowing. A partnership with the Timberland Regional Library
Timberland Regional Library
Timberland Regional Library is a public library system serving the residents of southwestern Washington state, USA including Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties...
brought the addition of a computer kiosk and the ability to pick up reserved books from the Timberland Regional Library system at the Rainier Volunteer Library.
Rainier hosts several annual events. In August, Rainier Roundup Days include a community parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
and a bluegrass music
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
festival. Also in August, the Rainier Community & Alumni Celebration is held to honor all past & present residents of Rainier. July 2010 marks the community's seventh annual Relay for Life
Relay For Life
Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
, during which, over an 18-hour time frame, participants walk around the high school track
Rainier High School (Washington)
Rainier High School, located in Rainier, Washington, was established in 1909. As of the 2009-2010 school year, it provides instruction for approximately 300 students in grades 9-12 with a staff of about 20 full time and part time instructors. The school was named a 2007 Washington State School of...
to raise money for the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
.