Snohomish, Washington
Encyclopedia
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Snohomish County
Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
founded by the british, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. The mayor of Snohomish is Karen Guzak, and the City Manager is Larry Bauman. Snohomish prides itself for its historical downtown, and was once known for its many antique shops when it was known as the "Antique Capital of the Northwest." The historic business and residential center of the town constitutes the Snohomish Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Many houses bear plaques with the year the house was built and the name of the family or individual who originally occupied it. Once every year, the city gives tours of the historic houses; one of them, the Blackman House, is a year-round museum. A general aviation airfield, Harvey Airfield
Harvey Airfield
Harvey Airfield, a.k.a. Harvey Field, , is a small airport located in Snohomish, Washington. The airfield has one asphalt runway, one turf runway and fourteen hangar bays...
, is less than one mile southwest of Downtown Snohomish.
History
Snohomish was founded roughly in 1858 by E.C. Ferguson, E.F. Cady and others. It was originally known as Cadyville, and changed its name to Snohomish City in 1871. The name Snohomish is taken from the name of the dominant local Native American tribe "sdoh-doh-hohbshSnohomish (tribe)
The Snohomish are a Lushootseed Native American tribe who reside around the Puget Sound area of Washington, north of Seattle. They speak the Lushootseed language. The tribal spelling is Sdoh-doh-hohbsh, which means "wet snow" according to the last chief of the Snohomish tribe, Chief William...
", whose meaning is widely disputed.
One of the first inland cities in the Puget Sound region, Snohomish was built where a planned military road connecting Fort Steilacoom
Fort Steilacoom
For the adjacent park, see Fort Steilacoom ParkFort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become Washington...
and Fort Bellingham
Fort Bellingham
Fort Bellingham was a U.S. Army fort built to prevent attacks by Indians from Canada and from Russian territory, on the bayside villages of Fairhaven, Sehome and Whatcom....
was set to cross the Snohomish River
Snohomish River
The Snohomish River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, formed by the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers near Monroe. It flows northwest entering Port Gardner Bay, part of Puget Sound, between Everett and Marysville. The Pilchuck River is its main tributary and joins the...
. The road, proposed in the wake of the Pig War
Pig War
The Pig War was a confrontation in 1859 between the United States and the British Empire over the boundary between the US and British North America. The territory in dispute was the San Juan Islands, which lie between Vancouver Island and the North American mainland...
, was intended to be built far enough inland to be safe from British naval attacks. Although the road was never completed, Snohomish quickly became a local center of commerce in the expanding region. In 1861, Snohomish County
Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
split from Island County
Island County, Washington
Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. In 2010 census, its population was 78,506. Its county seat is Coupeville, while its largest city is Oak Harbor....
and the Village of Snohomish was voted the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. It remained as such until 1897 when the county seat was relocated to the larger, yet much newer neighboring city of Everett, Washington after a controversial and contested county-wide vote.
The first school was organized in the city in either 1867 or 1869. The city was finally incorporated in 1890 with Hyrcanus Blackman (who had, since 1888, been Police Chief with the monthly salary of $20.00 per month plus $2.00 for each arrest) as mayor. 1893 saw the construction of a roller skating rink and 1894 the first graduations from Snohomish High School. By 1899 the city of Snohomish was a prosperous town with a population of 2,000, with 25 businesses and 80 homes.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
, 1911 at about four a.m. Thirty-five business structures were put out of business, with $173,000 worth of goods destroyed. Despite the disaster the town continued to grow and by 1920 the population grew to a little over 3,000. The population would remain relatively stable for the next 40 years.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
was not acutely felt in Snohomish because its economy was mostly agrarian with many family farms. One of the largest employers in Snohomish, Bickford Ford, was founded in 1934 by Lawrence Bickford , the dealership flourished in a period where many auto dealerships dissolved. The 1930s did bring Snohomish some national notice, however, due to baseball great Earl Averill
Earl Averill
Howard Earl Averill was an American player in Major League Baseball who was a center fielder from 1929 to 1941...
, the only Washingtonian in the Baseball Hall of Fame, who played from 1929 to 1941, mostly with the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.
The 1960s saw the city of Snohomish enter into a period of decline. Region wide, many people were laid off as the Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
Company fell on hard times and a great many people left the area. A famous phrase of the day was "Will the last person out of Seattle please turn off the lights?" Snohomish fought back with a redevelopment plan in 1965 that proposed the destruction of the historic structures along First Street in order to make way for a covered mall. The plan was not carried out due to lack of available funds and as a result the area remains today as it has through much of its history.
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
Ordinance protecting historic buildings and structures from inappropriate alterations and demolitions and encouraging the design of new construction in keeping with the historic character of the district. In 1974, the Historic Business District, a 36-block area, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Larger stores moved away from First Street into newer developments and strip malls that spread out along Second Street and Avenue D.
In 1974 the Seattle-Snohomish mill was totally gutted by fire but was rebuilt by its owners. A severe flood struck the area damaging over 300 homes and killing 3,500 head of livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
in 1975, but the community rallied to support those who were affected. 1976 and 78 brought added community spirit as Snohomish High School won the AAA State football Championships under coach Dick Armstrong.
The 1980s saw renewed vigor in Snohomish when, along with other developments, two 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
convenience stores and a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
franchise opened during the first part of the decade. In 1981, Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
came to town to film parts of the movie Bustin' Loose
Bustin' Loose
This article is about the movie. For the TV series of the same name, see Bustin' Loose .Bustin' Loose is a film released by Universal Pictures in 1981 starring Richard Pryor as an ex-con who gets a second chance after violating his probation...
and Snohomish received additional attention from Hollywood in the 1983 movie WarGames
WarGames
WarGames is a 1983 American Cold War suspense/science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film stars Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy....
as the name of the high school from which the character David Lightman, played by Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
, hacks into a military computer system. However, the actual high school used in the film is El Segundo High School in El Segundo
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Around 1985, the U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2 is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada...
bypass was completed, allowing the traffic which had until then been forced to pass through the town to circumvent the city. This greatly eased the gridlock
Gridlock
The term gridlock is defined as "A state of severe road congestion arising when continuous queues of vehicles block an entire network of intersecting streets, bringing traffic in all directions to a complete standstill; a traffic jam of this kind." The term originates from a situation possible in...
which had been a part of everyday life and allowed the city to assume the more peaceful character that it has today.
In the 1990s First Street was redeveloped to take advantage of its historic buildings as a tourist attraction. The sidewalks were rebuilt and public restrooms added in order to further serve the community and visitors. The city hall and police station were moved away from First Street and a new fire station was built, allowing those historic buildings to be renovated as well.
Today, Snohomish is very much a model of how cities can reinvigorate their business districts by preserving their historic charm. The town has continued to grow with much of the development spread out along the former route of Route 2, now known as Bickford Avenue. The city has nurtured a great balance between regular businesses in modern facilities which serve the community and specialty shops in the historic part of town to serve the tourist trade.
Geography
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 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (2.33%) is water.
Demographics
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 8,494 people, 3,276 households, and 2,099 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 3,368.8 people per square mile (1,301.4/km²). There were 3,444 housing units at an average density of 1,365.9 per square mile (527.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.64% White, 0.51% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.04% 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 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.
There were 3,276 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% 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, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,396, and the median income for a family was $61,034. Males had a median income of $40,463 versus $33,929 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 $20,917. About 4.1% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
Snohomish is served by the Snohomish School District. Public schools of the Snohomish School District include: Snohomish High School, Glacier Peak High SchoolGlacier Peak High School
Glacier Peak High School is a high school in the south end of the Snohomish School District, established in 2008. The high school's colors are blue, silver and white, and the mascot is the grizzly bear. Glacier Peak was built to relieve overcrowding at Snohomish High School and is a facility...
, AIM High School (Alternate High School), Centennial Middle School, Valley View Middle School, Dutch Hill Elementary, Emerson Elementary, Riverview Elementary, Cascade View Elementary, Machias Elementary, Seattle Hill Elementary, Totem Falls Elementary, Cathcart Elementary, and Central Elementary. Private schools in Snohomish include Peaceful Glen Christian School and Zion Lutheran School. In addition to these schools, fall 2007 will see the opening of a new elementary, Little Cedars Elementary School followed in Fall 2008 by the much anticipated Glacier Peak High School, which should fix crowding problems for the school district. Parts of Snohomish are included in the Monroe School District, with schools that are located in Snohomish, like Maltby Elementary School, and Hidden River Middle School. Students that attend these schools continue to Monroe High School, which is in Monroe, Washington.
St. Michael Catholic School also added a preschool and grade school in the Fall of 2007.
External links
- City of Snohomish
- City of Snohomish Chamber of Commerce
- Warner Blake, Snohomish -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink, 2008-03-10.