Tumwater, Washington
Encyclopedia
Deschutes River (Washington)
The Deschutes River is a -long river in Washington, United States. Its source is in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Lewis County, and it empties into Budd Inlet of Puget Sound at Olympia in Thurston County...
enters Budd Inlet
Budd Inlet
Budd Inlet is the southernmost arm of Puget Sound. The city of Olympia, Washington is located at the southern end of Budd Inlet. A deepwater shipping channel has been dredged providing deep water access to the Port of Olympia which is from Tacoma and from Seattle.Budd Inlet was named by Charles...
, the southernmost point of 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...
. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census. Thurston County, which includes the cities of Lacey
Lacey, Washington
Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Established as a suburb of Olympia, its population was 42,393 at the 2010 census out of a county population of 252,264.-History:...
, Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
and Tumwater, has a population of 252,264.
History
Tumwater was founded next to the falls of the Deschutes RiverTumwater Falls
Tumwater Falls are a series of cascades on the Deschutes River in Tumwater, Washington, United States, near where the river empties into Budd Inlet, a southerly arm of Puget Sound in Olympia.-History:...
at the south end of Puget Sound as New Market in 1846 by a group of pioneers led by Michael Simmons
Michael Simmons
Michael Simmons is the author of the bestselling book,The Student Success Manifesto: How to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Prosperity, which has received testimonials from Mark Victor Hansen, Stephen Covey, Russell Simmons, and Paul Orfalea .Simmons, along with wife Sheena Lindahl, founded...
and George Bush
George Washington Bush
George Washington Bush was one of the first American settlers and the first black settler in what would later become the U.S. state of Washington.-Early life:...
. It was the first American settlement on Puget Sound. These early settlers were attracted by the water-power potential from the falls, the easy access to Budd Inlet
Budd Inlet
Budd Inlet is the southernmost arm of Puget Sound. The city of Olympia, Washington is located at the southern end of Budd Inlet. A deepwater shipping channel has been dredged providing deep water access to the Port of Olympia which is from Tacoma and from Seattle.Budd Inlet was named by Charles...
for shipping, and the open prairie land in the area for cattle grazing.
A major factor driving the Simmons-Bush Party to locate north of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
beyond Oregon Territory is that the American settlers in Oregon prohibited settlement by non-whites to avoid the contentious slavery issue. Bush, a mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
, was not allowed to own land under Oregon law. Later, when the area north of the Columbia became part of US territory, white settlers petitioned Congress to grant Bush title to his land, which was approved.
The name was changed to Tumwater borrowing from a Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
phrase tumtum chuck meaning "waterfall" or "rapids" (literally "heartbeat water"). Despite its early settlement date, Tumwater wasn't officially incorporated until November 12, 1875.
For many years Tumwater was well known regionally as the home of the Olympia Brewing Company
Olympia Brewing Company
The Olympia Brewing Company was a brewery in Tumwater, Washington which existed from 1896 until 2003.-History:Leopold Schmidt, a German immigrant from Montana founded The Capital Brewing Company at Tumwater Falls on the Deschutes River in the town of Tumwater, near the south end of Puget Sound...
. The company began producing beer in 1896 at a site along the Deschutes River
Deschutes River (Washington)
The Deschutes River is a -long river in Washington, United States. Its source is in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Lewis County, and it empties into Budd Inlet of Puget Sound at Olympia in Thurston County...
and continued until Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
. After Prohibition ended, a new brewery was erected just upstream from the original site. This brewery was eventually purchased by SABMiller
SABMiller
SABMiller plc is a global brewing and bottling company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's second-largest brewing company measured by revenues and is also a major bottler of Coca-Cola. Its brands include Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell...
and closed on July 1, 2003.
Geography
Tumwater is located at 47°0′28"N 122°54′40"W (47.007768, -122.911074). The city that borders Tumwater is OlympiaOlympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
.
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 10.1 square miles (26.1 km²), of which, 9.9 square miles (25.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (1.29%) is water.
Demographics
Based on per capita incomeWashington 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, Tumwater ranks 89th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked. It is also the highest rank in Thurston County.
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,698 people, 5,659 households, and 3,253 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,276.1 people per square mile (492.7/km²). There were 5,953 housing units at an average density of 598.2 per square mile (231.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.41% White, 1.39% African American, 1.24% Native American, 3.90% Asian, 0.36% Pacific Islander, 1.50% 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 3.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.08% of the population.
There were 5,659 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,329, and the median income for a family was $54,156. Males had a median income of $41,778 versus $32,044 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 $25,080. About 4.3% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Tumwater School District is home to A. G. West Black Hills High School, Black Lake Elementary School, East Olympia Elementary School, George Washington Bush Middle School, Littlerock Elementary School, Michael T. Simmons Elementary School, New Market Skills Center, Peter G Schmidt Elementary School, Tumwater High SchoolTumwater High School
Tumwater High School is a secondary school in Tumwater, Washington serving grades 9-12 in Thurston County. It is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Tumwater School District...
, Tumwater Hill Elementary School, and Tumwater Middle School.
External links
- City of Tumwater, Washington (official website)
- Michael T Simmons at Findagave
- George Bush at Findagrave