Yelm, Washington
Encyclopedia
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.
s.
The Yelm Prairie was originally inhabited by the Nisqually and provided good pasture for their horses. The first permanent non-indigenous settlers came in 1853 to join the Hudson's Bay Company
sheep farmers who were already conducting business in the area.
James Longmire, one of the first American settlers had this to say upon arriving in Yelm:
With the coming of the Northern Pacific Railway
in 1873, Yelm began to prosper, having found an outlet for its agricultural and forestry products. Its economic base was further enhanced when an irrigation company was formed in 1916, making Yelm a center for commercial production of beans, cucumbers, and berries.
Yelm was officially incorporated on December 8, 1924.
During the Great Depression
high maintenance costs and an unstructured water distribution plan bankrupted the Yelm Irrigation Company.
The United States Census Bureau
lists Yelm as a town with 1.3 square miles (3.5 km2).
, and 5.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.35% of the population.
There were 1,216 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% 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 3.26.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 32.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,453, and the median income for a family was $45,475. Males had a median income of $32,037 versus $24,474 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,865. About 7.9% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
, Olympia
, and Centralia
. Yelm also hosts a large number of military families who are currently or were formerly stationed at nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord
. Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
, located on an 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) campus just outside the city limits, draws hundreds of students to the area for events throughout the year.
and Mossman Avenue, the park is approximately one city block in size. It has a kitchen, covered facilities, a playground area, skateboard park, picnic tables, public restrooms, and a softball backstop. A number of community events are held at the Yelm City Park each year, including Prairie Days, Christmas in the Park, Family Fun Day, an annual car show, the Yelm Lions Easter Egg Hunt, and more.
Yelm is home of the first Class A Water Reclamation Facility and distribution system in Washington. This system reclaims
all of its wastewater
, using it in local irrigation and added to recharge streams. The water also is used in Cochrane Park, a 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) wetland
park that includes a catch-and-release pond for rainbow trout
.
and Revised Code of Washington
, certain responsibilities are vested in the City Council
and the Mayor
. The current mayor of Yelm is Ron Harding, who was elected to the position for a four-year term
in 2005; he took office in 2006.
Members
of the City Council include Joe Baker, Russ Hendrickson, Robert Isom, Mike McGowan, Don Miller, John Thompson, and Tracey Wood. Other positions are that of the City Administrator Shelly Badger, Clerk Janine Schnepf, Community Development Director Grant Beck, Court Administrator Maryam Olson, and Finance/Administrative Services Director Susan Davis. Rita Hutchenson is Fire Chief and Gary Carlson serves as Fire Marshal. The Human Resources Manager is Janine Schnepf, the Librarian is Michael Wessells, the Program/Project Manager is Stephanie Ray, the Prosecuting Attorney is Brent Dille, and the Public Works Director is Tim Peterson. Todd Stancil serves as Police Chief.
The Yelm post office and school district serve the surrounding unincorporated Thurston County residential communities in the Bald Hills of Lake Lawrence
and Clearwood.
History
The word "Yelm" is said to come from the Coast Salish word shelm or chelm, meaning "heat waves from the sun", referring to heat mirageMirage
A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French mirage, from the Latin mirare, meaning "to look at, to wonder at"...
s.
The Yelm Prairie was originally inhabited by the Nisqually and provided good pasture for their horses. The first permanent non-indigenous settlers came in 1853 to join the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
sheep farmers who were already conducting business in the area.
James Longmire, one of the first American settlers had this to say upon arriving in Yelm:
With the coming of the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
in 1873, Yelm began to prosper, having found an outlet for its agricultural and forestry products. Its economic base was further enhanced when an irrigation company was formed in 1916, making Yelm a center for commercial production of beans, cucumbers, and berries.
Yelm was officially incorporated on December 8, 1924.
During 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...
high maintenance costs and an unstructured water distribution plan bankrupted the Yelm Irrigation Company.
Geography
Yelm is located at 46°56′29"N 122°36′23"W (46.941515, -122.606305).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...
lists Yelm as a town with 1.3 square miles (3.5 km2).
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,289 people, 1,216 households, and 807 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.4 people per square mile (225.6/km²). There were 1,323 housing units at an average density of 235.1 per square mile (90.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.17% White, 1.79% African American, 2.22% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 1.16% Pacific Islander, 1.58% 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 5.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.35% of the population.
There were 1,216 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% 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 3.26.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 32.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,453, and the median income for a family was $45,475. Males had a median income of $32,037 versus $24,474 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 $15,865. About 7.9% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
To a large extent, Yelm acts as a bedroom community for residents working in the surrounding cities of TacomaTacoma, 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...
, 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 Centralia
Centralia, Washington
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
. Yelm also hosts a large number of military families who are currently or were formerly stationed at nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
. Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
Ramtha's School of Enlightenment or RSE , is a school of mysticism and parapsychology based near the rural town of Yelm, Washington, in the United States.-History:...
, located on an 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) campus just outside the city limits, draws hundreds of students to the area for events throughout the year.
Parks and recreation
The Yelm City Park was donated by Chuck and Wilma Demich, in 1950. Located at the corner of SR 507Washington State Route 507
State Route 507 is a Washington state highway in Lewis, Thurston and Pierce counties that extends from and in Centralia to in Spanaway. The highway also intersects in Yelm and in McKenna...
and Mossman Avenue, the park is approximately one city block in size. It has a kitchen, covered facilities, a playground area, skateboard park, picnic tables, public restrooms, and a softball backstop. A number of community events are held at the Yelm City Park each year, including Prairie Days, Christmas in the Park, Family Fun Day, an annual car show, the Yelm Lions Easter Egg Hunt, and more.
Yelm is home of the first Class A Water Reclamation Facility and distribution system in Washington. This system reclaims
Reclaimed water
Reclaimed water or recycled water, is former wastewater that is treated to remove solids and certain impurities, and used in sustainable landscaping irrigation or to recharge groundwater aquifers...
all of its wastewater
Wastewater
Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations...
, using it in local irrigation and added to recharge streams. The water also is used in Cochrane Park, a 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
park that includes a catch-and-release pond for rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
.
Government
The City of Yelm is an elected Mayor-Council form of government, and a non-charter code city. As described in the Yelm Municipal CodeLocal ordinance
A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
and Revised Code of Washington
Revised Code of Washington
The Revised Code of Washington is the compilation of all permanent laws currently in force in the U.S. state of Washington. Temporary laws such as appropriations acts are excluded....
, certain responsibilities are vested in 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...
and the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. The current mayor of Yelm is Ron Harding, who was elected to the position for a four-year term
Term of office
Term of office or term in office refers to the length of time a person serves in a particular office.-Prime Minister:In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister has no term limits...
in 2005; he took office in 2006.
Members
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
of the City Council include Joe Baker, Russ Hendrickson, Robert Isom, Mike McGowan, Don Miller, John Thompson, and Tracey Wood. Other positions are that of the City Administrator Shelly Badger, Clerk Janine Schnepf, Community Development Director Grant Beck, Court Administrator Maryam Olson, and Finance/Administrative Services Director Susan Davis. Rita Hutchenson is Fire Chief and Gary Carlson serves as Fire Marshal. The Human Resources Manager is Janine Schnepf, the Librarian is Michael Wessells, the Program/Project Manager is Stephanie Ray, the Prosecuting Attorney is Brent Dille, and the Public Works Director is Tim Peterson. Todd Stancil serves as Police Chief.
The Yelm post office and school district serve the surrounding unincorporated Thurston County residential communities in the Bald Hills of Lake Lawrence
Lake Lawrence
Lake Lawrence is a lake located near Yelm in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Lake Lawrence hosts yearly APBA speed boat races in the spring and in the fall. Lake Lawrence is often referred to "the fastest racing water in the world" because records are often set, and beaten on the lake....
and Clearwood.
See also
- Yelm School DistrictYelm School DistrictYelm School District, also known as Yelm Community Schools, is a public school district in Thurston County, Washington, USA and serves the city of Yelm....
- Yelm High SchoolYelm High SchoolYelm High School is a comprehensive high school in the city of Yelm, Washington, part of the Yelm Community Schools.Yelm is said to have received its mascot the "Yelm Tornado" after a small tornado blew through the small town in the early 20th century....
- Ridgeline Middle SchoolRidgeline Middle SchoolRidgeline Middle School is a middle school in Yelm, Washington, within the Yelm Community Schools district established in 2006. It is the second middle school after Yelm Middle School, and was established to accommodate a growing population and accomplish a realignment of grades within the school...
- Yelm High School
- North Yelm, WashingtonNorth Yelm, WashingtonNorth Yelm is a census-designated place in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,793 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Yelm is located at ....
- Yelm-Tenino TrailYelm-Tenino TrailThe Yelm–Tenino Trail is a rail trail located in Thurston County, Washington, US. The long cycling and walking trail has been constructed along the route of a former Burlington Northern Railroad line...
External links
- City of Yelm (official website)
- YelmCommunity.org (addresses current issues impacting Yelm and vicinity)
- ProtectYelm.org (community watchdog group)
- Nisqually Valley News (local newspaper)
- Yelm Chamber of Commerce (supports local businesses)
- Yelm Community Schools (local school district)
- Yelm History Project (catalog of articles relating to the history of Yelm)