History

A Brief History of Snohomish County

Snohomish County is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. Larger than the states of Rhode Island or Delaware, it stretches from Puget Sound to the Cascade Mountain crest, including 10,436’ Glacier Peak. Most people live in the narrow Puget Sound Lowlands. Three narrow river valleys begin in the mountains and run to the sea. The north and south forks of the Stillaguamish River drain most of the region. To the south, the Snohomish River is formed from the Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Pilchuck, and Sultan. All were named for the Native American people who lived along them and used them for transportation. They had a highly developed culture based on fishing, foraging, hunting, and trade. 

Europeans first arrived in l792. Captain George Vancouver of the British Navy landed near the present site of Everett to claim the Pacific Northwest. He named many bodies of water, including Puget Sound, Port Gardner Bay, and Port Susan. Lieutenant Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Navy later mapped this area in 1841.

Snohomish County was carved out of Island County on January 20,1861 and grew slowly during the territorial years to 1889. During this period settlements were founded at the Tulalip Indian Reservation, Snohomish, Mukilteo, Lowell, Monroe, Stanwood and Edmonds. The Great Northern Railway brought a major economic boom down the Skykomish Valley to the new industrial city of Everett in the early l890s. Index, Gold Bar, Startup, and Sultan grew because they were situated along the railway. Depression in 1893 ended this prosperity, which was followed by a recovery based on timber and farming. 

After World War II, growth quickened in the southwestern county near Seattle. Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, Brier, and Woodway all incorporated. In the 1960s the Boeing Company’s 747 plant near Everett and high technology industries brought major population increases to Marysville, Arlington, Lake Stevens, Mukilteo, and Mill Creek. Timber production and agriculture both declined sharply, affecting mill towns and smaller communities, including Darrington and Granite Falls. In 150 years the changes have been dramatic!

(An excerpt from the SnoCo150.net historic and cultural sites map, written and edited by David Cameron, 2010)

Sesquicentennial, The First Fifty 1861-1911

  • Original Monte Cristo Hotel, Rucker Hill
  • Tulalip Saw Mill
  • In March 1908, five years after Monroe's incorporation, Mayor Ben L. Monck proposed building a city hall to be paid for by increasing the saloon license fee by $200 a year. Two months later in a marathon meeting, the council ordered the building of a two-story city hall at 207 East Main Street. It was designed by architects Kennedy and Baker of Everett and was to have a brick facade in an English design.
  • NE of Granite Falls above the South Fork Duwamish River, The Wayside Mine produced over 1/2 million dollars in Copper
  • Built in 1906 by German architect, Carl Leick. The lighthouse was constructed of fir wood at a cost of $27,000. The Tribune headlines read, "Lamp lit in new Mukilteo tower." The newspaper proclaimed the Station to be the "Best Lighthouse on the Sound." Learn more at www.mukilteohistorical.org

Sesquicentennial: The Second Fifty 1911-1961

  • Howard Earl Averill (May 21, 1902 – August 16, 1983) was an American player in Major League Baseball who was a center fielder from 1929 to 1941. He was a six-time All-Star (1933–38) and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975. Born in Snohomish, Washington, Averill broke into the major leagues in 1929 (at the age of 27) with the Cleveland Indians. He played for Cleveland for over ten years, and remains the all-time Indian leader in total bases, runs batted in, runs, and triples. He also remains 3rd in all-time Indian hits and doubles, and 4th in all-time Indian home runs and walks. During his time in Cleveland, the team never finished higher than 3rd. He's famous for hitting the line drive that broke Dizzy Dean's toe in the 1937 All-Star Game. Averill was the first major league player to hit 4 home runs in a doubleheader (with home run in each game) on September 17, 1930; he was also one of the first players to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat (April 16, 1929, opening day). Averill batted .378 in 1936, leading the American League in hits with 232, but finishing 2nd to Luke Appling in the batting race (Appling batted .388 for the White Sox). For more information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Averill
  • Storyteller, wood carver, teacher, and Tulalip cultural leader, William Shelton Wha-cah-dub, Whea-kadim earned great respect in his lifetime from both Indians and whites -- the two cultures that he loved and sought to bring together -- and was a key figure in the preservation of Coast Salish culture. Gaining permission from the U.S. government to carve a story pole in 1912, Shelton collected Lushootseed sklaletut stories from many regional tribal elders and carved pole figures representing many of their stories. In his lifetime, he carved four story poles and published these stories in book format. The success of Shelton's first story pole led Everett residents to commission a pole. Everett school children and service groups helped raise money for an Everett pole, which was erected in front of Redman's Hall at the corner California Avenue and Wetmore Avenue with an official dedication service on July 26, 1922, in honor of Chief Patkanim (ca. 1808-1858), the Snoqualmie chief who signed the Point Elliott Treaty for the Snohomish and other tribes. A new version of the story pole stories was published In 1929 the pole officially was given to the City of Everett and it was moved to the Pacific Highway (now Evergreen Way) and 44th Street, Everett city limits at that time. Over the decades, city limit boundaries extended and the pole deteriorated. By the 1990s it was badly in need of repair and in 1996 the Everett City Council approved $12,000 for its restoration. The Everett Parks and Recreation Department recommended that it be placed in a better location where it could be protected and more easily seen by the public. The Tulalip Tribes were involved in discussions about the proper placement and two locations were considered, Everett's Legion Park and Grand Avenue Park. Restoration was done and the pole has now been given back to the Tulalip Tribes.
  • On November 5th, word reached Everett that a group of armed anarchists was coming to burn their town. 200 citizen deputies, under the authority of Snohomish County Sheriff Donald McRae, met to repel the invaders. The Verona arrived first, pulling in along side the dock. McRae asked "Who is your leader?" When he was told "We are all leaders!", he informed passengers they could not land. A single shot was fired, followed by minutes of chaotic shooting. Whether the first shot came from boat or dock was never determined. Passengers aboard the Verona rushed to the opposite side of the ship, nearly capsizing the vessel. Bullets pierced the pilot house, and the Verona's captain struggled to back it out of port. The Calista returned to Seattle, without trying to land. Learn more at: http://www.epls.org/nw/dig_emassacre.asp
  • In order to dispose of logged off lands they owned, the Puget Mill company in 1917 platted Alderwood Manor. The centerpiece of this development was the 30 acre demonstration farm where prospective buyers were shown how they could make money off their land chicken farming. Puget Mill was so successful at this venture that by 1921 Alderwood Manor was the second largest egg producing region in the United States. During the Great Depression egg prices were so low many of these farmers could no longer make a go of it so many of the 5 acre parcels were subdivided and chicken farms would become only a memory.

Sesquicentennial, The Third Fifty 1961-2011

  • Photo Credit Justin Best /http://www.heraldnet.com/ Aaron Reardon is serving his second term as Snohomish County Executive. First elected to the position in 2003, Reardon was sworn in as the youngest County Executive in America. During his first year as County Executive, he produced a balanced General Fund Budget and built up the County’s reserves without a tax increase, ending four consecutive years of deficit spending. In 2008, he also became the first County Executive in Washington state history to successfully cut General Fund property taxes. Reardon’s leadership in government has earned him national recognition for his work in strengthening government accountability, transparency, fiscal responsibility and economic development. He recently was honored by the National Center for Civic Innovation for such work. He is the senior County Executive of the Puget Sound region and serves as Chair of the Sound Transit Board. He holds a double degree in political science and social science with a focus in public administration and economics from Central Washington University. Aaron is married to Kate Reardon. They have two children: Madeline and Jack. They live in Everett, WA.
  • John Lovick, the state's first black sheriff, is accustomed to being the first — or the only — African-American in jobs he has held though out his career. In 1971, when the Coast Guard sent him to Rhode Island for quartermaster and signalman training, he was the sole black man in a class of 40. When he was hired by the Washington State Patrol in 1974, he was one of ten black patrolmen out of 800. “I was a huge dreamer. I always dreamed of a better life." said Lovick, who grew up in a small, pink house with no running water, using rainwater runoff from its tin roof to drink, bathe and wash his clothes by means of a washboard. When he arrived in Olympia in 1999, he spent four years as the only African American House member in the Washington State Legislature. Now Lovick, 56, is handling his latest challenge — the role of Snohomish County Sheriff — with the same optimistic determination that carried him to Olympia from the cotton fields of the Deep South.
  • Jackson, Henry M. "Scoop" (1912-1983) HistoryLink.org Essay 5516 Henry M. (Scoop) Jackson was one of the most successful and powerful politicians in the history of Washington state. Jackson was born and died in Everett, Snohomish County, the rough-edged industrial port on Puget Sound north of Seattle, where he lived in the house where he was born for much of his life (when Congress was not in session). At 28, Jackson entered the United States Congress as its youngest member. He remained there the rest of his life, serving under nine presidents. Jackson never lost an election in Washington, winning six terms in the House of Representatives and six in the Senate, often by record margins. Jackson was the quintessential "Cold War liberal." He was an outspoken and influential advocate of increased military spending and a hard line against the Soviet Union, while supporting social welfare programs, civil rights, and the labor movement. Together with Warren G. Magnuson (1905-1989), with whom he served in the Senate for 28 years, Jackson used his legislative skill and seniority to win the state unprecedented influence in the nation's capital. He guided landmark environmental legislation that greatly expanded wilderness areas and national parks in Washington and across the country, managed the bills that granted statehood to Alaska and Hawaii, and sponsored the law that turned surplus military bases into parks in Seattle and elsewhere. Read more at Historylink.org
  • Mr. Reasby was born Jan. 18, 1931, in Waterloo, Iowa. He attended Iowa State Teachers College and in 1955 earned a master's degree in education there. From 1980 to 1988, he worked as superintendent of the Edmonds School District. He was known for his innovative, hands-on approach and was credited for improving test scores and community confidence in the district. He retired shortly after the Edmonds district's 30-day teachers strike in 1987. In 1989, he took the superintendent's job in the Monroe School District as its enrollment was swelling. He quickly began decentralizing the administration and giving individual schools more power. In 1993, he retired for good, marking 34 years in education. Excerpts By Richard Seven, Seattle Times staff reporter
  • Stan Boreson, "King of Scandinavian Humor" and veteran Northwest entertainer appeared for 18 years on several Seattle television shows including his longest running and most successful "Kings Klubhouse." A native of Everett, Washington and a University of Washington graduate, Stan attended the University of Washington and was invited to participate in his first local television show called "Campus Capers. His success on "Capers" led him to his second television show with local musician Art Barduhn. They called their show "Two B's at the Keys." Recognizing his talents as well as his humor, the stations program director created a daily afternoon children's program for him called "King's Klubhouse." The success of the show bestowed on him many awards including the national "Children's Entertainer Award", awarded annually by the Dell Publishing Company Learn more at www.stanboreson.com
  • Zumiez is a mall-based, specialty apparel store founded by Tom Campion and Gary Haakenson in 1978, and publicly traded since 2005. "Offering gear and clothing for the skater, snowboarder, and surfer,"[1] Zumiez sells action-sports related clothing and has created an image based around action sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, and motocross. Zumiez is based in Everett, Washington. The current president and CEO is Rick Brooks.[2] Originally named "Above the Belt" when the first store was opened at Seattle's Northgate Mall in 1978, the company grew quickly through the early 80's with the addition of stores at Everett Mall (Everett, WA), Alderwood Mall (Lynnwood, WA), Tacoma Mall (Tacoma, WA) and Bellevue Square (Bellevue, WA). The mid and late Eighties brought new stores online outside of the Puget Sound area and the corporate name change to Zumiez. The corporate offices were moved from the Northgate Store to Everett, WA where they still reside today. Tom Campion is a graduate of Seattle's O'Dea High School and Seattle University. Gary Haakenson graduated from Seattle's Blanchet High School and also from Seattle University. The two met at JC Penney where they were both managers of various departments before they set out on their own. Both still reside in the Seattle area. Gary Haakenson currently serves as the Deputy County Executive for Snohomish County. Learn more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zumiez
  • The Boeing Everett Factory is an enormous airplane assembly building owned by Boeing. Located on the northeast corner of Paine Field, it is the largest building in the world by volume at 13,385,378 m3 (472,370,319 cu ft) and covers 399,480 m2 (98.3 acres).[1] It is where Boeing 747s, 767s, 777s, and the new 787 Dreamliner are built. Learn more at: www.boeing.com
  • By Diane Wright James Madison uses materials that his elders in the Coast Salish and Tlingit tribes never dreamed of using. "I call it keeping my culture alive," he said. "For myself, and for all of us, my generation is starting to do this." Madison and his cousins grew up around their grandparents' table, learning carving from his grandfather. His grandfather's stories of "who we were and where we came from" sparked an interest in art. From the first, Madison was aware of how carvers used their knives, how they manipulated the blade and worked with the grain of the wood. "We were raised to learn to grow with different mediums in our art," Madison continued. "Now that we use more modern tools, we use more modern materials. I try to incorporate glass and bronze casting into my work and to show we're still alive, we're not petrified." Madison created a 24-foot-tall "story pole," which took nearly a decade since he and his collaborators found the cedar tree in Darrington. To read the whole story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2004381157_tulalip30n.html
  • The Everett AquaSox are a minor league baseball team in Everett, Washington, USA. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League, of which they are the current defending champions. Originally created as the Everett Giants in 1984, the team switched affiliation from the San Francisco Giants to the Seattle Mariners in 1995 when the team renamed themselves as the AquaSox. The AquaSox play home games at Everett Memorial Stadium. Opened in 1984, Everett Memorial Stadium seats 3,682 fans.
  • The Marysville Strawberry Festival was originally conceived at the first Commercial Club meeting in May 1932, by a group of civic-minded leaders and the forerunner of the present Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce. Leon L. Stock, then Editor of the Marysville Globe has been credited with its origin. The idea was to make history for the town of Marysville, where soil conditions were ideal, where rainfall was in abundance for the growth of strawberries and ample sunshine to ripen them to a full and luscious color and size.

Snohomish Bicycle Tree

For centuries an extremely girthsome old-growth cedar tree -- reported to have measured 13 feet 9 inches across at its base, and with a circumference of 48 feet -- stood tall (in a cluster with a few cousins) at a rural spot located about a mile or so just south of the town of Snohomish. The towering natural landmark was situated on the edge of Abel Johnson’s (b. 1844) property right alongside of the dirt wagon road that led northward into town. 

Then in the late-1800s the new fad of bicycle riding became popular and that dirt road apparently became a favorite cruising route, and the giant tree presumably served as a “milestone” of sorts located at the junction of the Woodinville cutoff and the Cathcart and the Larimer’s Corners-Lowell Roads -- just yards east of today’s intersection of State Highway 9 and Marsh Road on Airport Way.

It was the Snohomish Bicycle Club’s president -- Civil War veteran, David Lewis Paramore (b. 1840) -- who is given the credit for leading the effort to make that ancient tree an unmistakable “destination” along a new cinder-lined bike path built next to the road. And it was Johnson who kindly deeded the patch of real estate to the club. 

Learn more at http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8526

Photo courtesy Jack O'Donnell collection

Photo courtesy Jack O'Donnell collection

Historic Carnegie Library in Everett

The original Public Library in Everett was financed by a $25,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie made in 1903. The building was designed by the local firm of Heide and deNeuf in the Second Renaissance Revival Style and was opened for use in 1905. Though it was not the first library building in the inland port, it was the first to be specifically designed for library functions. In 1934, a successor library was completed at the corner of Everett and Hoyt Avenues, and the old Carnegie library was converted to mortuary use. Today, it is home to the future Snohomish County Museum of History.

  • Everett Carnegie Library