This article refers to the city of Snoqualmie, Washington. For the Native
American tribe, see Snoqualmie. For the river, see Snoqualmie River.
Snoqualmie is a city next to Snoqualmie Falls in King County, Washington. The
city is home to the Northwest Railway Museum. The population was 10,670 at the
2010 census. Movie actress Ella Raines was born on August 6, 1920, in
Snoqualmie Falls, a mill town across the Snoqualmie River that is now part of
Snoqualmie. Many of the exterior shots for David
Lynch's Twin Peaks television series and movie were filmed in Snoqualmie and in
the neighboring towns of North Bend and Fall City.
Etymology The name Snoqualmie is derived from the
Lushootseed name s•dukʷalbixʷ, generally interpreted to mean "ferocious people",
a name applied by another Coast Salishan tribe in reference to the Snoqualmie
tribe. History
The second written record of the exploration of the Snoqualmie Valley
comes from the notes of Samuel Hancock, who ventured up-river with the
Snoqualmie tribe in 1851 in search of coal. Near the current location of
Meadowbrook Bridge, Hancock was told by his guides that the land was known as
"Hyas Kloshe Illahee", or "good/productive land". Hancock took
this useful information back with him to the area now known as Tacoma.
During the 1850s, tensions were very high between the native populations and
the new settlers claiming the land as their own. In 1856, in response to these
tensions, Fort Alden was built in the area that would become Snoqualmie. No
alliances were made between the tribes in the east and the tribes in the west,
and Fort Alden was abandoned. The most successful early pioneer in the
Valley was Jeremiah Borst, who arrived in the spring of 1858 on his way over
the Cedar River trail from the eastern side of the mountains. He settled in the
area that formerly held Fort Alden, and used his sales of pigs and apples in
Seattle to buy out many of the surrounding land from other settlers.
As successful as farming was, other settlers had different methods of
working the land. The very first mill in Snoqualmie was established at the mouth
of Tokul Creek around 1872 by Watson Allen. Within 5 years, there were 12
logging operations on the Snoqualmie River, providing lumber to the entire
Seattle region. Within 15 years, logging and mill work was employing 140 men and
sending millions of board feet of logs down the river.
In 1882, the Hop Growers Association was founded by three Puget Sound partners,
who used land purchased from Jeremiah Borst to create a farm that would
eventually cover 1,500 acres, 900 acres of which was devoted solely to hops.
This extremely successful venture would fall prey to a combination of market and
pest factors, and fell into relative obscurity by the end of the 1890s.
By the late 19th century, the Puget Sound region was growing, but bypassed
by the major railways. In response, a group of Seattle entrepreneurs funded
and built their own railway in an attempt to cross the Cascade mountains.
The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern opened up the vast natural resources Snoqualmie
valley to the markets of the world, and brought in tourists from around the
world to enjoy the natural beauty of the area, and to marvel at the Falls.
Of course, a by-product of this sudden massive increase in interest in the area
was a marked increase in speculation. Originally, the area that would become
North Bend was platted as "Snoqualmie" in February 1889 by Will Taylor. The
area that is currently Snoqualmie was platted in August of that same year as
"Snoqualmie Falls" by investors from Seattle. The oral history of the area
places the first residents of Snoqualmie as Edmund and Louisa Kinsey, who
established the first hotel, livery, general store, dance hall, post office,
and meat market – in addition to helping build the very first church in the town.
Two of their sons are most famous for their photography documenting the early
timber works in the region. The first power plant at Snoqualmie
Falls Hydroelectric Plant, at the Falls, was built in the late 1890s by Charles
Baker, one of the investors from Seattle who had assisted in the platting of the
city. This development provided both power and jobs to the region, and a
small company town grew up near the Falls to house the workers. More than
100 years later, Baker's original generators are still in use by Puget
Sound Energy. The official vote for incorporation of
"Snoqualmie Falls" as the City of Snoqualmie occurred in 1903. At the
time, land prices had not decreased since initially set in 1889 — prices
that did not reflect the financial reality of the region. In response to
these high prices, people had created a large "squatting" community, building
where they wanted regardless of land ownership or interests. The first
challenge that the city council faced was lowering lot prices and migrating
these buildings off of the public right-of way, establishing the basic
layout of the town that exists to this day.
In 1917, a new all-electric lumber mill opened across the river from Snoqualmie,
along with the company town associated with it, Snoqualmie Falls. For the first
half of the century, the timber industry provided the city and Valley with a
stable source of income and employment, even as World War I drew away workers
and the Great Depression took its toll across the nation.
This prosperity was moderated during the Depression, and with the changes in
culture and mobility that took effect in the latter half of the century,
Snoqualmie and the majority of the Valley fell into somewhat of a stagnant
existence. The city was bypassed when US-10 was built across the Cascades, and
this led to a shift in commerce to the east and west.
By the 1960s, the homes that had made up the company town of Snoqualmie Falls had
been moved to other locations within the Valley, and the city's population had
stabilized to a growth rate of roughly 11 people per year over the next 30
years. This slow growth cycle continued until
the mid-1990s, when the City annexed 1,300 acres of undeveloped land that
became the site of the current "master-planned" community of Snoqualmie
Ridge, now referred to as Snoqualmie Ridge I. The Snoqualmie Ridge I master
planned community includes 2,250 dwelling units, a business park, a
Neighborhood Center Retail area and the TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, a private, PGA
Tour-sanctioned golf course. Snoqualmie Ridge II, annexed in 2004, will contain
an additional 1,850 dwelling units, a hospital and a limited amount of
additional retail. Snoqualmie Ridge I is completely built-out except for several
remaining parcels in the business park. Snoqualmie Ridge II is anticipated to be
built-out in 2016-2018. The city council has attempted to balance the desire to
retain the rural and historical feel of "historic" Snoqualmie with the needs of
a significantly larger population than has existed in the Valley in the past.
The city's historic downtown is undergoing a major renovation to improve
its infrastructure and make the area more attractive to visitors to the
valley's many natural attractions. In 2012 the City of Snoqualmie annexed
593 acres of the former Weyerhaeuser Mill Site and Mill Pond. The former Mill
Office now hosts Dirtfish, an advanced rally car driver training school. The
site is one of the largest undeveloped industrial zoned sites in King County,
although significant planning and environmental review for potential
future uses remains to be done. Geography
Snoqualmie is located at 47°31′59″N 121°50′40″W.
The city is at an elevation of 124 m above MSL.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
6.51 square miles, of which, 6.40 square miles is land and 0.11 square miles is
water. = Surrounding cities and communities =
Economy Until recently, logging and
Weyerhaeuser's milling operations were the mainstays of the local economy.
Since 1989, the company has run a much smaller mill operation, and ceased all
operations at the Weyerhaeuser Mill Site in 2003. While dairies were a
significant local industry into the early 1950s, agriculture is no longer a
major economic force in the community. With the completion of Interstate 90 in
the 1970s, Snoqualmie became more accessible to Seattle and the Eastside,
resulting in more residents working in the communities to the West. In
addition, the Snoqualmie Ridge Business Park now employs close to a thousand
people, and continues to expand. Major employers in the business park include
Space Labs, Motion Water Sports, Technical Glass, T-Mobile, Zetec, and
the King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review.
Currently, the city's scenic and recreational attractions are fostering
the growth of a significant local tourism industry. Along with the Falls,
the city is home to the Salish Lodge and the Northwest Railway Museum. The Salish
Lodge sits atop Snoqualmie Falls adjacent to Puget Sound Energy's
Snoqualmie Fall Park. The Museum owns a historic depot and operates a historic
tourist railway in the city. Demographics
= 2013 study = In April 2013, the City of Snoqualmie
retained the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County to
conduct research and make recommendations that would guide and
support a marketing effort aimed at increasing occupancy in the Snoqualmie
Ridge Business Park. The City was also interested in recommendations for the
use of the Snoqualmie Mill site, and in an estimate of the potential for
additional land absorption at Snoqualmie Ridge. EDC issued is Final Report in
September 2013. The Final Report provides important
updated demographic information about Snoqualmie. The highlights are
summarized here. The average household income in this
area is estimated to be $135,386 for the current year, while the average
household income is estimated to be $90,874 for King County, $108,160 for
Bellevue, $111,460 for Issaquah, $74,847 for Washington, and $70,968 for the
United States, for the same time frame. The average household income in this
area is projected to increase 5.6% over the next five years, from $135,386 to
$142,906. The United States is projected to have a 4.8% increase in average
household income. Education levels are also high.
Currently, it is estimated that 9.0% of the population age 25 and over in this
area had earned a Master's, Professional, or Doctorate Degree and
24.3% had earned a bachelor's degree. In comparison, for the United States, it is
estimated that for the population over age 25, 8.9% had earned a Master's,
Professional, or Doctorate Degree, while 15.5% had earned a bachelor's degree.
The age distribution of the population shows that approximately 35% of the
residents are children, 51% are age 20-54, and 14% are 55 and older. Thus
the community is primarily a home for working families. Average household size
is approximately 3.07; a “typical” household is two adults and one child.
The current year median age for this population is 34.2, while the average
age is 31.2. Five years from now, the median age is projected to be 35.1. The
current year median age for the United States is 36.5, while the average age is
37.7. Five years from now, the median age is projected to be 37.2.
= 2010 census = As of the census of 2010, there were
10,670 people, 3,547 households, and 2,912 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,667.2 inhabitants per square mile. There were
3,761 housing units at an average density of 587.7 per square mile. The
racial makeup of the city was 83.3% White, 0.8% African American, 0.9%
Native American, 9.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races,
and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.3%
of the population. There were 3,547 households of which
55.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.3% were married
couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband
present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 17.9% were
non-families. 13.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.7% had
someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.33.
The median age in the city was 33.7 years. 35% of residents were under the
age of 18; 3.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 38.9% were from 25 to 44;
19.2% were from 45 to 64; and 3.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender
makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.
= 2000 census = As of the 2000 census, there were 1,631
people, 632 households, and 432 families residing in the city. The population
density was 317.2 people per square mile. There were 656 housing units at an
average density of 127.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was
89.88% White, 0.86% African American, 2.58% Native American, 1.90% Asian,
0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.78% from other races, and 2.94% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.21% of the population.
There were 632 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families.
25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living
alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and
the average family size was 3.06. In the city the population was spread
out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 39.3% from 25 to 44,
17.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100
females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was US$52,697, and the median
income for a family was US$58,889. Males had a median income of US$40,645 versus
US$30,917 for females. The per capita income for the city was US$22,239. About
6.1% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line,
including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
Police On March 8, 2014 the Snoqualmie Police
Department began providing law enforcement services to the neighboring
city of North Bend. From 1973 until 2014 North Bend received law enforcement
services from the King County Sheriff's Office.
City landmarks The City of Snoqualmie has designated
the following landmark: Sister cities
Snoqualmie has the following sister cities:
Gangjin, South Korea Chaclacayo, Peru
References External links
Official website Snoqualmie Ridge Neighborhood Site
Live North Bend Weather Factual Information from
www.city-data.com Hiking in the Snoqualmie area
InTwinPeaks.com –Photos of the Twin Peaks filming locations in Snoqualmie,
then and now [1]