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Edmonds, Washington
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==History== ===19th and early 20th centuries=== [[File:Main Street in Edmonds (17984083792).jpg|thumb|left|Main Street in downtown Edmonds]] Prior to the 19th century, the Edmonds area was inhabited by the [[Suquamish]] tribe, who foraged and fished near the flat beach forming modern-day downtown.<ref>{{cite book |date=February 1998 |title=SR 104/Edmonds Crossing Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation |chapter=Affected Environment |page=3{{hyphen}}98 |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Transportation]] |oclc=41846900 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q7Q2AQAAMAAJ |via=Google Books }}</ref> No archaeological evidence of a permanent settlement in Edmonds has been found, despite claims that a fishing village had existed near the modern-day downtown.<ref>{{cite news |last=Landers |first=Jim |date=July 2, 2017 |title=Edmonds' heritage built on cedar dreams |url=http://myedmondsnews.com/2017/07/edmonds-heritage-built-cedar-dreams/ |work=My Edmonds News |access-date=March 15, 2018}}</ref> An exploratory expedition of [[Puget Sound]] led by [[Charles Wilkes]] charted the Edmonds area in 1841, naming "Point Edmund" (now Point Edwards) to the southwest of the modern-day downtown.<ref name="HistoryLink">{{cite web |last=LeWarne |first=Charles |date=March 27, 2008 |title=Edmonds — Thumbnail History |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/8542 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=March 23, 2018}}</ref> A {{convert|147|acre|adj=mid}} land claim for the area was filed by Pleasant Ewell in 1866 and was sold to various landowners before being eventually purchased by Canadian-born logger George Brackett in 1872 for $650. Brackett had allegedly found the future site of Edmonds in 1870 while searching for potential logging areas on his canoe, which was blown ashore during a storm.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Cloud07">{{cite book |last=Cloud |first=Ray V. |year=1953 |title=Edmonds, the Gem of Puget Sound |pages=7–8 |publisher=Edmonds Tribune-Review Press |oclc=26225475 }}</ref> Brackett and his family moved from [[Ballard, Seattle|Ballard]] to Point Edmund in 1876, intent on creating a town. He drained a marshland near the waterfront and began logging the area, then known as "Brackett's Landing". Additional settlers arrived over the next few years, necessitating the construction of a wharf and general store by 1881.<ref name="Cloud07"/> In 1884, the settlement was [[plat]]ted and gained its first [[post office]], christened with the name "Edmonds", either a misspelling of Point Edmund or the name of [[George Franklin Edmunds]], a U.S. Senator from Vermont who Brackett admired.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|p=9}}</ref><ref name="Interstate1906">{{cite book |editor1-last=Hastie |editor1-first=Thomas P. |editor2-last=Batey |editor2-first=David |editor3-last=Sisson |editor3-first=E.A. |editor4-last=Graham |editor4-first=Albert L. |title=An Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties |pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00inte/page/354 354]–358 |chapter=Chapter VI: Cities and Towns |publisher=Interstate Publishing Company |location=Chicago |year=1906 |lccn=06030900 |oclc=11299996 |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00inte |via=[[The Internet Archive]] |access-date=March 24, 2018}}</ref> By the end of the decade, Edmonds had gained its first schoolhouse, sawmill, hotel, and drug store.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|pp=10–12}}</ref> The Town of Edmonds was formally [[municipal incorporation|incorporated]] as a fourth-class village of {{convert|600|acre}} on August 14, 1890, following an election by residents on August 7. To meet the minimum population of 300 residents required for incorporation, a popular legend states that Brackett added the names of his two oxen to the census conducted prior to the election.<ref name="HistoryLink-1890">{{cite web |last=LeWarne |first=Charles |date=November 23, 2010 |title=Edmonds incorporates on August 14, 1890. |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/9636 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=March 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A history of the Edmonds Area |url=https://www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/cities_detail.aspx?i=5 |publisher=[[Washington Secretary of State]] |access-date=March 10, 2018}}</ref> Edmonds is the oldest incorporated city in Snohomish County.<ref name="Herald-2015Guide">{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=June 19, 2015 |title=Edmonds a great destination for artists, beach-lovers and foodies |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/life/edmonds-a-great-destination-for-artists-beach-lovers-and-foodies/ |work=[[The Everett Herald]] |access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> Brackett was elected as the town's mayor for several months, and the new town council passed ordinances to regulate or ban saloons, gambling establishments, and boarding houses.<ref name="HistoryLink-1890"/> The same year, Edmonds was selected as a stop on the [[Seattle and Montana Railroad]] (later absorbed into the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]]), sparking interest from real estate investors. The Minneapolis Realty and Investment Company bought {{convert|455|acre|km2}} of the townsite from Brackett for $36,000,and built a new hotel and wharf.<ref name="Cloud13">{{harvp|Cloud|1953|p=13}}</ref> The railway arrived in 1891, but failed to spark a land rush and the investment plan fell apart during the [[Panic of 1893]], leaving Brackett to [[foreclose]] on the land.<ref name="Cloud13"/> [[File:Great Western Lumber Co, Lake Ballinger, Aug, 19, 1907 (CURTIS 245).jpeg|thumb|right|A [[wood shingle|shingle]] mill on [[Lake Ballinger]], pictured in 1907]] Edmonds was supported by four [[wood shingle|shingle]] mills that prospered in the 1890s, along with an [[iron foundry]] that manufactured steel plates for shingles.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|p=16}}</ref> By 1908, the town had gained its own water system, electricity, paved streets, and telephone service.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|pp=19–20}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Swift |first=Joan |year=1975 |title=Brackett's Landing: A History of Early Edmonds |page=41 |publisher=Washington State American Revolution Bicentennial Commission |oclc=931074846}}</ref> In September 1908, Edmonds voted to become a third-class city, with a reported population of 1,546 residents.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|p=27}}</ref> The city unsuccessfully lobbied for a branch of the [[Seattle–Everett Interurban Railway|interurban line]] from [[Everett, Washington|Everett]] to [[Seattle]], which would have supplemented passenger steamships on the [[Puget Sound mosquito fleet|Mosquito fleet]] and passenger trains operated by Great Northern.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|pp=31, 38}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=September 11, 1909 |title=Work Progressing on S–E Interurban |page=1 |work=The Edmonds Review}}</ref> A major fire on July 8, 1909, destroyed one block of buildings on Main Street and caused $20,000 in damage. After the fire, the destroyed buildings were bought by a member of the city council, and replaced by a two-story concrete building.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|pp=30–31}}</ref> The first automobile owned by an Edmonds resident arrived in 1911 and was followed by the completion of the North Trunk Road through modern-day [[Lynnwood, Washington|Lynnwood]]. A branch road to Edmonds was completed in 1915 and [[stagecoach]] lines were extended to the city.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|pp=39–42}}</ref> Automobile ferry service began in 1923, with the inauguration of the [[Edmonds–Kingston ferry|Kingston ferry]], which would be acquired by the [[Puget Sound Navigation Company]] and continue to serve the city after the decline of the Mosquito fleet.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|pp=79–80}}</ref> During the 1920s, Edmonds expanded its wharf and ferry dock, while a site on the south end of the waterfront was acquired by the [[Union Oil Company]] (later Unocal) for the construction of an [[oil terminal]] in 1922.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|p=64}}</ref> A second major fire struck downtown Edmonds on April 11, 1928, damaging several buildings on the same block of Main Street as the 1909 fire.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|p=63}}</ref> Despite the increasing scarcity of local timber, the sawmills on the Edmonds waterfront remained the city's main industry in the 1920s.<ref>{{harvp|Cloud|1953|p=84}}</ref> During the [[Great Depression]], all but two mills continued to operate and were supplemented by local improvement projects organized by the federal [[Works Progress Administration]], including regraded streets, new parks, and the addition of an auditorium and sportsfields to the [[high school]].<ref name="HistoryLink"/> ===Late 20th and early 21st centuries=== The popularity of new materials for [[roof shingle]]s and scarcity of available timber in the state forced most of Edmonds' mills to close by 1951.<ref name="Cloud214">{{harvp|Cloud|1953|pp=214–216}}</ref> New companies were established in place of the mills, including an [[aluminum]] fabricator and an [[Bitumen|asphalt]] refinery at the Unocal terminal.<ref name="Cloud214"/> The now vacated waterfront was redeveloped under the direction of the [[Port of Edmonds]], established in 1948 by a public referendum. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Port constructed a [[breakwater (structure)|breakwater]], [[marina]], public beach, and a new ferry terminal for the [[Washington State Ferries]] system.<ref name="Cloud214"/><ref>{{cite web |date=May 2009 |title=A Brief History of the Port of Edmonds |url=http://portofedmonds.org/wp-content/uploads/about-history.pdf |publisher=[[Port of Edmonds]] |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> The hills surrounding downtown Edmonds to the north and east were developed into suburban subdivisions, centered around small commercial centers, and were [[annexed]] by the city.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moody |first=Dick |date=January 3, 1962 |title=Neighbor Woos Edmonds |page=5 |work=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref> Edmonds reached its present eastern boundary along [[Washington State Route 99|State Route 99]] in May 1959, a few weeks after the incorporation of Lynnwood as a city.<ref name="AnnexationMap">{{cite map |date=October 2011 |title=Annexations |url=http://www.edmondswa.gov/images/COE/Government/Departments/Administrative_Services/Information_Services/GIS/maps/Edmonds_Annexations.pdf |publisher=City of Edmonds |access-date=April 5, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Duncan |first=Don |date=June 14, 1959 |title=Lynnwood, Newly Chartered, Is Fast-Growing City |page=5 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> By 1963, the city had completed its largest annexations and petitioned to become a first-class city,<ref>{{cite web |title=Maps: Annexations |url=http://www.edmondswa.gov/maps-text/2011-10-14-23-21-50.html |publisher=City of Edmonds |access-date=April 5, 2018}}</ref> with a population of 19,000 that placed it second among cities in Snohomish County.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref>{{cite news |date=July 24, 1963 |title=First class status eyed by Edmonds |page=1 |work=The Enterprise |location=Lynnwood, Washington}}</ref> Despite population growth, Edmonds restricted the construction of [[multi-family residential|multi-family dwellings]] in an effort to keep the downtown area and older neighborhoods "rural-like" and low density.<ref name="Satterfield78">{{cite book |last=Satterfield |first=Archie |year=1990 |title=Edmonds: The First Century |pages=78–81 |publisher=City of Edmonds |isbn=0-9625484-0-5 |oclc=24993143 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Woodward |first=Walt |date=November 7, 1971 |title=Edmonds shuns the growth-happy syndrome |pages=8–10 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> By the end of the 1960s, Edmonds had also gained a new hospital, a [[Edmonds College|community college]], and civic center campus.<ref>{{harvp|Satterfield|1990|pp=122–128}}</ref> [[File:Edmonds, WA - beach at Brackett's Landing.jpg|thumb|left|Brackett's Landing Park, a public beach developed in the 1970s]] In the 1970s, the number of businesses in downtown Edmonds declined as suburban shopping centers lured away customers. After a number of buildings in the downtown area were demolished and replaced with condominiums and office buildings, a movement to preserve and restore historic buildings emerged with the support of the city government.<ref name="Satterfield78"/><ref>{{cite report |author=BOLA Architecture + Planning |date=January 2005 |title=A Historic Survey of Downtown Edmonds, Washington |page=23 |url=http://www.edmondswa.gov/images/COE/Government/Boards_and_Commissions/Commissions/Historic_Preservation_Commision/Edmonds_Survey_Report_all_1-2005.pdf |publisher=City of Edmonds, [[Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation]] |access-date=April 5, 2018}}</ref> The "Main Street Project", funded by local businesses, restored empty storefronts and attracted restaurants to the city in the late 1980s, fueling a downtown revival.<ref>{{cite news |last=Koch |first=Anne |date=August 8, 1990 |title=Edmonds: A unique viewpoint |page=H3 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Portions of the waterfront were acquired by the city and redeveloped into a public beach, named Brackett's Landing Park,<ref>{{cite news |last=Montgomery |first=Jerry |date=August 27, 1972 |title=Edmonds has long waterfront for public |page=D4 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> and a public [[fishing pier]] was opened in 1979 as the first saltwater fishing pier in the state.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Brad |date=August 23, 1979 |title=Deep Sound Fishing: From dry land |page=G14 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Edmonds celebrated its centennial in 1990 with a series of events and the dedication of the Centennial Plaza.<ref>{{cite news |last=Koch |first=Anne |date=August 8, 1990 |title=Edmonds centennial bash building up to finale |page=H3 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Several neighborhoods in southern Edmonds were annexed between 1995 and 1997, forming the city's southern boundary at the [[King County, Washington|King County]] line.<ref name="AnnexationMap"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Clutter |first=Stephen |date=November 11, 1997 |title=Edmonds council gives green light to annexations |page=B1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The Point Edwards oil terminal on the city's waterfront was closed by Unocal in 1991 and the {{convert|53|acre|adj=mid}} site was sought by Edmonds and Snohomish County for redevelopment.<ref>{{cite news |last=Koch |first=Anne |date=October 10, 1990 |title=Tank farm could be Edmonds ferry site |page=A1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19901010&slug=1097562 |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Koch |first=Anne |date=September 14, 1991 |title=Texaco not going to lease site eyed for ferry dock |page=A9 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The city favored the construction of a new [[multimodal transportation]] hub at the site, including a ferry terminal and [[commuter rail]] station, while the county proposed the construction of a [[sewage treatment]] plant to be used by King and Snohomish counties.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tarpley |first=Catherine |date=December 22, 2001 |title=Edmonds buys Unocal parcel |page=B2 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The [[Brightwater sewage treatment plant|sewage treatment plant]] was opposed by the city government and citizen groups, and was ultimately moved to an alternative site near [[Woodinville, Washington|Woodinville]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Lynn |last2=Schwarzen |first2=Christopher |date=December 10, 2003 |title=For Edmonds, fight isn't over: A sewage plant won't be built in the city, but a broader issue remains |page=H12 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The transportation plan was put on hold after costs increased and the state ferry system diverted funding to other projects.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheets |first=Bill |date=October 19, 2012 |title=Lack of funding obstacle to improving train crossings |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/lack-of-funding-obstacle-to-improving-train-crossings/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref> The hilltop portion of the site was cleaned up in the 2000s and redeveloped into condominiums that opened between 2007 and 2008.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schwarzen |first=Cristopher |date=July 11, 2007 |title=Final phase of cleanup set at fuel terminal |page=H4 |url=http://o.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2003783556_unocal11n.html |work=The Seattle Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229051545/http://o.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2003783556_unocal11n.html |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref>
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