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Snohomish
City
First Street during the annual Kla-Ha-Ya Days celebration, 2006
Coordinates: 47°55′9″N 122°5′28″W / 47.91917°N 122.09111°W / 47.91917; -122.09111Coordinates: 47°55′9″N 122°5′28″W / 47.91917°N 122.09111°W / 47.91917; -122.09111
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Snohomish
Founded	1859
Government
• Mayor	John T. Kartak
• City Administrator	Steve Schuller
Area [1]
• Total	3.60 sq mi (9.32 km2)
• Land	3.44 sq mi (8.91 km2)
• Water	0.16 sq mi (0.41 km2)  4.44%
Elevation	66 ft (20 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	9,098
• Estimate  (2015)[3]	9,670
• Density	2,644.8/sq mi (1,021.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
ZIP codes	98290, 98291, 98296
Area code(s)	360
FIPS code	53-65170
GNIS feature ID	1531910[4]
Website	www.ci.snohomish.wa.us

A house in Queen Anne style at 223 Avenue A.

Snohomish is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. The mayor of Snohomish is John T. Kartak^[5] and the City Administrator is Steve Schuller.^[6] Snohomish prides itself for its historical downtown, and is known for its many antique shops. Snohomish is also referred to as the "Antique Capital of the Northwest."^[7] The historic business and residential center of the town constitutes the Snohomish Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many houses bear plaques with the year the house was built and the name of the people who originally occupied it. Each year the city gives tours of the historic houses; one of them, the Blackman House, is a year-round museum. A general aviation airfield, Harvey Airfield, is less than one mile southwest of downtown Snohomish.

History

Snohomish was founded around 1858^[8] by Emory C. Ferguson, E. F. Cady and others. It was originally known as Cadyville,^[9] and changed its name to Snohomish City in 1871. The name Snohomish comes from the name of the dominant local Native American tribe "sdoh-doh-hohbsh", whose meaning is widely disputed.

One of the first inland cities in the Puget Sound region, Snohomish was built where a planned military road connecting Fort Steilacoom and Fort Bellingham was set to cross the Snohomish River. The road, proposed in the wake of the Pig War, was intended to be built far enough inland to be safe from British naval attacks. Although the road was never completed, Snohomish quickly became a center of commerce in the expanding region.^[9][10] In 1861, Snohomish County separated from Island County and the Village of Snohomish was voted the county seat. It remained so until 1897 when the county seat was relocated to the larger, yet much newer neighboring city of Everett, Washington after a controversial and contested county-wide vote.^[10]

Snohomish's first school was organized in either 1867 or 1869. The city was finally incorporated in 1890 with Hyrcanus Blackman (who had, since 1888, been Police Chief with the monthly salary of $20.00 plus $2.00 for each arrest) as mayor. 1893 saw the construction of a roller skating rink and 1894 the first graduations from Snohomish High School. By 1899 the city of Snohomish was a prosperous town with a population of 2,000, 25 businesses and 80 homes.^[11]

steamboat Marguerite at Snohomish, Washington, sometime before May 24, 1907

1901 brought Snohomish the first motor car in the county. In 1903 First Street was paved with brick. When it was finished, there was a three-day celebration, and for years afterward, the city's residents remained so proud of the street that they washed it every week with a fire hose.

Emma C. Patric was appointed the town's first librarian in 1901, an event that lead to the 1910 grand opening of the town's first public library, The Carnegie Library.^[12][13] It is now the oldest remaining public building in the city.^[14] In 1911 a disastrous fire struck First Street and everything between Avenues B and C was destroyed. The fire began when a small blaze in the Palace Cafe on the South side of the street got out of control on Memorial Day, 1911 at about four a.m. Thirty-five business structures were put out of business, with $173,000 worth of goods destroyed. Despite the disaster the town continued to grow and by 1920 the population grew to a little over 3,000. The population would remain relatively stable for the next 40 years.^[15] The city was connected to Everett by an interurban railway that ceased operations in 1921 after a trestle was damaged during a major flood.

The Great Depression was not acutely felt in Snohomish because its economy was mostly agrarian with many family farms. One of the town's largest employers, Bickford Ford, was founded in 1934 by Lawrence Bickford; the dealership flourished in a period when many auto dealerships failed. The 1930s brought Snohomish national notice as the hometown of baseball great Earl Averill, the only Washingtonian in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Averill played from 1929 to 1941, mostly with the Cleveland Indians.^[16]

The 1960s saw the city of Snohomish enter a period of decline. As the Boeing Company fell on hard times, many people were laid off and had to move away to seek other work. A commonly heard phrase was, "Will the last person out of Seattle please turn off the lights?" Snohomish fought back with a redevelopment plan in 1965 that proposed the destruction of the historic structures along First Street to make way for an enclosed mall. The plan was not carried out due to lack of funds, and the area remains today as it has through much of its history.^[17]

The Alcazar Opera House, built in 1892, later became an agricultural supply store and is now one of Snohomish's many antiques stores.

The town's economic malaise continued throughout much of the '70s, with the downtown area given over to mostly bars and small shops. In 1973 the city adopted a Historic District Ordinance protecting historic buildings and structures from inappropriate alterations and demolitions and encouraging the design of new construction in keeping with the district's historic character. In 1974, the Historic Business District, a 36-block area, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Larger stores moved away from First Street into newer developments and strip malls that spread out along Second Street and Avenue D.

In 1974 the Seattle-Snohomish mill was gutted by fire and rebuilt by its owners. In 1975 a severe flood struck the area, damaging over 300 homes and killing 3,500 head of livestock, but the community rallied to support those who were affected. 1976 and '78 brought added community spirit as Snohomish High School won the AAA State football Championships under coach Dick Armstrong.

The 1980s saw renewed vigor in Snohomish when, along with other developments, two 7-Eleven convenience stores and a McDonald's franchise opened during the first part of the decade. In 1981, Richard Pryor came to town to film parts of the movie Bustin' Loose. Snohomish received additional attention from Hollywood in the 1983 movie WarGames as the name of the high school from which character David Lightman (played by Matthew Broderick) hacks into a military computer system. (The actual school that appears in the film is El Segundo High School in El Segundo, California.)

Around 1985, the U.S. Route 2 bypass was completed, allowing traffic which had until then been forced to pass through the town to circumvent the city. This greatly eased the gridlock which had been a part of everyday life and allowed the city to assume the more peaceful character it has today.

In the 1990s, First Street was redeveloped to take advantage of its historic buildings as a tourist attraction. Its sidewalks were rebuilt and public restrooms added. The city hall and police station were moved away from First Street and a new fire station was built, allowing those historic buildings to be renovated as well.

Today, Snohomish is a model of how cities can reinvigorate their business districts by preserving their historic charm. It has continued to grow, with much of its development spread out along the former Route 2, now known as Bickford Avenue. Snohomish has conscientiously maintained a balance between its regular businesses in modern facilities, serving the local community, and the specialty shops in the town's historic areas, serving visitors.

Geography

Snohomish is located at 47°55′9″N 122°5′28″W / 47.91917°N 122.09111°W / 47.91917; -122.09111 (47.919131, -122.090978).^[18]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.60 square miles (9.32 km²), of which, 3.44 square miles (8.91 km²) is land and 0.16 square miles (0.41 km²) is water.^[1]

Demographics

Snohomish River seen from downtown Snohomish, Washington (July 2006).

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 9,098 people, 3,645 households, and 2,259 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,644.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,021.2/km²). There were 3,959 housing units at an average density of 1,150.9 per square mile (444.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.0% White, 0.5% African American, 1.1% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 3.6% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.0% of the population.

There were 3,645 households of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.0% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,494 people, 3,276 households, and 2,099 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,368.8 people per square mile (1,301.4/km²). There were 3,444 housing units at an average density of 1,365.9 per square mile (527.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.64% White, 0.51% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.

There were 3,276 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city, the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,396, and the median income for a family was $61,034. Males had a median income of $40,463 versus $33,929 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,917. About 4.1% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Snohomish is governed under a mayor–council government, with an elected mayor and a seven-member, elected city council. From 1971 to 2017, the city operated under a council–manager government that was switched after a vote in 2016 passed by a margin of 11 votes.^[21]

Education

Snohomish is served by the Snohomish School District. Public schools of the Snohomish School District include: Snohomish High School, Glacier Peak High School, AIM High School (Alternate High School), Centennial Middle School, Valley View Middle School, Dutch Hill Elementary, Emerson Elementary, Riverview Elementary, Cascade View Elementary, Machias Elementary, Seattle Hill Elementary, Totem Falls Elementary, Cathcart Elementary, and Central Elementary. Private schools in Snohomish include Zion Lutheran School. Peaceful Glen Christian school, another private school, closed in June 2015. The school district's growing number of students prompted the opening of Little Cedars Elementary School in the fall of 2007, and Glacier Peak High School in the fall of 2008. Parts of Snohomish, including Maltby Elementary School and Hidden River Middle School, are included in the Monroe School District. Students attending these schools continue to Monroe High School in Monroe, Washington.

St. Michael Catholic School also added a preschool and grade school in the fall of 2007.

Notable people

• 
  Earl Averill, Major League Baseball player


• 
  Jon Brockman, professional basketball player


• 
  Tom Cable, offensive line coach and assistant head coach of the Seattle Seahawks
  


• 
  E. F. Cady, co-founder of Snohomish (originally Cadyville)


• 
  Adam Eaton, major league baseball pitcher


• 
  David Eddings, fantasy writer


• 
  Emory C. Ferguson, co-founder of Snohomish


• 
  Keith Gilbertson, football coach


• 
  Larry Gunselman, former NASCAR driver


• 
  Kevin Hamlin, NASCAR driver


• 
  Curt Marsh, former NFL player for the Oakland Raiders
  


• 
  Jeff Ogden, former NFL player


• 
  Jim Ollom, Baseball player


• 
  John Patric, author, journalist, political candidate


• 
  Don Poier, sports announcer


• 
  Theodore Rinaldo, Eden Farms religious leader and convicted child sex offender


• 
  Chrissy Teigen, model


• 
  Earl Torgeson, Major League Baseball player


• 
  Fred W. Vetter, Jr., USAF brigadier general


• 
  Brooke Whitney, ice hockey player for the Northeastern Huskies


• 
  Bret Ingalls, Offensive Line Coach for the New Orleans Saints

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Snohomish, Washington.

• Official website


• City of Snohomish Chamber of Commerce


• Warner Blake, Snohomish -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink, 2008-03-10.