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Snoqualmie, Washington | HearLore
Snoqualmie, Washington
The name Snoqualmie translates from the Lushootseed language sduk'w'lbix'w, meaning people of the moon, a designation that has anchored the identity of this valley for over 13,000 years before the first written record appeared. Samuel Hancock, an early explorer, ventured up the river in 1851 with Snoqualmie guides who pointed out the land as Hyas Kloshe Illahee, or good productive land, a description that would eventually define the economic destiny of the region. Tensions between the indigenous population and incoming settlers escalated rapidly during the 1850s, leading to the construction of Fort Alden in 1856 near a Snoqualmie village to manage the conflict that would soon erupt into the Treaty War. After the war concluded, the fort was abandoned, leaving the valley open for pioneers like Jeremiah Borst, who arrived in the spring of 1858 via the Cedar River trail and began acquiring land by selling pigs and apples to Seattle markets. Borst's success in buying out surrounding settlers laid the groundwork for a community that would eventually grow from a scattered settlement into a city of over 14,000 people by the 2020 census.
Timber and The First Power
The first lumber mill in the Snoqualmie Valley was established at the mouth of Tokul Creek around 1872 by Watson Allen, a development that would quickly transform the region into a logging powerhouse. Within five years, twelve logging operations were active on the Snoqualmie River, employing 140 men and sending millions of board feet of logs down the river to supply the growing Seattle region. The economic landscape shifted again in the late 1890s when Charles Baker, a Seattle investor, built the Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Plant, the first power plant at the falls. This facility provided both electricity and jobs, spawning a small company town to house the workers, and remarkably, Baker's original generators are still in use by Puget Sound Energy more than 100 years later. The prosperity of the timber industry continued through the first half of the 20th century, with a new all-electric lumber mill opening in 1917 across the river, making it the second of its kind in the United States and providing a stable income source even as World War I drew away workers and the Great Depression took its toll.
The Hop Ranch and The Railway
In 1882, the Hop Growers Association was founded by three Puget Sound partners who purchased land from Jeremiah Borst to create what was billed as The Largest Hop Ranch in the World. This venture covered a significant portion of the Snoqualmie Prairie, with a large section devoted solely to hops, but it eventually fell into relative obscurity by the end of the 1890s due to a combination of market shifts and pest factors. The region was bypassed by major railways until a group of Seattle entrepreneurs funded and built their own line, the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway, which opened up the natural resources of the valley to global markets. This railway brought in tourists to enjoy the natural beauty of the area and marvel at the falls, sparking a marked increase in speculation and development. The area that is currently Snoqualmie was platted in August 1889 by investors from Seattle as Snoqualmie Falls, while the area that would become North Bend was originally platted as Snoqualmie Prairie in February of that same year by Will Taylor.
What is the origin of the name Snoqualmie Washington?
The name Snoqualmie translates from the Lushootseed language sduk'w'lbix'w, meaning people of the moon, a designation that has anchored the identity of this valley for over 13,000 years before the first written record appeared.
When was the first lumber mill established in Snoqualmie Washington?
The first lumber mill in the Snoqualmie Valley was established at the mouth of Tokul Creek around 1872 by Watson Allen, a development that would quickly transform the region into a logging powerhouse.
Who founded the Hop Growers Association in Snoqualmie Washington?
In 1882, the Hop Growers Association was founded by three Puget Sound partners who purchased land from Jeremiah Borst to create what was billed as The Largest Hop Ranch in the World.
What is the population of Snoqualmie Washington according to the 2020 census?
The population of Snoqualmie Washington reached 14,121 in the 2020 census, driven by the development of the Snoqualmie Ridge Business Park which employs over a thousand people.
When did the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe open the Snoqualmie Casino?
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe owns the Snoqualmie Casino, which opened in 2008 a few miles outside the city center, adding a significant economic and cultural pillar to the region.
What is the average household income in Snoqualmie Washington as of 2013?
The average household income in Snoqualmie was estimated at $135,386 in 2013, significantly higher than the King County average of $90,874 and the national average of $70,968, reflecting a community primarily composed of working families with a median age of 34.2 years.
Oral history 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 first church in the town. Two of their six children became famous for their photography documenting the early timber works in the region, preserving a visual record of the industry that defined the valley. The company town associated with the 1917 all-electric lumber mill, also named Snoqualmie Falls, grew up across the river from the main settlement, housing the workers who kept the mills running. By the 1960s, the homes that had made up this company town were moved to other locations within the valley, and the city's population stabilized to a growth rate of roughly 11 people per year over the next 30 years, rising from 1,216 in 1960 to 1,546 in 1990. This slow growth cycle continued until the mid-1990s, when the city began annexing undeveloped land to create the master-planned community of Snoqualmie Ridge.
The Great Stagnation and The Rally
Snoqualmie stagnated during the latter half of the 20th century as the city was bypassed when US-10 was built across the Cascades, now known as Interstate 90, leading to a shift in commerce to the east into North Bend and west into the Bellevue and Issaquah areas. The city council faced early challenges in 1903 when land prices had not decreased since 1889, leading to a large squatting community that built where they wanted regardless of land ownership, forcing the council to lower lot prices and migrate buildings off the public right-of-way. In 2012, the city annexed the former Weyerhaeuser mill site and mill pond, known as Borst Lake, which now hosts Dirtfish, an advanced rally car driver training school. This facility is one of the largest undeveloped industrial zoned sites in King County and hosted a round of the 2014 Global RallyCross Championship, marking a new chapter in the city's industrial history after Weyerhaeuser ceased all operations at the mill site in 2003.
The Twin Peaks Phenomenon
Many of the exterior shots for David Lynch and Mark Frost's Twin Peaks television series and the movie Fire Walk with Me were filmed in Snoqualmie and in the neighboring towns of North Bend and Fall City, forever changing the town's cultural identity. The municipal government and local businesses embraced the association, with the Snoqualmie chamber of commerce organizing the first Twin Peaks Fan Festival from August 14 to 16 in 1992, anticipating the release of Fire Walk With Me which premiered early at the North Bend Theatre with a live introduction by Lynch himself. Since 2023, an officially proclaimed Real Twin Peaks Day has been celebrated on the 24th of February, and in 2024, star Kyle MacLachlan attended the festivities. Several attempts have been made to permanently install a Welcome To Twin Peaks sign on Snoqualmie's Reinig Road, but they are usually stolen or vandalized shortly after being placed, a recurring symbol of the town's enduring connection to the show.
A Modern Family and A Growing Economy
The average household income in Snoqualmie was estimated at $135,386 in 2013, significantly higher than the King County average of $90,874 and the national average of $70,968, reflecting a community primarily composed of working families with a median age of 34.2 years. The population has grown from 1,631 in the 2000 census to 10,670 in the 2010 census and 14,121 in the 2020 census, driven by the development of the Snoqualmie Ridge Business Park which employs over a thousand people. 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, while Philips Oral Healthcare manufactures Sonicare electric toothbrushes in the city. The city has continued to balance the desire to retain its rural and historical feel with the needs of a growing population, completing new projects like the Snoqualmie Hospital in 2015 and the Snoqualmie Inn, while providing parks and recreation facilities such as the Snoqualmie Community Park built in 2009.
The Casino and The Museum
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe owns the Snoqualmie Casino, which opened in 2008 a few miles outside the city center, adding a significant economic and cultural pillar to the region. The city is also home to the Northwest Railway Museum, which owns a historic depot and operates heritage railway rides, preserving the transportation history that helped bring the valley to the world. Tourism remains a major industry, with the Snoqualmie Falls and adjacent Salish Lodge drawing 1.5 million annual visitors to the area. The city has designated the Snoqualmie Historic Commercial District, built between 1889 and 1941, as a city landmark, and the downtown area underwent a major renovation to improve infrastructure and attract visitors to the valley's many natural attractions. As of 2023, Snoqualmie continues to experience growth and development, with new residential and commercial projects being completed, ensuring the city remains a vibrant community in King County.