| Edmonds:
A Haven on the Puget Sound
The town of Edmonds has a history beginning with a
single man: George Brackett. Every source you can find
on Brackett will tell you he was a man of vision. 1870,
he set off on an exploration for timber, and on that
trip stormy waters in Puget Sound forced him to take
shelter and led to the serendipitous discovery of the
land he would someday carve into a community.
It took Brackett six years to return to this site,
but when he did he bought the previous homesteader's
claim for an estimated $650 dollars and set up shop.
He moved his family in, built a wharf, and would eventually
even become the local postmaster. In 1889, Brackett
built the town's first sawmill, which was to become
the first of the many sawmills that, along with brick
making plants, became the town's primary economy for
a considerable time.
Much later, in a 1970's municipal calendar, the town
leaders would state that their goal for the region was
"to remain a small, low density, rural-type community."
That vision was very much the legacy of George Brackett.
His dream to retain a small community can be evidenced
as early as his choice for the town's namesake: George
Franklin Edmunds. Edmunds was a Vermont senator renowned
for his creation of the act outlawing polygamy. The
ban was an attempt to curb wild population growth at
the time, and Brackett's own population concerns led
him pay tribute to the act's creator. It is only due
to the Post Office's misreading of an application, filled
out by hand, that the town's name is spelled with an
"O" not a "U".
Brackett would allow the misspelling to slide, but
he would not allow his community to fall under the mismanagement
of others. After selling the town for $36,000 in 1890,
he repossessed it three years later, not liking the
way the new owners handled business. He did eventually
sell it again in 1900. The handsome sum of $139,000
was agreed upon, and the sale stuck.
It was in 1891 that the Great Northern Railroad arrived
in Edmonds, and by this time shingle production had
become a staple for the town's economy. While a fire
wiped out most of the town's saw mills, shingle production
continued to be a main source of revenue well into the
1940's.
Today, one of the town's main assets is a bustling
ferry terminal servicing Kingston, which is located
on the other side of Puget Sound. The first ferry terminal
in Edmonds was built in 1923. However, after the Port
District was formed by Washington Sate in 1948, a new
sate-run terminal was built, and vast waterfront improvements
would soon follow.
The town, however, remained a small hamlet throughout
the 40's. Just after the second World War, Edmonds was
described as a one horse town not claiming more than
1000 residents. It was only after the construction of
Interstate Five, in 1967, that Edmonds experienced a
real population surge.
Although the municipality claims that the majority
its of population growth was due to annexations in the
60's and 70's, there is no doubt that Edmonds, and the
entire region, experienced serious development in more
recent times. Luckily for the citizens though, council
leaders have strove to keep this growth within the original
spirit for a rural haven. Today this community of nearly
40,000 citizens still retains its small town charm.
Its warmth radiates throughout the area: from the underwater
diving park, to the historical Brackett's Landing and
charming downtown areas, and throughout all the many
houses that are proud to call Edmonds Washington home.
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