Skykomish is a town in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 214 at the 2000 census, down from an estimated peak of "several thousand" in the 1920s.[3]
Located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, near Deception Falls on the Skykomish River, Skykomish was founded as a railroad town. Today, it is mainly a stopping point for recreational access to the surrounding mountains, including skiing at nearby Stevens Pass.
Being located in the far northeastern corner of King County, mountains deny Skykomish any road access to the rest of the county. Instead, U.S. Highway 2 (known in this area as the Cascade Highway) connects it with Snohomish County to the north and through Stevens Pass (17 miles east of town) to Chelan County.
History
Skykomish was officially incorporated on June 5, 1909.
From the 1890s to 1974, Skykomish was a maintenance and fueling station for the Great Northern Railway, which eventally became part of BNSF Railway. It was also once the western terminus for electric operations (1909-56) on the Cascade Tunnel route all the way to Wenatchee. Here, steam or diesel locomotives were changed or coupled to electric locomotives [4]. Careless waste disposal practices common during that era resulted in the contamination of its soil, its groundwater, and the Skykomish River by oil and heavy metals. The BNSF and the Washington State Department of Ecology began remediation discussions in the mid-1980s, and in 2006, agreed to a plan whereby the railroad would pay up to $50 million to clean up the area over a three-year period. This will involve massive excavations--essentially removing the contaminated soil and replacing it with clean soil--and the rebuilding of a levee. Many of Skykomish's buildings--both homes and business--will have to be moved.
Geography
Skykomish is located at 47°42′36″N 121°21′21″W / 47.71°N 121.35583°W / 47.71; -121.35583 (47.710048, -121.355695)[5].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²), all of which is land.
Demographics
The heart of Skyhomish (2008). In foreground, the
BNSF tracks. Behind that, left to right: Skykomish Historical Society Museum, Maloney's General Store, listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, Skykomish Hotel, Cascadian Hotel and Café.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 214 people, 104 households, and 58 families residing in the town. The population density was 623.2 people per square mile (243.0/km²). There were 162 housing units at an average density of 471.8/sq mi (184.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.39% White, 0.47% African American, 1.40% Native American, 0.93% Asian, and 2.80% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.80% of the population.
There were 104 households, of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 48.1% were married couples living together, 2.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.2% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.66.
18.2% of the town's population was under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 34.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,357, and the median income for a family was $48,500. Males had a median income of $42,500 versus $25,938 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,829. About 3.0% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 or over.
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Stein, Alan J. (August 12,1999). "Skykomish -- Thumbnail History". Essay 1623. HistoryLink.org. http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=1623. Retrieved on 2008-11-07.
- ^ Middleton, William D. When the Steam Railroads Electrified. Indiana University Press: 2002. ISBN 978-0253339799
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
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