One of the first white settlers in south King County was Allen L. Porter. In 1853, he claimed a 320-acre (1.3 km²) parcel on the White River, about three miles (5 km) west of the site of Enumclaw. He maintained a troubled relationship with the local Smalkamish tribe (some of the ancestors of the Muckleshoot tribe) for some time, and in 1855 his cabin was burned to the ground. Porter, who had been warned in advance by a friend in the tribe, hid in the woods until they had left. After warning the settlers at Fort Steilacoom, he left the area, moving to Roy. He would never return to Enumclaw.

Enumclaw itself was homesteaded in 1879 by Frank and Mary Stevenson. In 1885, the Northern Pacific Railroad routed their transcontinental mainline through the site, accepting their offer of cleared, level land on which to build a siding. Confident that the area would grow, the Stevensons filed a plat with King County that same year. They built a hotel and gave away lots for a saloon and a general store.

At first the people called the town 'Stevensonville' after the founders, but they soon refused the honor. One resident suggested 'Enumclaw,' which was the name of the strange sawed-off promontory north of town. The name's uniqueness gained favor with the locals.

On January 11, 1895 Mount Baldy, a small peak above the town, "erupted" with tremendous fire and smoke, although no losses or damage were reported, and the conflagration was minimized by residents. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s the area was farmed for hops. When the hops crop failed due to pests and economic downturn, the residents turned to dairy farming, which has been a mainstay ever since. The first census listing Enumclaw in 1900 put the population at 483 people.

In the 1890s, the Northern Pacific Railroad re-routed their line through Palmer, a few miles to the east of town. In 1910, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad routed a branch line through Enumclaw.

The city was incorporated on January 27, 1913. In 1929, a much-anticipated route to Eastern Washington was opened across the Naches Pass Highway. In the 1950s Enumclaw Insurance Group greatly expanded its business and the home office became a major employer in the town. The company is an insurer doing business in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah.

Old Enumclaw High School, built in 1921

Geography

Enumclaw is located at 47°12′9″N 121°59′39″W / 47.20250°N 121.99417°W / 47.20250; -121.99417 (47.202401, -121.994044).

The city is located in the midst of flat, level farmlands and dairy farms in the east Puget Sound lowlands. The flat geography in the middle of mountainous territory is due to the ancient Osceola Mudflow from nearby Mount Rainier.

The city is unique in the fact that it is landlocked by farm preservation on three sides and protected forestlands to the east. The city is nestled against the Cascade foothills.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.27 square miles (11.06 km²), of which, 4.26 square miles (11.03 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water.

While Enumclaw is entirely located in King County, the city owns some park property within the boundaries of Pierce County.

Economy

In contrast to other towns with big-box stores, Enumclaw has chosen a different path for its downtown that is filled with small local boutiques and non-chain restaurants and bistros. Several companies, including Helac, Nor-Pac Seating, Nether Industries, and Hill AeroSystems, maintain major offices in the city. The remoteness of Enumclaw has made the picturesque, quintessential place to work from home and enjoy a bit of county life with all the convivences With the median home valued at $753,000, Enumclaw has gained many professionals, firefighters, police officers, downhill ski lovers as well as people who enjoy quick hiking access to Mt. Rainier. Enumclaw has the most dairy farms in production (16 Grade "A") within the King and Pierce County region. Enumclaw has celebrated its close ties with its ag community and has many farm road stands as well as a Farmers Market that runs Spring through Fall. Many restaurants feature Farm to Fork food offerings.

Tourism

Enumclaw is the gateway to Mount Rainier National Park and the Crystal Mountain ski area. It is located along the Chinook Scenic Byway (SR 410), which provides seasonal access to the Yakima Valley and Eastern Washington. Enumclaw has four state parks in close proximity: Nolte, Flaming Geyser, Kanaskat Palmer, and Federation Forest. The Thunder Dome Car Museum chose Enumclaw as its location to build a major museum with vintage cars and paraphernalia. Enumclaw has become a basecamp for those wanting to ski at Crystal or hike Mt. Rainier during day and play at night. Enumclaw is well known for the King County Fair (the oldest county fair west of the Mississippi), Scottish Highland Games, AKC dog show (largest in the nation), Sundays on Cole festival every Sunday during the summer and the huge Sidewalk Street Fair the runs the third week in July. Enumclaw, in partnership with King County is just completing the last section of bike trail and a bridge that will connect Enumclaw to Puyallup with 23 miles of trail.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	483	—
1910	1,129	133.7%
1920	1,378	22.1%
1930	2,084	51.2%
1940	2,627	26.1%
1950	2,789	6.2%
1960	3,269	17.2%
1970	4,703	43.9%
1980	5,427	15.4%
1990	7,227	33.2%
2000	11,116	53.8%
2010	10,669	−4.0%
2020	12,543	17.6%
2022 (est.)	12,721	19.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census

In the year 2000, the center of population of Washington State was located in an unincorporated part of King County, just northeast of town.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 12,543 people, 5,191 households in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 10,669 people, 4,420 households, and 2,793 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,504.5 inhabitants per square mile (967.0/km²). There were 4,683 housing units at an average density of 1,099.3 per square mile (424.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.8% White, 0.5% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.9% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population.

There were 4,420 households, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 38.9 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

Media

The town is home to the Courier-Herald newspaper. Enumclaw is also home to KGRG (1330 AM), a 500 watt AM college radio station licensed to the Green River Foundation and operated by Green River Community College in Auburn.

Parks and recreation

The Enumclaw Expo Center annually hosts the King County Fair and the Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games, among a number of other exhibitions and festivals. The Olympic Kennel Club has the 5th largest dog show in the nation each year in August. The 72-acre (29 ha) facility has many areas that are available to rent for weddings, trade shows, conventions and other special events.

Education

The Enumclaw School District operates public schools for students living in the city of Enumclaw and nearby unincorporated areas.

Elementary schools in Enumclaw and serving portions of Enumclaw include Black Diamond, Byron Kibler, Southwood, Sunrise, and Westwood. Some portions of Enumclaw are zoned to Enumclaw Middle School in Enumclaw, while some portions are zoned to Thunder Mountain Middle School in unincorporated King County. All residents of Enumclaw are zoned to Enumclaw High School. Green River Community College operates a campus in Enumclaw. Mike Nelson, former Superintendent of Enumclaw School District, won the 2018 State Superintendent of the Year Award.

Notable people

T.R. Bryden, baseball player. Played for the California Angels major league pitcher.
Chase Hooper, UFC fighter. He is the youngest fighter to be signed by the promotion.
Jeff Hougland, UFC fighter, Founder of Combat Sport and Fitness
Kasey Kahne, former NASCAR and current World of Outlaws driver
Richard Kovacevich, chairman of the board of directors of Wells Fargo & Company
Swen Nater, retired Dutch professional basketball player, who won rebounding titles in both the ABA and NBA
Brian Scalabrine, retired basketball player, formerly of the NBA's Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls
Tony Tost, poet and screenwriter

Enumclaw, Washington facts for kids

Contents

History