Mukilteo, Washington
Mukilteo (pronounced /ˌmʌkəlˈtiː.oʊ/, US dict: mŭk′·əl·tē′·ō), which means 'good camping ground', is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,254 at the 2010 census. It is on the shore of the Puget Sound, and is the site of a Washington State Ferries terminal linking it to Clinton, on Whidbey Island.Mukilteo is one of the most affluent suburbs of Seattle. In 2007, the city had a median income of $83,569. Additionally, like the rest of the Seattle area, house prices have risen rapidly; the median value in 2007 was $567,000. Based on per capita income, Mukilteo ranks 29th of 522 areas in the state of Washington. The city is also home to one of the most expensive schools ever built in America, Kamiak High School. In 2009, Mukilteo was ranked as number 10 of Money Magazine's top 100 small towns of America to live in.
History
The name Mukilteo is derived from a local Indian term mew-kil-teo meaning 'good camping site.' Though Mukilteo was officially incorporated on May 8, 1947, the city has a historic role in the development of the Puget Sound. It was at Mukilteo that the Point Elliott Treaty was signed between Governor Isaac Stevens and the chiefs of 22 Puget Sound tribes on January 22, 1855.The treaty ceded land to the United States from Point Pully (now called Three Tree Point south of Seattle) to the British (Canadian) border in exchange for a variety of benefits, including land, education, health care and hunting and fishing rights. The treaty was signed before more than 2,500 Native Americans.According to the Mukilteo Historical Society, the town became the first settled by Europeans in 1858 and was the county seat of Snohomish County from 1861 when Snohomish County was created from Island County to 1867, when the city of Snohomish became the county seat. Initially the settlement was called Point Elliott, the name given the location by the Wilkes Expedition in 1841.In its early years, Mukilteo was a fishing village, trading post, and a port-of-entry. Surrounding wooded hills filled with Douglas fir, cedar and hemlock supported a lumber mill and the town also had a cannery, a brewery, and a gunpowder plant. Traces of the powder mill remain in the name of Powder Mill Gulch, a ravine that is located about one mile (1.6 km) into the city limits of Everett. Japanese Gulch provides rail access from the Mukilteo waterfront to the Boeing's Boeing Everett Factory at Paine Field.In 1900, the population was only 350. The next year, the federal Lighthouse Board decided to put a light and fog signal at the point in Mukilteo. The lighthouse, which still stands today, was completed in 1906.Even at incorporation in 1947, almost a century after the Point Elliott Treaty, Mukilteo’s population stood at only 775. But by 1947, there was ferry service to Whidbey Island, a fuel storage facility for the Air Force on the waterfront, and a major rail line for the Great Northern Railway along the city’s entire waterfront.The first growth spurt for the city came with the 1980 annexation of an additional 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) to the south along the Mukilteo Speedway or SR 525, which increased the population to 4,130 people. In 1991, the Harbour Pointe area was annexed, doubling the size of the city to 6.25 square miles (16.19 km2). The annexation increased the city’s population to just over 10,000 and also presaged a shift from the Old Town commercial center near the ferry to new shopping and banking facilities at Harbour Pointe. With development since the Harbour Pointe annexation, the city's population has reached 19,360 (2005). The city has agreed to an urban growth area that includes approximately 15,000 additional potential residents.The major parkland in the city is the former state park and lighthouse, next to the ferry docks. In 1954, the state acquired 17 acres (69,000 m2) of land around the lighthouse and made it into a state park, including a popular boat ramp. In 2003, the state faced a budgetary crisis and offered to cede the park to the city, which the city accepted. The city renamed the park Mukilteo Lighthouse Park and has plans for redevelopment that may ultimately spend $6 million for new facilities.Substantial development is expected along the waterfront in the next five to ten years, with the state planning to build a new ferry terminal east of the current location. The Mukilteo-Clinton ferry provides service for 3 million passengers per year with two ferries currently serving the run.In 1992, the government of Mukilteo opposed plans to expand Paine Field; Mayor Brian Sullivan said that the city disagrees 'with the idea of a Sea-Tac north' and supports upholding a 1978 agreement between residents around Paine Field and Snohomish County.The transportation hub will use some of the land being turned over by the federal government on the site of the old fuel docks. Included is an $18 million terminal for Sounder commuter rail service, scheduled to open in June, 2008 on the Everett-Seattle line. In addition, the city and Port of Everett are working to redevelop the remaining land on the tank farm property for private and public use.
Harbour Pointe
Harbour Pointe is a mixed-use neighborhood at the south end of Mukilteo on land originally owned by Port Gamble Lumber Co. Harbour Pointe is the location of Kamiak High School and Harbour Pointe Middle School. After cutting timber from the area, Port Gamble sold it to Standard Oil of California (now Chevron) in the 1930s with the petroleum company planning to put a refinery on the property.When the Alaskan oil fields were developed in the 1960s, Standard Oil decided that there was adequate capacity for refining at Anacortes and set aside plans to build a refinery on the property. In a locally-published book, “Picnic Point Pathways,” author Sandy Sandborg says that the decision was probably influenced by the environmental battle that Richfield Oil Company had with its planned refinery development at Kayak Point, north of Everett, during the 1960s.A parcel of 460 acres (1.9 km2) that would become Picnic Point Park, just south of the city’s border, was leased to Snohomish County in 1970. Then, in 1977, Standard Oil donated it to the county. Another 2,350 acres (10 km2) were purchased by Harbour Pointe Limited Partnership in the 1980s from Standard Oil. It would become the mixed-used development anchored by Harbour Pointe Golf Club, opened in September, 1989.
Education
The Mukilteo School District includes all of the city, but also a portion of south Everett and unincorporated areas to the south of the city. The district serves a population of 68,000, or more than 3 times that of the city alone. The district had more than 14,163 students in 2004-2005 and a budget of $104.7 million.
Geography
Mukilteo is located at 47°54′58″N 122°18′11″W / 47.916148°N 122.302939°W / 47.916148; -122.302939 (47.916148, -122.302939).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24.4 km2), of which, 6.3 square miles (16.4 km2) of it is land and 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2) of it (32.84%) is water.The city is traversed by the Southern Whidbey Island fault zone, discovered in 1996.Much of the area surrounding Mukilteo to the east is unincorporated Snohomish county. To the west and north is Puget Sound. Everett, Puget Sound and unincorporated Snohomish county make up the majority of the border.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,019 people, 6,759 households, and 4,981 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,842.5 people per square mile (1,097.3/km2). There were 7,146 housing units at an average density of 1,127.3 per square mile (435.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 82.06% White, 1.48% African American, 0.79% Native American, 10.97% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 1.13% from other races, and 3.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.90% of the population.There were 6,759 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.10.In the city the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.The median income for a household in the city was $107,323, and the median income for a family was $117,487 (these figures had risen to $108,043 and $119,735 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $83,880 versus $57,835 for females. The per capita income for the city was $59,134. About 1.8% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
The City of Mukilteo incorporated in May 1947 and operates as a non-charter code city with a Mayor-Council form of government. The Mayor and seven City Councilmembers are part-time non-partisan elected officials who serve four-year terms. Municipal elections are held in November of odd-numbered years and terms are staggered so that no more than four positions are up for election every two years.Mayor: Joe Marine (2006–present, next election: 2013)
Councilmember, position 1: Kevin Stoltz (2006–present, next election: 2013)
Councilmember, position 2: Richard Emery (2008–present, next election: 2013). Formerly:Marko Liias(2006–2007, next election: 2013)
Councilmember, position 3: Randy Lord (2006–present, next election: 2013)
Councilmember, position 4: Howard 'Tony' Tinsley (2004–present, next election: 2011)
Councilmember, position 5: Emily Vanderwielen (2007–present, next election: 2011)
Councilmember, position 6: Linda Grafer (2008–present, next election: 2011)
Councilmember, position 7: Jennifer Gregerson (2004–present, next election: 2011)
Past mayors
Donald Doran (1998–2005)
Brian Sullivan(1990–1997)
Emory Cole (1986–1989)
John Corbett (1982–1985)
John Sweat (1978–1981)
James Huetson (1974–1977)
Jeremiah F. Lavell (1972–1973)
J. O. Simpson (1970–1971)
Ronald Kane (1964–1969)
Dick Taylor (1956–1964)]
Alfred Tunem (1947–1956)
Past Councilmembers
City of Mukilteo Council History1947-1949: Luke Holtgeerts, Dwight McMaster, William Osborne, Richard Taylor, Otto Zahler
1950: Luke Holtgeerts, Dwight McMaster, William Osborne, Richard Taylor, Otto Zahler, Leon Novak
1950: Luke Holtgeerts, Dwight McMaster, William Osborne, Richard Taylor, Otto Zahler, Leon Novak
1951: Luke Holtgeerts, William Osborne, Richard Taylor, Otto Zahler, Leon Novak, Gray Beck, Richard Thompson
1952: Luke Holtgeerts, Otto Zahler, Leon Novak, Gray Beck, Richard Thompson, Albert Losvar, Fred Allen
1953: Luke Holtgeerts, Gray Beck, Richard Thompson, Albert Losvar, Fred Allen, Henry Brown
1954: Gray Beck, Richard Thompson, Albert Losvar, Fred Allen, Henry Brown
1955: Gray Beck, Richard Thompson, Albert Losvar, Fred Allen, Henry Brown
1956: Gray Beck, Richard Thompson, Albert Losvar, Fred Allen, Henry Brown, Ken Walin, Ronald Kane
1957: Gray Beck, Richard Thompson, Fred Allen, Ken Walin, Ronald Kane
1958: Gray Beck, Richard Thompson, Fred Allen, Ken Walin, Ronald Kane, Stanley Martell, Helen Sawyers
1959: Gray Beck, Ken Walin, Ronald Kane, Stanley Martell, Helen Sawyers
1960: Gray Beck, Ken Walin, Ronald Kane, Stanley Martell, Helen Sawyers, John Moberg
1961: Gray Beck, Ken Walin, Ronald Kane, Stanley Martell, John Moberg, Peter Almgren
1962: Gray Beck, Ronald Kane, Stanley Martell, John Moberg, Peter Almgren, Mildred Mercer
1963: Ronald Kane, Stanley Martell, John Moberg, Peter Almgren, Mildred Mercer
1964: Ronald Kane, Stanley Martell, John Moberg, Peter Almgren, Mildred Mercer, George McConnell, Randall Bump
1965: Stanley Martell, John Moberg, Peter Almgren, George McConnell, Randall Bump
1966: Stanley Martell, John Moberg, Peter Almgren, George McConnell, Randall Bump
1967: Stanley Martell, John Moberg, Peter Almgren, George McConnell, Randall Bump, Anne Jenks, Edward Brock
1968: Stanley Martell, Peter Almgren, George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Edward Brock
1969: Stanley Martell, Peter Almgren, George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Edward Brock, Jerry Lavell
1970: Stanley Martell, George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Edward Brock, Jerry Lavell
1971: Stanley Martell, George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Edward Brock, Jerry Lavell
1972: George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Edward Brock, Jerry Lavell (Mayor-Elect), Kenneth Holtgeerts, Gerald James, Charles Pancerzewski (appointed 2/22/72)
1973: George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Kenneth Holtgeerts, Gerald James, Charles Pancerzewski
1974: George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Kenneth Holtgeerts, Gerald James, Virginia Bergstrom, Don Fero
1975: George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Kenneth Holtgeerts, Gerald James, Virginia Bergstrom, Don Fero
1976: George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Kenneth Holtgeerts, Gerald James, Virginia Bergstrom, Don Fero, Larry Corbaley, Philip Cadwallader
1977: George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Virginia Bergstrom, Larry Corbaley, Philip Cadwallader
1978: George McConnell, Anne Jenks, Virginia Bergstrom, Larry Corbaley, Philip Cadwallader, Ronald Bivens, John Adams
1979: Anne Jenks, Virginia Bergstrom, Philip Cadwallader, Ronald Bivens, John Adams, Jay Howell, Patrick McGrady
1980: Virginia Bergstrom, Philip Cadwallader, John Adams, Jay Howell, Patrick McGrady
1981: Virginia Bergstrom (vacated), Philip Cadwallader, John Adams, Jay Howell, Patrick McGrady, Roland Stemmer, Marlene Hultman (appointed 12/7/81), Susan Betz (appointed 12/15/80), Royal Hawley (appointed 12/15/80)
1982: Philip Cadwallader, Jay Howell, Marlene Hultman, Ronald Siddell, Roland Stemmer, Monte Wolff, David Braathen
1983: Philip Cadwallader, Jay Howell (vacated), Marlene Hultman, Ronald Siddell, Roland Stemmer, Monte Wolff, David Braathen, Mona Howell (appointed 2/22/83)
1984: Marlene Hultman, Ronald Siddell, Roland Stemmer, Monte Wolff, David Braathen, Mona Howell, Thomas Howerton
1985: Marlene Hultman, Ronald Siddell, Roland Stemmer, Monte Wolff, David Braathen, Mona Howell, Thomas Howerton
1986: Marlene Hultman, Ronald Siddell, Roland Stemmer, Mona Howell, Thomas Howerton, Bob McBride, Brian Sullivan
1987: Marlene Hultman, Ronald Siddell, Roland Stemmer, Mona Howell, Thomas Howerton, Bob McBride, Brian Sullivan
1988: Marlene Hultman, Ronald Siddell, Roland Stemmer, Bob McBride, Brian Sullivan, Chuck Lee, Terry Mundorf
1989: Marlene Hultman, Ronald Siddell, Roland Stemmer, Bob McBride, Brian Sullivan, Chuck Lee, Terry Mundorf
1990: Marlene Hultman, Roland Stemmer, Chuck Lee (vacated), Terry Mundorf, Loretta Jackson, Brian Langlais, Matt Warnock, Bruce Richter (appointed 7/9/90)
1991: Marlene Hultman, Roland Stemmer, Terry Mundorf, Loretta Jackson, Brian Langlais, Matt Warnock, Bruce Richter
1992: Loretta Jackson, Brian Langlais, Matt Warnock (vacated), Bruce Richter, William Angdahl, Don Doran, Bernie Friedman, Marlene Hultman (appointed 2/28/92)
1993: Loretta Jackson, Brian Langlais, Bruce Richter, William Angdahl, Don Doran, Bernie Friedman, Marlene Hultman (vacated), Cathy Reese (council-elect)
1994: Bruce Richter, William Angdahl, Don Doran, Bernie Friedman, Cathy Reese, Ken Kromann, Harold Quinby
1995: Bruce Richter, William Angdahl, Don Doran, Cathy Reese, Ken Kromann, Harold Quinby, Eileen Hinds
1996: Bruce Richter, Don Doran, Cathy Reese, Ken Kromann, Harold Quinby, Eileen Hinds, Kerry Mushkin
1997: Bruce Richter, Don Doran, Cathy Reese, Ken Kromann, Harold Quinby, Eileen Hinds, Kerry Mushkin
1998: Bruce Richter, Cathy Reese, Harold Quinby, Eileen Hinds, Kerry Mushkin, Joe Marine, Charles Pancerzewski (appointed 1/6/98)
1999: Bruce Richter, Cathy Reese, Harold Quinby, Eileen Hinds, Kerry Mushkin, Joe Marine, Charles Pancerzewski, Bruce Brown (council-elect)
2000: Bruce Richter, Cathy Reese, Harold Quinby, Eileen Hinds, Joe Marine, Bruce Brown, Ken Kromann
2001: Bruce Richter, Cathy Reese, Harold Quinby, Eileen Hinds, Joe Marine (vacated), Bruce Brown, Ken Kromann, John Sullivan (appointed 1/29/01)
2002-2003: Bruce Richter, Cathy Reese, Eileen Hinds, Bruce Brown, Ken Kromann, John Sullivan, Paul Rand
2004: Bruce Richter, Cathy Reese, John Sullivan, Paul Rand, Jennifer Gregerson, Donna Lansberry (vacated), Tony Tinsley, Lori Kaiser (appointed 9/27/04)
2005: Bruce Richter, Cathy Reese, John Sullivan, Paul Rand, Jennifer Gregerson, Tony Tinsley, Lori Kaiser
2006: Bruce Richter, Jennifer Gregerson, Tony Tinsley, Lori Kaiser,Marko Liias, Randy Lord, Kevin Stoltz
2007: Bruce Richter (vacated), Jennifer Gregerson, Tony Tinsley, Lori Kaiser,Marko Liias, Randy Lord, Kevin Stoltz, Emily Vanderweilen (council-elect)
2008: Jennifer Gregerson, Tony Tinsley,Marko Liias(vacated), Randy Lord, Kevin Stoltz, Emily Vanderweilen, Linda Grafer, Richard Emery (appointed 2/27/08)
2009-2010: Jennifer Gregerson, Tony Tinsley, Randy Lord, Kevin Stoltz, Emily Vanderweilen, Linda Grafer, Richard Emery
Next to the Sea
Mukilteo is located adjacent to Puget Sound, a large inlet of the Pacific Ocean separating Washington State's Olympic Peninsula from the main portion of the state of Washington. Most of the community is on a hillside that faces north or west towards Whidbey Island. 'Mukilteo By the Bay' and 'Mukilteo By the Sea' are variations of a slogan frequently seen on license plate frames in and around Mukilteo.Though boating and fishing are popular in the area, there is only one boat launch with two seasonal docks and no marina in the city. At one point there were two boathouses on the waterfront, Mukilteo Boat House and McConnell's Boathouse, but both have been demolished and replaced with a condominium apartment building and a hotel respectively. The Lighthouse Park area and pilings near the ferry dock and hotel are popular places for local divers, due to the diversity of sea life and presence of squid. There are two public fishing piers, one on each side of the Ivar's restaurant.
Transportation
Mukilteo has a car ferry terminal that connects to Clinton, on Whidbey Island.The Sounder Train service to Seattle also stops in Mukilteo as of June, 2008. As of September 21, 2009, there are four morning and evening commuter trains running Monday through Friday.Monday morning service: Southbound train leaves Mukilteo at 5:56, 6:26, 6:56 and 7:26 a.m. Evening service: Stops in Mukilteo at 4:47, 5:15, 5:47 and 6:17 p.m. Check Sounder schedule.
Saturday service to Mariners games: Leaves from Everett, Mukilteo and Edmonds. Check Sounder schedule.
Two state highways passing through Mukilteo are SR 525 and SR 526. Within the city, SR 525 Spur connects SR 525 to SR 526 to shunt Boeing traffic out of the downtown residential area of Mukilteo, and attempts to prevent the traffic from interfering with island bound traffic.Local Community Transit bus routes 113 and 190 run through the city of Mukilteo.
Notable natives
The Fall of Troy: Progressive rock band