Pierce County Library
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Pierce County Library
The Pierce County Library System (PCLS) is a library system serving the residents of Pierce County, Washington. The Pierce County Library System has 20 library locations serving 580,000 people in unincorporated Pierce County and 15 cities and towns which have annexed to the system for library service. It circulates 6.9 million items annually, hosts seasonal youth story times, teen clubs, events for youth and adults, classes for skills development and technology, an active summer reading program, and connects with social media. In 2016, there were 334,362 library cardholders, PCLS locations had more than 2.2 million visitors, and the website had more than 3.5 million visitors. History The Pierce County Library System was formed by a ballot measure passed by voters in unincorporated Pierce County on November 7, 1944. The library began operating on January 2, 1946, and opened seven station branches in its first year. The system served unincorporated areas of the county as well as ...
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Public Library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries: they are generally supported by taxes (usually local, though any level of government can and may contribute); they are governed by a board to serve the public interest; they are open to all, and every community member can access the collection; they are entirely voluntary, no one is ever forced to use the services provided and they provide library and information services services without charge. Public libraries exist in many countries across the world and are often considered an essential part of having an educated and literate population. Public libraries are distinct from research library, research libraries, school library, school libraries, academic library, academic librar ...
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Edgewood, Washington
Edgewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 12,327 at the 2020 census. Neighboring towns include Fife to the west, Milton to the northwest, Federal Way to the north, Sumner to the east, and Puyallup to the south. History The history of Edgewood can be traced to the Puyallup Indian tribe that lived along the Puyallup River. Dr. William Tolmie, a Scotsman working for the Hudson's Bay Company, passed through Edgewood in 1833 soon after becoming Chief Trader at Fort Nisqually. Tolmie had arrived at Fort Vancouver by ship from Britain in May 1833. Trappers with Native American wives had moved to the area in the 1830s and settlers in the 1850s. Washington's first telegraph line paralleled Military Road that ran through the heart of Edgewood. Approximately 420 Americans (apart from Indians) resided in what is now Pierce County in 1858. By 1862, 681 non-Native Americans were reported to be residents of Pierce County. Evidence indicates that the ...
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Ruston, Washington
Ruston is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,055 at the 2020 census. Although it is nearly indistinguishable from the adjacent city of Tacoma, the predominantly residential area still retains its status as a separate municipality long after it ceased to be a company town. The local government opted to reclassify Ruston as a city in late 2012. History In 1890 industrialist W.R. Rust established Tacoma Smelting & Refining Company and a company town for his employees, naming the place "Smelter". On October 22, 1906, residents voted to change the name to Ruston, in honor of Mr. Rust. Ruston was officially incorporated on November 10, 1906. It is surrounded on one side by Commencement Bay and all other sides the city of Tacoma. The primary industry for decades was the ASARCO copper smelting plant on the waterfront. The smelter and its landmark smokestack, however, were demolished in 1993. A massive Superfund cleanup at the site has been underwa ...
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Fircrest, Washington
Fircrest is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,156 at the 2020 census. History Fircrest was officially incorporated on September 19, 1925. Like its neighbor University Place, it is a middle-class suburb of Tacoma. The community was developed by Edward Bowes, who later gained fame as the host of the Major Bowes Amateur Hour radio talent show. The town attempted to associate itself with academia by naming a number of its streets after universities (e.g. Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, Vassar, Stanford) and was originally known as Regents Park in a reference to the regents of a university. Fircrest was the last " dry" municipality in Washington state, prohibiting the sale of alcohol by the glass. Voters chose to allow the sale of alcohol in Fircrest in the November 2015 election. Geography Fircrest is located at (47.231720, -122.514304). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Government ...
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Carbonado, Washington
Carbonado () is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. Carbonado is located near the Carbon River in northern Pierce County, approximately 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Seattle. Carbonado is the last town before entering Mount Rainier National Park and is also a popular spot for jeeping. Carbonado served as an important coal mining community in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the town operated the largest coal mine in Pierce County. The population was 734 at the 2020 census. History Carbonado was one of quite a few towns in the Carbon River valley to be settled during an economic boom in the region. The boom was brought on by raw material demands in nearby growing towns such as Seattle and Tacoma. Starting with the town of Wilkeson and moving on through Burnett, Carbonado, Montezuma, Fairfax, and finally Manley Moore, these settlements sprawled up the valley to the very boundary of Mount Rainier National Park. Most of these towns were ...
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Wilkeson, Washington
Wilkeson is a town in Pierce County, Washington, Pierce County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 499 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Settlers searching for coal arrived in the area that became Wilkeson in the 1870s. By 1877, a Northern Pacific Railway line transported coal to Tacoma. Northern Pacific Railway president Henry Villard hired geologist Bailey Willis to direct field explorations of the coal fields around Wilkeson. Much of the property of Wilkeson was purchased by Northern Pacific Railway, with the remaining part of town known as Hope. In 1885, coke ovens were built by the Wilkeson Coal and Coke Company. In addition to coal, Wilkeson shipped timber and sandstone across Washington. Wilkeson was officially incorporated on July 18, 1909 and boasts an elementary school building dating from 1909. Wilkeson School is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town is named for Samuel Wilkeson, father of jou ...
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McNeil Island, Washington
McNeil Island is an island in the northwest United States in south Puget Sound, located southwest of Tacoma, Washington. With a land area of , it lies just north of Anderson Island; Fox Island is to the north, across Carr Inlet, and to the west, separated from Key Peninsula by Pitt Passage. The Washington mainland lies to the east, across the south basin of Puget Sound. The island has been owned by the government for most of its history; it was a federal penitentiary for over a from 1875 turned over to the Washington State Department of Corrections and became the McNeil Island Corrections Center, until it closed It was the last remaining island prison in the country to be accessible only by air and sea. In November 2010, the state announced closure plans for 2011, saving for violent sexual offenders remains on the island. The McNeil Island Historical Society was chartered in 2010 shortly after the closing of the prison for the purpose of educating the public about ...
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Longmire, Washington
Longmire, which is effectively encompassed by the Longmire Historic District, is a visitor services center in Washington State's Mount Rainier National Park, located east of the Nisqually Entrance. The area is in the Nisqually River valley at an elevation of between The Ramparts Ridge and the Tatoosh Range. Longmire is surrounded by old-growth douglas fir, western red cedar and western hemlock. Historic District The Longmire Historic District comprises the former headquarters district of the park and its chief developed area. The district includes 58 contributing buildings and structures, including four structures individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is home to the largest concentration of National Park Service Rustic–style structures in the park, and one of the most notable groups of such structures in any U.S. national park. The district lies on either side of the Paradise-Nisqually Road, with the Longmire Meadows area on the north side and th ...
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University Place, Washington
University Place is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. Its population was 34,866 at the 2020 census. Based on per capita income, University Place ranks 81st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked. History University Place received its name in the 1800s when the University of Puget Sound, a private liberal-arts college in North Tacoma, purchased land along the primary north–south route of Grandview Drive. The school sought to build a new campus there, but ended up selling the land back to the city for about $11,000. University Place remained an unincorporated part of Pierce County until the City of University Place was formed on August 31, 1995. Today, University Place is largely suburban in character and functions as a mixed business and residential area with waterfront on the Puget Sound. The town is home to Curtis Senior High School and Charles Wright Academy. Chambers Bay golf course opened in 2007 to favorable reviews. A Scottish links-sty ...
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Sumner, Washington
Sumner is a city in northern Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,621 at the 2020 census. Nearby cities include Puyallup to the west, Auburn to the north, and Bonney Lake to the east. History Sumner was founded in 1853 as Stuck Junction and platted in 1883 by George H. Ryan, in anticipation of a stop on the Northern Pacific Railway. The town was named "Franklin" until 1891, when the Post Office Department requested that the name be changed to avoid confusion with similarly named towns. The name of abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner was chosen for the town after a lottery. Geography Sumner is located at (47.205823, -122.235803). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. After Orting, Sumner and Puyallup are geographically next in line to be hit by lahars whenever Mount Rainier erupts in the future. This is depicted in the ''Modern Marvels'' episode titled "Most Dangero ...
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Steilacoom, Washington
Steilacoom () is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,727 at the 2020 census. Steilacoom incorporated in 1854 and became the first incorporated town in what is now the state of Washington. It has also become a bedroom community for service members stationed at Joint Base Lewis–McChord. Based on per capita income, Steilacoom ranks 61st of 522 areas ranked in the state of Washington. Name The origin of the name "Steilacoom" is unclear. According to the Legacy Washington program, the town's name is derived from a Native American word meaning "little pink flower." Another possibility is that it was named by fur traders with the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and is an adaptation of ''Tail-a-Koom,'' the name of a Native American chief. In 1824, chief factor John Work called the town "Chilacoom". Another early spelling was "Chelakom". The Town of Steilacoom says it was named after the Steilacoom tribe, especially their main village in the Tacoma are ...
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South Hill, Washington
South Hill is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, immediately south of Puyallup. The population was 64,708 at time of the 2020 census, up from 52,431 in 2010. The name describes the area's location above the south side of the Puyallup River valley. This also contrasts with the nearby Edgewood and Milton areas, which are known informally as North Hill. The area primarily consists of suburban housing and shopping with several retail shopping centers, residential neighborhoods, and apartment/condo complexes throughout. Most commercial areas are located along the main thoroughfare, Meridian Avenue (SR161). Major neighborhoods include Manorwood, Sunrise (Sunrise Master Association), Lipoma Firs, Silvercreek, and Gem Heights. There are also a few popular public parks: Bradley Lake Park, South Hill Community Park/Nathan Chapman Memorial Trail and Wildwood Park. The area was first settled in the 1880s after a military road was built through the area in the 18 ...
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