Gate is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Thurston County,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, United States. Gate is located on the Black River, west-northwest of

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

History

The community was established in 1881 and

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1890. The

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly of land grants, whic ...

built a junction in Gate, and the town developed a lumber industry. The community was named Gate due to the railroad junction, which made it the "gateway to the coast". Much of the town was devastated by fires in the early 1900s, and the decline of the area's lumber mills further hurt Gate's economy.

Arts and culture

The Gate School, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, is located in Gate.

Parks and recreation

The community is a trailhead for the Gate to Belmore Trail, a country-maintained

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

. The

Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve is a state-protected Natural Area in southwest Washington state, United States. The preserve includes some of the Washington mima mounds, the origin of which still is not fully understood. The site comprises of G ...

, declared a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

, is northeast of Gate. Other nearby protected areas include the

Glacial Heritage Preserve A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betwe ...

and the

Black River Habitat Management Area Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...

. The community lies near the border of

Capitol State Forest The Capitol State Forest is a state forest in Thurston and Grays Harbor counties of the U.S. state of Washington. It includes part of the unusual Mima Mounds geologic feature. The Capitol State Forest is managed by Washington State Department ...

References

Unincorporated communities in Thurston County, Washington Unincorporated communities in Washington (state) Populated places established in 1881 1881 establishments in Washington Territory {{ThurstonCountyWA-geo-stub