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Wilkeson is a town in Pierce 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. The population was 499 at the 2020 census.


History

Settlers searching for coal arrived in the area that became Wilkeson in the 1870s. By 1877, a
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 ...
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 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 ...
. The town is named for Samuel Wilkeson, father of journalist and pioneer settler
Frank Wilkeson Frank Wilkeson (March 8, 1848 – April 22, 1913) was an American journalist, soldier, farmer and explorer. He wrote several books, including an autobiography of his service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was among the ...
. At its peak, Wilkeson had a newspaper, cigar factory, two electric plants, two theaters, two bakeries, and a bottling plant. Much of the town burned down in 1910 and 1912 fires. By 1937, coke production in Wilkeson had ended. Although it was known as a
ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...
for a time, people began moving to Wilkeson in the late 20th century, many who commute to
Enumclaw Enumclaw ( ) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 12,543 at the 2020 census. The Enumclaw Plateau, on which the city resides, was formed by a volcanic mudflow (lahar) from Mount Rainier approximately 5,700 ye ...
, Bellevue, and
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
for work. Town improvements are paid for by a 160-acre tree farm managed by the town. Its new sewage treatment plant includes 900 feet of sewer lines replaced by volunteers. Town management and activities are marked by a tension between a preservationist faction and an environmentalist faction. There are still several existing relics from Wilkeson's mining past, including bee hive coke ovens, a gated mine shaft on the other side of Wilkeson Creek and an abandoned concrete coal works. The 30 remaining coke ovens from the town's early involvement in the coal industry are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wilkeson hosts the annual Handcar Races on the third Saturday of July.


Geography

Near the towns of
Buckley Buckley may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Buckley's, a Canadian pharmaceutical corporation * Buckley Aircraft, an American aircraft manufacturer * Buckley Broadcasting, an American broadcasting company * Buckley School (California), ...
and Carbonado, Wilkeson is located at (47.107066, -122.048263). Wilkeson is situated near to the northwest corner of Mt. Rainier National Park. To the south of Wilkeson is the Carbon River access to the Park. Unimproved roads from the east of Wilkeson plunge deep into the park. One Road, FS 7720 leads to within 200 yards (180 m) of the Wilderness Boundary.
According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , all of it land.


Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 F (22 C). According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Wilkeson has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.


Demographics

Wilkeson was once much larger, boasting a population of 1,437 in the 1910 census.


2010 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 477 people, 169 households, and 129 families living in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 175 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.2%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.6%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.4% Native American, 2.3% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 3.4% of the population. There were 169 households, of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.7% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.20. The median age in the town was 33.9 years. 29.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 28.9% were from 45 to 64; and 7.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.9% male and 49.1% female.


2000 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 395 people, 140 households, and 100 families living in the town. The population density was 810.0 people per square mile (311.2/km2). There were 150 housing units at an average density of 307.6 per square mile (118.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.95%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 1.01% Native American, and 3.04% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.52% of the population. There were 140 households, out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.37. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 30.4% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $44,375, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $38,250 versus $31,458 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the town was $17,481. About 2.0% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including none of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.


Events

Wilkeson hosts the National Handcar Races annually on the third Saturday in July.


References


External links


Frank Wilkeson biography

Washington State Office of Financial Management

Sunset Lake Camp
{{Authority control Towns in Pierce County, Washington Towns in Washington (state)