Bow 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 hav ...

Skagit County, Washington Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,523. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The county was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County and is named for the Skagit ...

. It is located near the towns of Bay View,

Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These invention ...

, Burlington, and

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is ...

. Bow is included in the

Anacortes Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. Bow overlooks Samish Bay. The

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller struc ...

Bow Hill Railroad Bow often refers to: * Bow and arrow, a weapon * Bowing, bending the upper body as a social gesture * An ornamental knot made of ribbon Bow may also refer to: * Bow (watercraft), the foremost part of a ship or boat * Bow (position), the rower ...

, complete with a working steam locomotive, is located in the Bow area. It can be found on the private property of

Diz Schimke Diz may refer to: * Diz, Khvoresh Rostam, Iran, a village * Diz, Shahrud, Iran, a village * Adolfo Diz (1931–2008), Argentine economist * Adrián Diz (born 1993), Cuban footballer * Alejandro Diz (born 1965), Argentine former volleyball playe ...

, who allows the public to ride the train during Christmastime in exchange for donations to the Alger food bank.

History

Bow was originally known as Brownsville, after William J. Brown, who homesteaded the townsite in 1869. The advent of the railroad resulted in a population boom and the need for a post office. Apparently inspired by the growth brought by the railroad, Brown suggested the new name of Bow, after the large railway station in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England, which in turn was named for the bow or poplar tree. Although this is the most common belief, there are some who believe it was named after homesteader James T. Bow. An alternate story claims that the settlement is named for a Norwegian immigrant family that settled in that area in the 1890s. Their last name was Boe.

Geography and location

Bow is located in Skagit County, Washington, in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes metro area. It is located on Samish Bay, and is surrounded by dikes and contains part of a traditional flood plain.

References

External links

Bow information from Go Northwest website
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Washington (state) Unincorporated communities in Skagit County, Washington