
Yelm () is a city in
Thurston County, Washington
Thurston County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 294,793. The county seat is Olympia, Washington, Olympia, the ...
, United States. Its population was 10,617 at the
2020 census.
History
The word "Yelm" is said to come from the
Coast Salish
The Coast Salish peoples are a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak on ...
word ''shelm'' or ''chelm'', meaning "heat waves from the sun",
referring to heat
mirage
A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', mean ...
s.
The Yelm Prairie was originally inhabited by the
Nisqually
Nisqually, Niskwalli, or Nisqualli may refer to:
People
* Nisqually people, a Coast Salish ethnic group
* Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation, federally recognized tribe
** Nisqually Indian Reservation, the tribe's reservation in ...
and provided good pasture for their horses. The first permanent non-indigenous settlers came in 1853 to join the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
sheep farmers who already conducted business in the area.
James Longmire, one of the first American settlers, said upon arriving in Yelm:
With the coming of the
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...
in 1873, Yelm began to prosper, having found an outlet for its agricultural and forestry products. Its economic base was further enhanced when an irrigation company created the
Yelm Ditch in 1916, making Yelm a center for commercial production of beans, cucumbers and berries.
Yelm was incorporated on December 8, 1924.
History of Yelm.
' City of Yelm. Accessed on July 14, 2010.
During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, high maintenance costs and an unstructured water distribution plan bankrupted the Yelm Irrigation Company.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Yelm was the 10th fastest growing city in the state in regard to population.
Geography
Yelm is located in southeastern Thurston County, adjacent to its border with
Pierce County, along the
Nisqually River
The Nisqually River is a river in west central Washington in the United States, approximately long. It drains part of the Cascade Range southeast of Tacoma, including the southern slope of Mount Rainier, and empties into the southern end of ...
. The city is near the
Nisqually Indian Reservation
The Nisqually Reservation, also known as Nisqually Indian Reservation is a federally recognized Indian reservation in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 668 at the 2020 census.
History
Nisqually Indian Reservation was ...
(located to the northwest on
State Route 510), and
Joint Base Lewis–McChord
Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM) is a U.S. military installation home to I Corps and 62nd Airlift Wing located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Headquarters, Joint Base Lewis� ...
on the northeast side of the river. Another major highway,
State Route 507, connects Yelm to
Centralia and
Spanaway
Spanaway is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 35,476 at the 2020 census, up from 27,227 in 2010. Spanaway is an unincorporated area near Tacoma, and is often identified together with ...
near
Tacoma
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...
.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
2010 census,
there were 6,848 people, 2,299 households, and 1,712 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...
was . There were 2,523 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.6%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 3.3%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.8%
Native American, 2.3%
Asian, 0.9%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 2.8% from
other races, and 7.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 9.4% of the population.
There were 2,299 households, of which 53.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.40.
The median age in the city was 29 years. 36% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 32.3% were from 25 to 44; 16.1% were from 45 to 64; and 7.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census, there were 3,289 people, 1,216 households, and 807 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.4 people per square mile (225.6/km
2). There were 1,323 housing units at an average density of 235.1 per square mile (90.7/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.2%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.8%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 2.2%
Native American, 1.7%
Asian, 1.2%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.6% from
other races, and 5.4% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 5.35% of the population.
There were 1,216 households, out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 32.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,453, and the median income for a family was $45,475. Males had a median income of $32,037 versus $24,474 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,865. About 7.9% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
To a large extent, Yelm acts as a bedroom community for residents working in the surrounding cities of
Tacoma
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...
,
Olympia and
Centralia. It also hosts a large number of military families currently or formerly stationed at nearby
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...
.
Yelm experienced significant expansion in the decades surrounding the turn of the 21st century. On February 14, 2017, in consultation with city residents, the city council adopted the Yelm Comprehensive Plan update, which clarifies plans and policies for the city's physical, economic and community development over the next 20 years, including utilities, public transportation and parks.
Parks and recreation
Yelm City Park was donated by Chuck and Wilma Demich in 1950. Located at the corner of
SR 507 and Mosman Avenue, it is about one city block in size. It has a kitchen, covered facilities, a playground area, picnic tables, public restrooms and a softball backstop. A number of community events are held there each year, including Prairie Days, Christmas in the Park, Family Fun Day, an annual car show, and the Yelm Lions Easter Egg Hunt.
Yelm has the first Class A Water Reclamation Facility and distribution system in
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
, which
reclaims all
wastewater
Wastewater (or waste water) is water generated after the use of freshwater, raw water, drinking water or saline water in a variety of deliberate applications or processes. Another definition of wastewater is "Used water from any combination of do ...
for local irrigation and recharge streams. The water is also used in Cochrane Park, an
wetland
A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
park that includes a
catch-and-release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture the fish is Fish hook, unhooked and returned live to the water. Originally adopted in the United Kingdom by Coarse fishing, coarse fishermen to Overfishing, preser ...
pond for
rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributary, tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The steelhead (sometimes called steelhead trout) is an Fish migration#Classification, ...
.
Government
Yelm has an elected
mayor-council government and is a non-charter
code city. The city council, the policy-making branch of Yelm's government, consists of seven members elected
at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
to staggered, four-year terms. The mayor is elected at-large and serves as the city's chief executive officer. The mayor and council are supported by the city administrator and several advisory boards and commissions. The city administrator, appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, serves as the mayor's chief administrative officer. As described in the
Yelm Municipal Code and
Revised Code of Washington The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is the compilation of all permanent laws currently in force in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. Temporary laws such as appropriations acts are excluded. It is published by the Washington State S ...
, certain responsibilities are vested in the
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
and the mayor.
Mayor Ron Harding.
' City of Yelm. Accessed on February 8, 2012.
Yelm offers a full range of municipal services, provided by seven departments. Sales tax, 8.7% per dollar spent, is distributed as follows:
* Washington State: 6.5%
* Thurston County: 1.4%
* Yelm: 0.8%
Mayor
The current mayor of Yelm is Joe DePinto.
City Council
The seven-
member
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
Yelm City Council represents the needs and interests of Yelm's citizens. The council establishes policy for the city, adopts the annual budget, and represents Yelm's interests on regional boards and commissions.
City administration
The Yelm post office serves the surrounding unincorporated
Thurston County residential communities in
Lake Lawrence
Lake Lawrence is a lake located near Yelm in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The lake is impounded by Lake Lawrence Dam.
Lake Lawrence was named after Lindley and Sam Lawrence, businesspeople in the local logging industry. A notable ...
, Clearwood, and other communities in the Bald Hills area.
Firefighting services for the cities of Yelm, Rainier and surrounding unincorporated areas are provided by the Southeast Thurston Fire Authority.
Education
Public schools in Yelm belong to the
Yelm School District. Its elementary schools are Fort Stevens, Lackamas, McKenna, Millpond, Southworth and Yelm Prairie. Its secondary school system includes Yelm Middle School, Ridgeline Middle School, Yelm High School, and Yelm Extension School.
["Yelm Schools."](_blank)
SchoolDigger.com. Accessed on June 29, 2012. The private Eagle View Christian School is also in Yelm.
See also
*
North Yelm, Washington
*
Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail
*
Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE) is an American New Age spiritual sect near the city of Yelm, Washington, U.S. The school was established in 1988 by J. Z. Knight, who claims to channel a 35,000-year-old being called Ramtha the Enlightene ...
*
''Nisqually Valley News''
References
External links
*
Yelm Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control
Cities in Washington (state)
Cities in Thurston County, Washington