Kirkland, Washington

Kirkland is a city located in King County, Washington. It is a suburb of Seattle located on the Eastside (of Lake Washington). As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 45,054.

History

The city's origins lie in the 1880s, when steel tycoon Peter Kirk sought to begin producing steel on the eastern shore of Lake Washington; the new town was to be the "Pittsburgh of the West." He built a mill, but it closed thanks to the Panic of 1893 without ever producing any steel. Nevertheless, the town was incorporated in 1905 with a population of 400 (a 2005 centennial celebration is in the works). Subsequent years saw wool-milling and ship-building become the major industries.

Related Topics:
1880s - Steel - Peter Kirk - Pittsburgh - Panic of 1893 - 1905 - 2005

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Kirkland consolidated with the neighboring town of Houghton in 1968. It annexed the neighborhood of Totem Lake in 1974, and the neighborhoods of South Juanita, North Rose Hill, and South Rose Hill in 1988.

Related Topics:
Houghton - 1968 - 1974 - 1988

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Today the city is socially and economically integrated into the greater Seattle area. Similar to most of its Eastside neighbors, it is relatively affluent but dependent in large part on nearby technology firms such as Redmond-based Microsoft.

Related Topics:
Seattle - Eastside - Redmond - Microsoft

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