Fox Island, Washington

Coordinates: 47°14′39″N 122°37′12″W / 47.24417°N 122.62000°W / 47.24417; -122.62000
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Fox Island, Washington
Bu-Ta-U
FIPS code
53-25370[2]
GNIS feature ID1867612[3]

Fox Island is an

2010 census
.

Geography

Fox Island is located at 47°14′39″N 122°37′12″W / 47.24417°N 122.62000°W / 47.24417; -122.62000 (47.244053, -122.619906).[5] There is a dock on the north side of the island. The waters around the island are used for fishing and scuba diving.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place has a total area of 6.4 square miles (17 km2), of which, 5.2 square miles (13 km2) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) of it (18.31%) is water.

Fox Island is separated from the mainland by

2010 Census. To the southwest, Carr Inlet separates Fox Island from McNeil Island
.

History

The island was part of the territory of the Steilacoom people, a Coast Salish tribe.[6]

In 1792, during the Vancouver Expedition, Peter Puget led an exploration party through southern Puget Sound. After an encounter with local Native tribes ended with Puget ordering a musket fired as warning, the exploration party retreated to Fox Island, where they made camp for the night.[7]

In 1856, during the

Seattle to get a howitzer (which they failed to acquire), then back to Fox Island, hoping to capture Chief Leschi. But by the time the Active returned, more than 30 hours after Leschi had arrived on Fox Island, the hostile Indians had left.[7]

By August 1856 the war was essentially over. Governor Isaac Stevens went to the Indian encampment on Fox Island to renegotiate the 1854 Treaty of Medicine Creek, which had been a major factor in the outbreak of war. Stevens agreed to new, larger reservations for both the Puyallup and Nisqually tribes.[7]

The first non-Indians settled on Fox island in 1856, just after the war ended. One of the first real estate transactions was in 1881 when 56.5 acres (22.6 hectares) were sold for $118. By 1908 there were about 60 homes scattered across the island.

The most important change to this community happened in 1954 when the Fox Island Bridge was completed, connecting Fox Island to the mainland. This allowed easy access to businesses, schools, and medical facilities outside the island. During the construction a historical Indian canoe was found preserved in the mud, which can be visited in the Fox Island history museum. In 1956 the population of the island was 120, by 2000 it had grown to more than 2,800.

Cartoonist Gary Larson visited Fox Island frequently as a child. He has called Fox Island a "wondrous place" and credits the island's swamps and wildlife with inspiring his interest in nature.[8]

Grounded submarine Sam Houston with a nearby tug
Nuclear submarine Sam Houston aground on the southwest shore of Fox Island

On April 29, 1988, at 6 PM local time, a nuclear-powered US Navy submarine, the USS Sam Houston (SSBN-609), ran aground on Fox Island while operating in nearby Carr Inlet. The ship remained aground for approximately 10 hours until high tide returned and tugboats were brought in to unstick the ship. No damage was done to the island, and the ship entered a drydock at the Bangor Naval Submarine Base for minor repairs to its hull.[9]

In recent years, Fox Island has become a wealthy

per capita income
, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Fox Island ranks 29th of the 522 ranked areas in the state of Washington.

Demographics

As of the

Latino
of any race were 1.86% of the population.

There were 1,048 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.4% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% 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 2.97.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $69,135, and the median income for a family was $72,284. Males had a median income of $61,208 versus $39,821 for females. The

poverty line
, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

See also

  • List of islands of Washington (state)

References

  1. ^ Svinth Carpenter, Cecelia. Tears of Internment:The Indian History of Fox Island and the Puget Sound Indian War Tahoma Research Service, Tacoma, Washington. 1996.
  2. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ISBN 0-295-95158-3
    .
  5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ^ Indian Claims Commission (1978). Indian Claims Commission Decisions, Volume 11, Part 1. Washington, DC: Native American Rights Fund. pp. 332–33.
  7. ^
    ISBN 0-295-95842-1
    .
  8. ^ "Larson is drawn to the wild side". USA Today. November 22, 2006. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  9. ^ "Atomic Craft Aground Off Washington Coast". The New York Times. May 1, 1988. Retrieved July 19, 2012.

External links

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