Cascade, Washington
| Fairwood, Washington | |
|---|---|
| CDP | |
 Location of Cascade-Fairwood, Washington |
|
| Coordinates: 47°26′49″N 122°08′37″W / 47.44694°N 122.14361°WCoordinates: 47°26′49″N 122°08′37″W / 47.44694°N 122.14361°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | King |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.86 sq mi (12.59 km2) |
| • Land | 4.86 sq mi (12.59 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 19,102 |
| • Density | 3,927.2/sq mi (1,517.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| FIPS code | 53-10372 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2407983 |
Fairwood is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. The population of the CDP was 19,102 at the 2010 census. The population of the King County Incorportion area of Fairwood is 25,000 as of 2007.
Fairwood has a variety of single-family housing developments, and some multi-family dwellings interspersed with rural and undeveloped areas. The area includes two distinct business areas serving the local population. The area surrounding the Fairwood library has the most developed businesses (retail, personal and professional services), generally located in major shopping centers anchored by chain grocery stores. The primary interests of residents are centered on home life, recreation, and quality of life issues such as crime and education. The CDP was formerly known as Cascade-Fairwood until the Cascade area was annexed to the city of Renton in 2008.
The Fairwood area was settled in the late 1880s with coal mining, farming and ranching as the major activities. In those times, transportation was limited, especially in the winter. There were several lakeside resorts used by Seattle area residents for fishing and day trips.
Indians and early settlers found the Cedar River which runs through the valley below Fairwood to be the shortest route from Puget Sound to Eastern Washington. The valley, north of the library, was heavily wooded with narrow and rough trails making travel difficult. The lack of a direct route and the condition of the trails, muddy in winter and rocky in summer, hindered settlement along the valley.
As early as 1870, Martin Cavanaugh discovered coal in the area now bordered by 196th SE and the Maple Valley Highway just below Cedar Mountain in eastern Fairwood. In 1882 the Black Diamond Coal Company of California surveyed the Cedar River Valley for coal and found enough good prospects to warrant a search and the financing of a railroad. They ended up selling the rail rights to Henry Villard of the Northern Pacific who developed the railroad under the name of Columbia & Puget Sound Railway. In 1904 this railway was sold to the Pacific Coast Coal Company which later became part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul electrified line.
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Wikipedia