Greater Kent Historical Museum
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The following history of Kent is a condensed version taken from the article "Kent - from hops to industry" by John Santana, which appeared in the Kent Residents Guide 2000 (a Supplement to the Kent Reporter). For more information on Kent's history, try the local sites listed on the History Links page. Go to Local Voices now to submit your own slice of local history.
Kent's HistoryThe history of the Kent Valley is rich and diverse, much like the city for which it is named. Before the first white settlers reached the area now known as Kent, nomadic native peoples lived on the land. White settlers came into conflict with these native peoples as the settlers moved in and staked out land claims. In 1856 the U.S. government signed a treaty with the native peoples. The treaty established the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation southeast of Auburn. The native peoples relocated to the reservation, and the white settlers began to farm and log the land in earnest. In 1878 hops became the crop of choice for farmers in Kent Valley. With the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad, the growing town needed a name to identify its train station. The town chose Kent because the main hop-growing region of England is Kent County. By the time Kent incorporated in 1890 with a population of 853 people, hop farming was a thing of the past. Other forms of agriculture continued to thrive, with lettuce farms and cherry orchards springing up throughout the valley. Some farmers turned to chicken farms as well. Annual flooding plagued Kent, and in 1946 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a flood control study. The result of the study was the Howard Hanson Dam on the upper Green River, completed in 1961. With the dam's completion, the Kent economy shifted toward industry. By 1970, Boeing had built its aerospace center in Kent, and three large highways (I-5, I-405, and State Highway 167) connected Kent to neighboring cities. Kent continues to develop as a significant center of industry and commerce today. |
Send mail to GKHS@earthinet.com with questions or comments about this web site. This site created by Melissa Carl.
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