1. In the 1950s, the Port of Seattle planned to turn the Duwamish Valley and Green River Valley (all the way to Auburn) into a heavily industrialized area. However, the city of Tukwila lead the charge to halt the Port’s plan and the communities remained. [Tukwila – Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 208]

2. Naturalist Painter Don Paulson grew up in Tukwila. His works can be seen in Seattle and Anchorage Art Museums and in many private collections. [Tukwila – Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 205]

3. In 1928, Tukwila had its first water system. Residents no longer had to go out to the backyard and pump the water, they could just turn on their spigots and fill up their kettles and pots in their homes. [Tukwila – Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 199]

4. In 1916, the first highway between Seattle and Tacoma made its way through Tukwila. Known as the Pacific Highway, the section through Tukwila is known as Interurban Avenue. [Tukwila – Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 191]

5. According to Tukwila – Community At The Crossroads, Tukwila’s first mayor, Joel Shomaker attended a fair in which he had his fortune read. The fortune-teller informed him that he would die soon, so Mayor Shomaker resigned his position in 1909 and moved to the Olympic Peninsula to live out the rest of his life in the wilderness. [Tukwila – Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 186]

6. To celebrate Tukwila’s founding on January 23, 1908 the city held a grand party on July 4, just a few days later. Mayor Joel Shomaker read the Declaration of Independence, kids participated in athletic events throughout the afternoon and fireworks blasted off in the evening. [Tukwila – Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 185]

7. In 1938, Tukwila’s Foster vehicle bridge, which extended across the river, was constructed for a cost of $16,351. Just 41 days after the bridge was dedicated, a truck heading to the rendering plant with animal carcasses crossed the bridge and it collapsed into the river. It wasn’t until 1984 that a new bridge was constructed for a cost of $1.5 million. [Tukwila – Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 99]

8. On August 18, 1902, the Meadows Racetrack officially opened in the northern most part of what is present day Tukwila and the Georgetown area of South Seattle. This horseracing track was nationally sanctioned with a one-mile track, 6,000 seat grandstand, clubhouse, and stalls for 400 horses. Today, the site is home to Boeing and The Museum of Flight. [Tukwila – Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 80]

9. The regular order of business (for Tukwila City Council meetings) were originally set as follows: Rules of Order - (1) Calling to order by Mayor, (2) Reading and adopting of minutes of previous session, (3) Reports of standing committees, (4) Reports of special committees, (5) Bills and communications, or petitions, (6) Unfinished business, (7) New business, (8) Adjournment. [City of Tukwila]

10. The first edition of the Tukwila News-Register was published Thursday, October 18, 1973. The banner read “Serving Greater Tukwila, Foster, Duwamish, McMicken Heights.” The independent newspaper was published every Thursday, with a subscription rate of $3.50 per year. [City of Tukwila]

11. The Tukwila Municipal Code currently has 18 active chapters, including chapters on “Revenue and Finance,” “Animals,” “Public Peace, Morals and Safety,” Streets and Sidewalks,” and “Subdivisions and Plats.” The Municipal Code is a compilation of current ordinances passed by the Tukwila City Council, organized by subject for ease of reference. (Certain ordinances, such as personal land use issues, are not codified into the Municipal Code.) [City of Tukwila]

12. As part of its Records Management program, the city of Tukwila has produced over 300 rolls of microfilm containing reproductions of various “essential” documents and documents that have been determined by Washington State Law to have a permanent retention requirement. These include ordinances, resolutions, Council meeting minutes, time sheets, land use files and permit files. [City of Tukwila]

13. The first city-issued edition of The Hazelnut newsletter was published in April 1976 under Mayor Bauch. Prior to that time, periodic editions of The Hazelnut were published by various community and volunteer groups, dating back to as early as January 1952. [City of Tukwila]

14. In 2007 there were 282 licensed amusement devices in the city of Tukwila. An amusement device is “any machine or device which provides recreation or entertainment, as a game of skill, for which a charge is made for use or play, and which is not a gambling device or a device that encourages gambling.” This includes machines such as video and Mega-touch games, pool tables, toy games, and dart boards. [City of Tukwila]

15. A Petroglyph Rock sits at the Tukwila Community Center (42nd Avenue S. & 124th St.) that marks a Native American Site which was a once a campsite on the river for Native Americans as a food gathering location. [Tukwila Historical Society]

16. The city of Tukwila is served by the 11th, 33rd, and 37th Washington State Legislative Districts. Tukwila is also partly served by the 7th and 9th Washington Congressional Districts.

17. Tukwila's Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City and the Council is the legislative branch and governing body. The City's management consists of eight department heads, all reporting to the City Administrator. [City of Tukwila]

18. Early electric rail trains traveled along Interurban Avenue in Tukwila, connecting to Renton and a line to Tacoma. The Interurban Railroad operated a commuter line from 1902 to 1928, making it possible to travel from Seattle to Tacoma in less than an hour at the time. [Tukwila Historical Society]

19. Residents of Tukwila have a median income for a household of $40,718, and the median income for a family of $42,442. [Census Data]

20. The City of Tukwila became a Passport Acceptance Facility in 1999, allowing them to assist with applications for a U.S. passport. In 2007, the City Clerk's office accepted 687 passport applications for processing. The office is open to accept applications on Mondays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. [City of Tukwila]

21. Tukwila School District operates within Tukwila's boundaries. It consists of Foster High School, Showalter Middle School, Cascade View Elementary, Thorndyke Elementary, and Tukwila Elementary. Some Tukwila residents also attend school in the Highline School District. [City of Tukwila]

22. Around 1862, a land survey map showed two longhouses near present day Fort Dent Park and four more on the bluff above present day Interurban Avenue. Just South at about S. 180th Street, another longhouse may have stood at the river's bank at what is now Bicentennial Park. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads. Pg. XIV]

23. From before the 1900s to the 1920s, large herds of cattle and sheep were regularly driven down the Duwamish Valley from Wenatchee and Ellensburg to the Frye Packing Company on Airport Way. Herdsmen would stop to let animals drink water in the Duwamish River near present day S. 116th St. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 160]

24. Ordinance No. 24 (August 9, 1910), ordained "That all livestock, such as cows, horses, hogs and sheep shall be prohibited from running at large on any road, street or alley within the limits of the Town of Tukwila.  Any horse, cow, hog or sheep found running at large shall be taken and impounded by the Town Marshal or his Deputy and held until the penalty and costs be paid by the owner of such livestock.  For each head of live stock of whatever kind or nature so taken and impounded, a penalty of One Dollar ($1.00) shall be exacted from its owner, together with all costs of feeding, and the same must be paid before said live stock can be released." [City of Tukwila]

25. In 2006, taxable sales activity within the City amounted to $2.1 Billion. Of the $2.1 Billion of taxable sales activity, the State received $136.5 Million in sales tax revenues, Metro and the Regional Transit Authority received $25.2 Million while the City received $17.8 Million. [City of Tukwila]

26. Ordinance No. 19 (November 9, 1909) ordained that "It shall be unlawful for any person in authority having control of the running or drawing of any car, or train of cars, by any steam engine, electric engine or electric motor car, or the control or running of any steam engine, electric engine or electric motor car alone within the limits of the town of Tukwila, to allow or permit the same to go or move at a greater rate of speed than Eight (8) miles per hour within the limits of said Town of Tukwila; and anyone found guilty of any violation of this section shall be fined in any sum not exceeding $100.00 one hundred dollars, or imprisonment in the Town jail not exceeding thirty (30) days." [City of Tukwila]

27. There are businesses in Tukwila that manufacture plastic bags, cookies and candy, canoes and kayaks, cabinets, bagels, metal parts, plastic parts, electronic instruments, packing supplies, plastic bottles, prosthetics and orthodics, corrugated cartons, gate systems, and so much more. [City of Tukwila]

28. Tukwila is a great place to move and store things with over 70 transportation and storage companies. [City of Tukwila]

29. The city of Tukwila is a great place to hone in on your job search skills. The city has over 30 agencies including employment services, staffing agencies and labor organizations. [City of Tukwila]

30. Tukwila is also a great place to eat with over 100 restaurants and other places to eat and a whopping 27 espresso shops. [City of Tukwila]

31. Tukwila is a great place to shop with over 100 places to shop for clothing, shoes and accessories, over 30 jewelry stores and over 60 stores to shop for furniture and other home furnishings. [City of Tukwila]

32. The city of Tukwila has 21 staff members currently residing in Tukwila. Other staff members live as far away as Cle Elum, Ilwaco, Olympia and Edmonds. [City of Tukwila]

33. Of the city of Tukwila's 320 regular employees, six employees have 30+ years of service, 37 employees have 20-29 years of service and 108 employees have 10-19 years of service. The youngest regular employee is 20 years old and the oldest regular employee is 64 years old (there are two!). [City of Tukwila]

34. In Tukwila, about 450 passengers a day (about 90 per train) board the southbound Sounder trains in the afternoon and about 420 passengers get off at the station in the mornings. [Sound Transit]

35. The Tukwila Sounder Station is unique. More customers exit Sound Transit Sounder commuter trains in the morning than board and in the afternoon more customers board the trains than exit – opposite from all other Sounder stations. **Trivia: About how many passengers board each Sounder train at Tukwila station in the afternoon heading Southbound??? [Source: Sound Transit]

36. The first female officer joined the Tukwila police department in 1979. [Tukwila Police Department]

37. The City of Tukwila's first Canine (K9) Dog was used in 1980. The first K-9 officer attended Cascade County K9 Academy in Montana in February 1980 and graduated from the Academy in May 1980. [Tukwila Police Department]

38. In light of adding high school grades, the Foster School District wanted a separate high school building for students. After a bond passed by voters in 1921, an architect drew up the plans and a new three-room brick veneer high school building was constructed by June of 1922 for a cost of $5,640. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 228]

39. For many years, it was believed that an eighth grade education was sufficient in life. In 1912, the Foster School District decided to implement the ninth grade. In 1913 they implemented the 10th grade and, by 1915, they had their first high school graduate - Ava Sophia Adams. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 227]

40. In 1904, the Foster School District No. 104 consisted of only three pupils. They merged with the Black River School District No. 6, who had nine pupils, to form the Foster School District No. 144. Between 1905 and 1910, enrollment in the school grew from 61 to 397. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 225]

41. In 1968, when Westfield Southcenter Mall was being constructed, Puget Sound Energy (then Puget Power) installed a revolutionary power system for the new mall - "the Total Underground System". It was the first of its kind and practically outage proof, costing about $650,000 in 1968. [Puget Sound Energy]

42. Joseph Foster, Tukwila's founder, loaned financier Dexter Horton the money to help him start the first bank in the Washington Territory in 1870. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 47]

43. Above Tukwila, the ice from the last ice age may have been about 28,800 feet thick. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads. Pg. XII]

44. The first Tukwila city seal was an image of a cracked hazelnut with the words "Tukwila For Progress". [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads. Pg. 186]

45. Elizabeth Rider Montgomery was a teacher at Tukwila's Thorndyke Elementary School from 1921 to 1924.  She went on to become an influential writer of fiction, textbooks, and histories.  Among the books she penned were the "Dick and Jane" series of readers that were ubiquitous in schools across the country in the 1950's and 60's. [Tukwila School District]

46. The Tukwila Community Center has a fitness center and racquetball courts for residents and non-residents to utilize. The fitness center includes an 18-piece weight training circuit, treadmills, stair climbers, cycles, rowing machines, elliptical trainers and over a ton of free weights - for those 13 and older.

47. The word Tukwila is the Duwamish word meaning “land where the hazelnuts grow”. According to historical accounts, hazelnut trees grew in abundance throughout Tukwila 100 years ago.

48. Tukwila continues to be a top choice for restaurants. Diners’ favorites like Claimjumper, Cheesecake Factory, Famous Dave's, California Pizza Kitchen, Stanford's and Newport Bay all have only three Washington state locations, and each have a location right in Tukwila.

49. ACME Bowl in Tukwila is one of the region's most unique entertainment venues. With 40 lanes for bowling (30 open lanes and ten lanes in the Seven10 VIP Lounge), seven billiard tables, 30 arcade games, meeting rooms, and a restaurant and lounge, ACME can hold group events for 10 to 1,000 people.

50. The Museum of Flight in Tukwila has an outdoor, large aircraft display area featuring the prototypes of the Boeing 737 and 747, America's first jet Air Force One, an American Airlines 727-200, and a British Airways Concorde — the only one on display on the West Coast. The public can tour both Air Force One and Concorde free with Museum admission. [The Museum of Flight]

51. In 2006, taxable sales activity within the city of Tukwila amounted to $2.1 Billion.

52. The first recorded great flood in Tukwila occurred in winter of 1867 where the Duwamish and White river valleys were hit with the worst flooding to date. It was reported that the Kent area was even seven feet under water. The following summer, King County experienced a crop ruining drought and outbreak of forest fires. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads, Pg. 47]

53. The area surrounding Tukwila served as an important ferry and riverboat landing for the Duwamish River in the 1800s. In 1875, it cost 12.5 cents for a foot passenger and 25 cents for a horse and rider to ride the ferry. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads, Pg. 36]

54. The XD Theater at the Family Fun Center in Tukwila is the only one of its kind west of Texas (and there are only 10 others in the US). The 3D high definition motion-based entertainment film system immerses the audience into the world they are watching on the screen and the seats boast Triotech's Mad Wave Motion seat advantage, which brings a wide range of simulation from subtle sensations to intense vibration (not just jolts and tilts).

55. The 1950 Tukwila city budget was $18,979. In 1960 it was $156,635.42. In 1970, it was $1,573,069. In 1980, it was $8,800,702. And in 1990, it was $47,777,013. [Tukwila - City At The Crossroads, Pg. 273-274]

56. When Link light rail trains are running in 2009, the trip from Tukwila to downtown Seattle will be a congestion-free half hour ride.

57. Boeing is the city of Tukwila's largest employer with a workforce of 10,280 staff.

58. The population of Tukwila was 521 in 1940, 860 in 1950, 1,804 in 1960, 3,509 in 1970, 3,579 in 1980, 14,631 in 1990, and today is nearly 18, 000. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads, Pg. 274]

59. The Helen Nelsen home at 15643 West Valley Hwy. in Tukwila was built in 1905 by James and Mary Nelsen and is maintained and preserved under the Helen Nelsen Historical Trust as a non-profit organization in recognition of its architectural and historical significance. [Helen Nelsen Historical Trust]

60. The Museum of Flight in the city of Tukwila houses the William E. Boeing Red Barn®, the two-story 1909 wooden structure recognized on the National Register of Historic Places as the birthplace of the Boeing Airplane Co. and the oldest existing aircraft manufacturing facility in the United States. [The Museum of Flight]

61. Tukwila's first mayor, Joel Shomaker, was the great nephew of President Zachary Taylor. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads, Pg. 269]

62. The first Tukwila city council meeting was held on June 29, 1908 at the home of then Mayor Joel Shomaker. [Tukwila - Community At The Crossroads, Pg. 185]

63. About 2,000 businesses operate within the city of Tukwila employing more than 44,000 people, which is more than 2 times the population of nearly 18,000 residents. [City of Tukwila]

64. The Screamin' Swing located at the Family Fun Center (at the corner of Grady Way and Interurban Ave.) in Tukwila is the only one of it's kind in the Northwest -- the closest other one is at Knott’s Berry Farm in Calif. It holds four riders at a time and swings them 70 feet in the air at 65 mph and swings a total of 120 degrees! [Family Fun Center]

65. The Tukwila International Blvd. light rail station, opening in 2009, will include a park-and-ride lot with 600 spaces. [Sound Transit]

66. In the year 1907, only 8% of homes in the US had a telephone, eggs were 14 cents/dozen and coffee was 15 cents/lb.

67. Fatigue Technology, Inc., known for pioneering the hole cold fusion process after Boeing invented basic cold fusion, has it's 120,000 square foot engineering and manufacturing headquarters in Tukwila.

68. The "City of Tukwila" is one of the city of Tukwila's largest employers with 431 employees (319 full time and 112 part time). [City of Tukwila]

69. In 1909, the salary for Tukwila city clerk was $120 a year, city treasurer $80 a year, and city attorney $150 a year. [Tukwila - Community at the Crossroads, Pg. 185]

70. The existing Tukwila Sounder train station is temporary. Sound Transit is working to design and construct a permanent station by 2012 and located about 600 hundred feet south of the existing station. [Sound Transit]

71. On December 10, 1867 the first recorded great flood swept through the Duwamish Valley and damaged many homesteads. [Tukwila Historical Society]

72. After 12 years Nordstrom Rack has finally returned to Tukwila, opening its newest store in September 2007. The Southcenter Square Nordstrom Rack is only the sixth in Washington State and is loaded with clothing, shoes and accessories for men, women, and children at savings of 30 to 75 percent off of regular Nordstrom prices. Nordstrom Rack is the off-price division of Nordstrom and carries many of the same brands carried in Nordstrom stores.

73. Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila operates the only Manchester United Soccer School within the United States. The original MUSS schools are noted for their unique teaching of soccer principles and their success rate for graduates becoming soccer stars.

74. The Green River, which meanders through Tukwila, used to be called the White River [Tukwila - Community at a Crossroads, Pg. XI]

75. In 2008, Westfield Southcenter will celebrate 40 years of extraordinary shopping. The year will also mark the completion of their renovation resulting in 1.7 million square feet of space, 75 additional stores, six signature restaurants, a 16-screen AMC Theaters and addition of a Westfield Playtown and Westfield Family Lounge, making it the largest indoor shopping center in the Pacific Northwest.

76. Each July, the All Nation's Cup Soccer Tournament comes to the Starfire Soccer Complex in Tukwila. The event celebrates the global community through a soccer tournament played by over 35 local teams representing their homelands and is celebrated by a coinciding international festival.

77. In 1892, Joseph Foster helped establish the original public school district in the Tukwila community Foster School District [Tukwila - Community at the Crossroads, Pg. IX]

78. The only Rainforest Café restaurant in the entire Northwest is located at Westfield Southcenter Mall in the city of Tukwila. Rainforest Cafés are known for their simulated thunderstorms and jungle animals that come to life throughout the restaurants.

79. The history of Tukwila is a story of those who stopped beside the river, who built homes, farmed the land, and worked to build a supportive community [Tukwila - Community at the Crossroads, Pg X]

80. In August 2007, celebrity chef Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook) visited the city of Tukwila for two weeks while he filmed cooking shows at the Albert Lee Appliances Culinary Events Center on Strander Blvd. for his upcoming cooking series on public television.

81. Joseph Foster's (Tukwila's founder) homestead was located at the present day site of Foster Golf Course. A plaque commemorating Foster's homestead is located on Tukwila's oldest maple tree at the north end of the golf course. [Tukwila Historical Society]

82. Each spring, a Multicultural World’s Fair is held at Foster High School in Tukwila to celebrate the ethnicities and cultures evident in the schools. [Tukwila School District]

83. There are nearly 45 full service restaurants in the city of Tukwila that feature cuisines from all over the world to suit all types of taste buds from Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Seafood, Chinese, American, Thai and more. [City of Tukwila]

84. The Starfire Soccer Complex in Tukwila houses eight outdoor soccer fields (4 grass, 4 FIELDTurf) and an Indoor Athletic Center with two FIELDTurf fields, a restaurant and bar, locker rooms, meeting rooms and more.

85. Fort Dent in Tukwila was named after Captain Frederick T. Dent, U.S. Army, who was said to have supervised construction of the building. Dent eventually became a Colonel in the Civil War and was a member of General Ulysses S. Grant's staff (General Grant married Dent's sister, Julia). [Tukwila Historical Society]

86. The Museum of Flight is the largest private air and space museum in the world. It houses over 150 historically significant air and spacecraft throughout its 12-acre campus located in the city of Tukwila. [The Museum of Flight]

87. Designed and built by George Eddy in 1925, Foster Golf Links is Tukwila's own 18-hole course surrounded by the Duwamish River. Foster is recognized as a rewarding and fun course that is easy to walk and a challenge to the average golfer. Many players remember Foster as the course where they recorded their best tournament score. [Foster Golf Links]

88. There are 55 languages spoken by the students within the city of Tukwila School District. [Tukwila School District]

89. Joseph Foster established the first community encompassed by today's Tukwila. [Tukwila - Community at the Crossroads, Pg VII]

90. In 2002, the city of Tukwila became the first city in the state of Washington and only the fourth city in the entire country to be certified as an official Community Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation as part of their Backyard Wildlife Habitat ™ Program. [Backyard Wildlife Festival Committee]

91. On November 19, 1979, the City of Tukwila created a formal affiliation with Ikawa-cho, Japan to foster international peace, harmony and goodwill through understanding and tolerance. Today, Tukwila shares a Sister City relationship with Miyoshi, Japan. [Tukwila Sister City Committee]

92. The first Macadam-paved road in Washington State was in Tukwila and bears the name of this new method of street paving. One of the earliest paved military roads is also located in Tukwila. [Tukwila Historical Society]

93. Aside from the retail core many have come to know, the city of Tukwila is sectioned into ten neighborhoods: Duwamish, Riverton, Cascade View, Foster, Thorndyke, McMicken, Ryan Hill, Allentown, Foster Point, and Tukwila Hill. [City of Tukwila]

94. The Tukwila Library, located at 59th Avenues S. and S. 144th St., was the former elementary school (1920-1946) and city hall (1947-1978). [Tukwila Historical Society]

95. The City of Tukwila has over seven miles of trails within city limits and access to over 30 more miles of paved trails on the Green-Duwamish and Interurban Trails, with trailheads at various points throughout the city.

96. ACME Bowling, Billiards and Events in the city of Tukwila, at 100 Andover Park West, holds the Northwest's only monthly Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament on the last Tuesday of the month. [ACME Bowl]

97. Tukwila is proud to be home to the Rainier Symphony who practices at and performs five concerts each season at the Foster Performing Arts Center.

98. With less than nine square miles to its name, the City of Tukwila offers 15 community parks for public use. [The City of Tukwila]

99. One of Tukwila's proudest moments was when it saved the Green and Duwamish Rivers from being destroyed in the 1950s. [Tukwila - Community at the Crossroads, Pg XI]

100. The northern border of Tukwila lies at the Boeing Plant II. The southern border meets the city of limits of Kent and the eastern boundary is along Renton. Tukwila's Western border is complex, sharing a common boundary with Sea-Tac on the south half and unincorporated King County on the north half. [Tukwila - Community at the Crossroads, Pg. X]