With year-round-green scenery, fresh air of the Pacific Northwest and all the amenities of one of the most popular metropolitan areas in Seattle, its no wonder why Washington State has a reputation as a great place to live. A robust economy is one of Washington’s strengths with productive traditional industries of lumber, agriculture and farming combined with today’s leading companies for high-tech and computer innovation giving the state greater income and job opportunities.
 |
|
English explorer Francis Drake reached the northwest coast of what is now Washington in 1578, thus Spain and England laid claim to the virgin territory. Neither country continued exploration until the late 18th century. By 1778, James Cook’s explorations rekindled interest in the area and Captain George Vancouver mapped it. By the late 1890s, Spain relinquished all claims to the area and left Great Britain in a contest with America for the ownership of this vast area. Once Lewis and Clark blazed a trail from the east, fur trading and American outposts helped strengthen the U.S. claims.
As white settlers increased, the tensions and hostilities with the native Americans arose as they were crowded out of their ancestral lands. A series of unfairly negotiated treaties, combined with the constant pressures of overly zealous missionaries, led to a string of wars between settlers and various tribes that didn’t end until the mid 19th century.
In 1897, the Klondike Gold Rush changed the area forever. The state didn’t capitalize due to the mining, but due to serving as the outfitting point for those heading north to make their fortunes. These extraordinary economic times lasted past World War I, but were not enough to keep the state’s inhabitants from feeling the pinch of the Great Depression. Federal projects made a vast amount of land available for agriculture, setting the stage for future economic growth. The Grand Coulee Dam was one of the more famous projects completed during this era. World War II brought industry to the area and completed the economic comeback. Shipbuilding, manufacturing and lumber industries grew and prospered.
The future came to the area in 1962 when Seattle was awarded the Century 21 Exposition. The World’s Fair celebrated Washington’s entrance into commerce as well as its importance in modern industries. These included aerospace technology, electronics and transportation.
Since farmland occupies more than 40 percent of the state’s area, it is no surprise that Washington leads the nation in apple production. It is also ranks high in the production of cherries, peaches, pears, plums, berries, lettuce, peas, hops, potatoes, asparagus, beans and onions. Lumbering ranks third in revenue and Washington is only behind California in wine production. The state also ranks high in the nation in the production of fish and seafood. Not all of Washington’s economy is tied to its natural resources. Manufacturing, particularly aircraft, is a key cog in the gear that drive the state’s economy.
The statewide sales tax is 6.5 percent, with cities and counties each allowed to add increments of 0.5 percent. Qualified areas also may impose increments of 0.1 percent up to 0.6 percent. Cities and counties my levy lodgings taxes of up to 2 percent, except in Seattle, where the rate is 7 percent on lodgings within the city limits and 2.8 percent in King County outside of Seattle.
The nation’s first volcanic monument was opened near Mount Saint Helen’s. Washington is also home to more that 130 state parks, 26 wilderness areas, 3 national parks and 6 national forests. Mountain climbing and yachting are popular in the Cascades and Olympia areas. Clamming draws big crowds in Puget Sound. Fishing and hunting can be done in just about any area.
