Bow is an unincorporated community in Skagit County, Washington

Skagit County, Washington

Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Skagit Indian tribe. As of 2010, the population was 116,901. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area...

. It is located near the towns of Bay View

Bay View, Washington

Bay View is a census-designated place in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 696 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Edison

Edison, Washington

Edison is a census-designated place in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 133 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Burlington

Burlington, Washington

Burlington is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population is 8,388 as recorded by the 2010 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, and Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, Washington

Mount Vernon is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,743 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the county seat of Skagit County...

. Bow is included in the Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, Washington

Mount Vernon is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,743 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the county seat of Skagit County...

-Anacortes

Anacortes, Washington

Anacortes is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is a consolidation of the name Anna Curtis, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman. Anacortes' population was 15,778 at the time of the 2010 census...

, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Bow overlooks Samish Bay.

History

Bow was originally known as Brownsville, after William J. Brown, who homestead the townsite in 1869. The advent of the railroad resulted in a population boom and the need for a post office. Apparently inspired by the growth brought by the railroad, Brown suggested the new name of Bow, after the large railway station in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England, which in turn was named for the bow or poplar

Poplar

Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....

 tree. Although this is the most common belief, there are some who believe it was named after homesteader James T. Bow.

Geography and location

Bow is located in Skagit County, Washington, in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes metro area. It is located on Samish Bay, and is surrounded by dikes and contains part of a traditional flood plain.

External links

• Bow information from Go Northwest website