Vashon Island
Encyclopedia
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
south of Admiralty Inlet
Admiralty Inlet
Admiralty Inlet is a strait in the U.S. state of Washington connecting the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Puget Sound. It lies between Whidbey Island and the northeastern part of the Olympic Peninsula....
. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
. At 37 square mile, it is about 60 percent larger in area than Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, with about 1/150 the population. There are no bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s to connect the island with the mainland, a big factor contributing to the island's relative isolation and rural character.
The island was named on May 28, 1792, by the explorer George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
after his friend James Vashon
James Vashon
Sir James Vashon was a British officer of the Royal Navy. He saw service during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was first captain of HMS Dreadnought, between 1801 and 1802...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. At that time, Vashon Island was separate from the neighbouring Maury Island
Maury Island
Maury Island is a small island in Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is connected to Vashon Island by an isthmus built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Before construction of the isthmus, the island was connected to Vashon only during low tide. The island is rural with...
, but today the hamlet of Portage
Portage, Washington
Portage is an unincorporated community in King County, Washington, United States. It is located on a man-made isthmus between Maury Island and Vashon Island....
sits on an isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
built by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
that connects the two.
Based on per capita income
Washington locations by per capita income
Washington is the twelfth richest state in the United States of America, with a per capita income of $22,973 and a personal per capita income of $33,332 .-Washington counties ranked by per capita income:...
, Vashon ranks 32nd of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
Geography
Vashon is located at 47°24′58"N 122°28′6"W (47.416198, -122.468211).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 37.0 square miles (95.8 km²).
To the west Vashon Island is separated from the Kitsap Peninsula
Kitsap Peninsula
The Kitsap Peninsula is an arm of land that is part of the larger Olympic Peninsula in Washington state that lies west of Seattle across Puget Sound. Hood Canal separates Kitsap Peninsula from the rest of the Olympic Peninsula...
by Colvos Passage
Colvos Passage
The Colvos Passage is a tidal strait within Puget Sound in the American state of Washington running west of Vashon Island between the island and the Kitsap Peninsula. It lies just north of the Tacoma Narrows. One of the more interesting things about the Colvos Passage is that it has a permanent...
. The portion of Puget Sound south of the island is known as Dalco Passage
Dalco Passage
Dalco Passage is a tidal strait within Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. Located between the southern end of Vashon Island and the mainland near Tacoma, Dalco Passage connects the northern main Puget Sound basin to the southern basin, via the Tacoma Narrows strait. Colvos Passage,...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 10,123 people, 4,193 households, and 2,838 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 273.9 people per square mile (105.7/km²). There were 4,867 housing units at an average density of 131.7/sq mi (50.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.61% White, 0.45% Black or African American, 0.70% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 2.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population.
There were 4,193 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $58,261, and the median income for a family was $67,010. Males had a median income of $50,201 versus $36,426 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the island was $31,983. About 4.6% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older.
Economy
The economy of Vashon Island is heavily based on residents commuting to SeattleSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. While orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s and strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s formerly played a major role in the Vashon economy, the pressures of suburban residential development have all but eliminated any major commercial agriculture on the island. Many small farms operate on the island, providing locals with fresh organic produce, milk, and eggs. Despite the changes, the island continues to observe the tradition of holding a strawberry festival every July. In certain areas like Dockton a majority of current property owned was occupied and consequently seized from Japanese/American citizens who farmed strawberry on that land until WW2 where they were moved to internment camps.
Vashon's economy took another hit in recent years when it lost two of its major industrial employers: K2 Sports
K2 Sports
K-2, Corporation. was founded in 1961 by brothers Bill and Don Kirschner on Vashon Island, near Seattle, Washington. K2 is known for pioneering fiberglass ski technology, which made skis significantly lighter and more lively than their wood and metal contemporaries...
moved its manufacturing to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and the Seattle's Best Coffee
Seattle's Best Coffee
Seattle's Best Coffee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks, is a specialty coffee retailer and wholesaler based in Seattle, Washington.Seattle's Best Coffee has retail stores and grocery sub-stores in 20 states and provinces and the District of Columbia. Sub-stores can also be found within many...
roastery operation was closed shortly after SBC was bought by Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
. Currently, the largest manufacturer on Vashon is Pacific Research Laboratories
Pacific Research Laboratories
Pacific Research Laboratories, Inc. is a leading producer of artificial bone, Sawbones, designed to simulate the bone architecture as well as the bone’s physical properties...
, locally referred to as "The Bone Factory."
Transportation
The southern terminus of the Vashon Highway is the Tahlequah Ferry TerminalTahlequah, Washington
Tahlequah is an unincorporated community on the southern end of Vashon Island in Puget Sound, Washington state. It is best known for being the north end of the short Point Defiance-Tahlequah ferry route.-References:...
, connected to the Point Defiance neighborhood of Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
by the Point Defiance-Tahlequah ferry
Point Defiance-Tahlequah Ferry
The Point Defiance-Tahlequah ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound between the Point Defiance ferry terminal in Tacoma and Tahlequah, Washington, on the southern tip of Vashon Island. Since 1951 the only ferries employed on the route have belonged to the Washington state ferry system,...
. The northern terminus of the Vashon Highway is the Heights Dock at Point Vashon, which services the state ferry docks at Southworth
Southworth, Washington
Southworth is an unincorporated community on Puget Sound in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is best known for being the west end of the Fauntleroy-Vashon Island-Southworth Washington State Ferries run. Landmarks include Southworth Grocery, a US Post Office, ferry terminal, clay cliffs...
, Fauntleroy
Fauntleroy, Seattle, Washington
Fauntleroy is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of Seattle, Washington. Part of West Seattle and situated on Puget Sound's Fauntleroy Cove , it faces Vashon Island, Blake Island, and the Kitsap Peninsula to the west...
in West Seattle
West Seattle, Seattle, Washington
West Seattle comprises two of Seattle, Washington's thirteen districts, Delridge and Southwest and encompasses all of Seattle west of the Duwamish River. It was incorporated as an independent town in 1902 and was annexed by Seattle in 1907. Among the area's attractions are its saltwater beach parks...
, and Downtown Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
Vashon Municipal Airport
Vashon Municipal Airport
Vashon Municipal Airport is a municipal airport on Vashon Island in King County, Washington, United States. The airport is unique in being one of the few public airports in Washington State with only a grass runway.Other state owned public grass only runways exist in Washington, but not with...
is on the northern half of the island. There is no regularly scheduled air service to the airport.
King County Metro provides bus service from downtown Seattle to the island.
Broadcast radio stations
Maury IslandMaury Island
Maury Island is a small island in Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is connected to Vashon Island by an isthmus built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Before construction of the isthmus, the island was connected to Vashon only during low tide. The island is rural with...
is home to numerous AM transmitters. Built in 1941, KIRO
KIRO (AM)
KIRO is a radio station based in Seattle, Washington on the shores of Lake Union with 2 towers on Maury Island, broadcasting on 710 kHz in the AM radio spectrum...
710 has two massive towers for its 50,000 watt transmitter. KIRO is 50,000 watts day/night. KTTH
KTTH
KTTH is a conservative talk radio station, owned by Bonneville International, broadcasting at 770 kHz in Seattle, Washington.-Programming:...
770 which operates with 50,000 watts during the day and 5,000 watts at night. KTTH shares towers with KPTK. KIRO and KTTH are owned by Bonneville International
Bonneville International
Bonneville International Corporation is a broadcasting company wholly owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through its for-profit arm, Deseret Management Corporation...
.
There was a tower originally built in 1946 for KEVR 1090AM, which later became KING radio and is now KPTK. KPTK, 50,000 watts day/night, now operates 3 towers. CBS owns KPTK. This site is shared with KTTH.
On Vashon Island, radio station KVI 570 has a single tower on a beach in Tramp Harbor, nicknamed "KVI Beach." KVI is owned by local owner Fisher Broadcasting and operates 24 hours a day at 5,000 watts. Fisher also owns KOMO
KOMO (AM)
KOMO is a radio station based in Seattle, Washington. Its format is primarily news. From 2003 to 2008, it was also the flagship station of the Seattle Mariners Radio Network...
1000 which has a three tower setup on the northeast corner of Vashon Island. KOMO is 50,000 watts day/night.
KGNW 820 propagates its signal from three towers in the center of the island, KGNW operates 50,000 watts day and 5,000 night and is owned by Salem Communications.
KJR 950 shares the towers at the KGNW site. KJR is owned by Clear Channel and operates 50,000 watts
day/night.
These stations have located their transmitters on Vashon and Maury Islands because soil conductivity is greater than elsewhere around Puget Sound. Soil conductivity, and the resulting electrical ground it offers, is important to signal propagation in the AM broadcast frequency range.
People of note
Vashon Island has been home to many notable individuals:- Gene AmondsonGene AmondsonGene Amondson, was a landscape painter, woodcarver, Christian minister and prohibition activist who was the 2004 US presidential candidate for one faction of the Prohibition Party and the nominee of the unified party in 2008.Amondson was known for his anti-Alcohol activism and reenactments of...
, 2004 Prohibition PartyProhibition PartyThe Prohibition Party is a political party in the United States best known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest existing third party in the US. The party was an integral part of the temperance movement...
presidential nominee. - Gene "Bean" Baxter, Co-host of the nationally syndicated morning radio show Kevin and Bean on the world famous KROQ based in Los Angeles.
- Steve BerlinSteve BerlinSteve Berlin is an American saxophonist, keyboardist and record producer, best known as a member of the rock group Los Lobos and, before that, Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs, The Blasters, and The Flesh Eaters...
, of the Grammy Award winning band Los LobosLos LobosLos Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
, lived on the island - Alex BorsteinAlex BorsteinAlexandrea "Alex" Borstein is an American actress, singer, voice actress, writer and comedian. She is best known for her long-running role as Lois Griffin on the animated television series Family Guy, and as a cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv.A native of Highland Park, Illinois,...
, actress noted especially for her work on Fox's MAD TVMad TVMad TV may refer to:*MADtv, an American sketch comedy television series based on Mad magazine*Mad TV , a 1991 German television station management simulation game*MAD TV , a Greek music channel-See also:...
and as the voice of Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
's Lois Griffin, lives on Vashon Island. - Berkeley BreathedBerkeley BreathedGuy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed is an American cartoonist, children's book author/illustrator, director and screenwriter, best known for Bloom County, a 1980s cartoon-comic strip that dealt with sociopolitical issues as understood by fanciful characters and through humorous analogies...
, author of the political satire comic strip Bloom CountyBloom CountyBloom County is an American comic strip by Berkeley Breathed which ran from December 8, 1980, until August 6, 1989. It examined events in politics and culture through the viewpoint of a fanciful small town in Middle America, where children often have adult personalities and vocabularies and where...
, resided on Vashon for some time. He wrote a children's book based on a bicycle in a tree. The real-life tree, growing around a bicycle, can be seen on the island. - Michael ChabonMichael ChabonMichael Chabon born May 24, 1963) is an American author and "one of the most celebrated writers of his generation", according to The Virginia Quarterly Review....
, writer and 2001 Pulitzer winner lived on Vashon Island. - Donald Cole (painter)Donald Cole (painter)Donald Cole is an American abstract expressionist painter. He received a BS from Bucknell University and an MFA from the University of Iowa. He served in the Navy during the Korean War...
, abstract expressionist painter lives on Vashon Island. - Karen CushmanKaren CushmanKaren Cushman is an American writer of historical fiction. Her 1995 novel The Midwife's Apprentice won the Newbery Medal for children's literature, and her 1994 novel Catherine, Called Birdy won a Newbery Honor...
, author, who produces fiction for mid-grade and young adult readers. One of her best known titles is the 1996 Newbery Award winning novel, THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE. - Booth GardnerBooth GardnerBooth Gardner , an heir to the Weyerhaeuser fortune, was the 19th Governor of the U.S state of Washington between 1985 and 1993. He also served as the ambassador of the GATT. He is a Democrat. Before serving as governor, Gardner was Pierce County Executive...
, former Washington state governor, lives on Vashon Island. - Rob Hotchkiss, founding member of Grammy-Award-winning rock band, Train, lives on Vashon Island.
- Eyvind KangEyvind KangEyvindur Kang , only child of Charles Shin-Chul Kang and Kristjana Gunnars, is an American composer, violinist, tuba, and erhu player...
, modern composer, lives on Vashon Island. - Betty MacDonaldBetty MacDonaldBetty MacDonald was an American author who specialized in humorous autobiographical tales, and is best known for her book The Egg and I. She also wrote the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series of children's books...
once lived on Vashon and used the island as the setting of her book Onions in the StewOnions in the StewOnions in the Stew is the fourth in a series of humorous autobiographical books by Betty MacDonald about her life on Vashon Island with her second husband and daughters during the Second World War years...
. - Zach Mann, reality TV star from MTV's hit show The Real WorldThe Real WorldThe Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
- T. Martino, Author/artist and wildlife rehabilitator The Wolf the Woman the Wilderness, Horse Nation, Learning from Eagle Living with Coyote, My Name is Cap, Coyote Physics.
- Danny O'KeefeDanny O'KeefeDanny O'Keefe is a U.S. based singer-songwriter, born in Spokane, Washington, in 1943. O'Keefe's musical career has spanned four decades from his early days playing in the Minnesota coffee houses to his present station in the Seattle area...
, singer song-writer, known for his song "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues", lives on Vashon Island. - Basil PoledourisBasil PoledourisVassilis Konstantinos "Basil" Poledouris was a Greek-American music composer who concentrated on the scores for films and television shows...
, film composer, spent the last four years of his life on Vashon Island, prior to dying in Los Angeles due to complications from cancer. - Austin PostAustin PostAustin S. Post is a photographer, glaciologist and mountaineer known for his aerial photography of the mountains and glaciers of North America, particularly the North Cascades of Washington and Glacier Bay, Alaska....
, aerial photographer and glaciologist, lives on Vashon Island. - John RatzenbergerJohn RatzenbergerJohn Deszo Ratzenberger is an American actor, voice actor, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his role as Cliff Clavin in Cheers.-Early life:...
, who played Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. on the television show CheersCheersCheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, and also voiced a character in "Toy Story", once lived on and still owns land on connected Maury IslandMaury IslandMaury Island is a small island in Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is connected to Vashon Island by an isthmus built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Before construction of the isthmus, the island was connected to Vashon only during low tide. The island is rural with...
. He also helped to start a school on the island. - Dan SavageDan SavageDaniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
, editor of The StrangerThe Stranger (newspaper)The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
and the author of "Savage Love," a syndicated sex advice column, formerly lived on Vashon Island with his partner and adopted son. By his own account, he moved from Vashon because he was unsure that the local public schools would welcome the adopted son of gay partners. - Paul SeibertPaul SeibertPaul Seibert, CMC, is the author of Four books, including Facilities Planning & Design For Financial Institutions: A Strategic Management Guide, published byMcGraw-Hill, October, 1995...
, author of books, white papers, and articles about strategic planning, growth, branching and architecture for financial institutions. Principal of EHS-DesignEHS-DesignEHS-Design is an award-winning Seattle-based architectural firm specializing in branch design for financial institutions across North America....
, Partner in Momentum Construction Company and founding partner of CEO Advisory Group. Paul lives on Vashon. - Ned Sneed http://www.youtube.com/user/NedSneed Founder and President of the Center for Sneedful Living, also of the Vashon-Maury Island Ministry of Cultural Integrity.
- The late Tom Stewart (1945–2010), founder and chairman of Misty Isle Farms http://www.mistyislefarms.com and Food Services of America, once lived on the island and moved to Arizona in 2006. Stewart, a prominent regional Republican leader, rekindled the Quartermaster Harbor fireworks show in 1991 after it was discontinued as Vashon Island's traditional local Independence Day celebration in 1989. In 1998, Stewart pled guilty to misdemeanor federal and local election-finance money laundering charges. He had to pay a $5 million fine and serve two months under house arrest, with work release, wearing an electronic ankle bracelet.
- J. TillmanJ. TillmanJoshua Tillman is an American folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. He is also the current drummer for the Seattle-based band Fleet Foxes...
, a singer songwriter and drummer of the band Fleet Foxes. - Edith Derby WilliamsEdith Derby WilliamsEdith Roosevelt Williams was a historian, conservationist, a granddaughter of the 26th President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt....
, historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, granddaughter of former US PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
*Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, lived on Vashon Island from 1949 until her death in 2008. - Susan NattrassSusan NattrassSusan "Sue" Marie Nattrass, is a Canadian shooter and medical researcher in osteoporosis. She was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta. She competed at six Olympic Games in 1976, 1988, 1992, and 2000 to 2008; she is one of sixteen shooters worldwide to compete at at least six Olympic Games...
, a former world champion shooter from Canada. - Teppei TeranishiTeppei TeranishiTeppei Teranishi is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the post-hardcore band Thrice from Orange County, California. In addition to guitar and keyboard duties, he also provides backing vocals for Thrice's live performances. He favors Gibson Les Paul guitars and Fender Telecasters among others...
, guitarist for the band Thrice. - Frank Peretti, Best selling Christian thriller author grew up on Vashon Island
- Sy Bean, Visual Journalist, Nature Enthusiast
Places of note
- One of the few Russian Orthodox Monasteries in America is located on Vashon Island. The monks gained notoriety years ago when they were threatened with a lawsuit by StarbucksStarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
for promoting a monasteryMonasteryMonastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
coffee labeled, "Christmas Blend", which StarbucksStarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
claimed they owned rights to. The lawsuit was eventually dropped. http://vashonmonks.com/index.php - The bike in the tree. A bicycle placed in the fork of a tree, gained fame when a kid chained a bike to the tree decades ago and never picked it up, leaving the tree no choice but to grow around the bike. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1412
- Wolftown-a non-profit organization, Federal and state wildlife rehabilitation and education facility, 'Finding the Balance of Animals and Wilderness,' also teaches predator friendly and sustainable farming. http://www.wolftown.org
External links
- Vashon Maury Island Non-Profits and Organizations
- Vashon College - founded 1892
- Vashon Chamber of Commerice
- Vashon-Maury Island Community Council
- Vashon-Maury Business Information and More
- Vashon-Maury Map
- VashonHistory.com
- University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Oliver S. Van Olinda Photographs A collection of 420 photographs depicting life on Vashon Island, Whidbey Island, Seattle and other communities of Washington State's Puget Sound from the 1880s to the 1930s.
- Vashon Island Heritage A collection of historic materials from the Vashon Library (King County Library System) and the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association.