Bothell, Washington

Bothell is a city located in the state of Washington. The population was 30,150 at the 2000 census.

Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Bothell ranks 71st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.

In the 2004 US presidential election, Bothell cast 56.29% of its vote for Democrat John Kerry ^*.

History

Bothell was officially incorporated on April 14, 1909, though it has been inhabited by people of European descent since 1870.

Prior to European settlement, the Sammamish River Valley from Lake Washington to Issaquah Creek south and upstream of Lake Sammamish was inhabited by a population of as many as 200 native Americans known as the Sammamish. The Sammamish were relocated after the Puget Sound War in 1856 to reservations and non-reservation lands.

In 1870, Columbus S. Greenleaf and George R. Wilson filed land claims in the area abandoned by the Sammamish near present-day Bothell, and built homes. Eight families followed over the next six years. In 1876, Canadian George Brackett bought land and began commercial logging out of a camp located on the north bank of the Sammamish River in what is now the heart of downtown Bothell. A store, school, and sawmill followed over the next several years.

In 1885, Brackett sold 80 acres to David Bothell, a settler from Pennsylvania. The town's first postmaster, who bought his property from Bothell, named the town in his honor in 1888. Later that same year, a local railroad was built through the town to transport coal from Issaquah.

Bothell continued to grow as logging expanded and boat traffic brought increasing amounts of goods and passengers up and down the river. As more people moved into the area, the Army Corps of Engineers decided to dredge and straighten the river in the years shortly after Bothell's incorporation. Most boat traffic came to an abrupt end only a few years later when Lake Washington was lowered in 1917. Water transport also shifted to trucks after a brick road was built from Seattle. The logging economy declined quickly around the same time, and the local economy shifted to farming.

After World War II, better highways and a post-war boom brought suburban development to Bothell. These new neighborhoods and a series of annexations dramatically expanded Bothell's population from about 1000 in 1950 to over 30,000 as of 2006. Bothell was mostly a bedroom community for people working in Seattle until the 1990s when business development brought new jobs to create a regional employment center with about 20,000 jobs, many in high technology sectors such as biotechnology and software development. In 2000, a branch campus of the University of Washington opened in Bothell, co-located with Cascadia Community College.

Geography

Bothell is located at (47.771670, -122.204421). The largest river is the Sammamish, which connects Lake Sammamish to Lake Washington.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.2 km² (12.1 mi²). None of the area is covered with water.

Bothell is a geographical oddity in that it straddles two counties (King County and Snohomish County). Because most streets in Bothell are numbered and not named, this has the unfortunate side-effect of causing all streets that cross the county line to change numbers. For example, 104th Avenue NE in King County becomes 23rd Avenue SE when it crosses into Snohomish County.

Neighborhoods

Bothell has several distinct neighborhoods. These include:

Downtown Bothell, north of Bothell Way on the north side of the Sammamish River, was an area originally settled by pioneers and contains a business district along Main Street, and several blocks of residences at the foot of Beckstrom Hill. It also contains city hall and the police station, the Bothell Library, and Pop Keeney Stadium.
Riverfront, south of Bothell Way and mostly along the south side of the river near Riverside Drive, contains Sammamish River Park, Blyth Park, several residences, and the Northshore Senior Center.
Westhill is a mid-20th century residential expansion on the hill to the west of downtown, and includes Bothell High School and Westhill Elementary School.
Maywood/Beckstrom Hill is a residential neighborhood on the hill north of downtown, and is the location of Maywood Hills Elementary School and St. Brendan's Parish School.
North Creek, named for Bothell's second-largest waterway, is a business and light industrial district with several large big box retail stores, and the production facility for the Seattle Times.
Pioneer Hills is a residential community on the hills east of North Creek that borders Woodinville, and contains Woodin Elementary School.
Norway Hill is a residential neighborhood overlooking downtown from the south. Most but not all of Norway Hill is outside the official city limits.
Waynita is a residential neighborhood along Waynita Way between Wayne Curve and nearby Juanita. Wayne Golf Course is in Waynita.
Queensgate is a residential neighborhood along Brickyard Road, south of the Sammamish River and adjacent to nearby Woodinville.
Lake Pleasant/Country Village is the area bordering the wooded and winding portion of Bothell-Everett Highway between downtown and Canyon Park. Lake Pleasant hosts an RV park, and Country Village is an outdoor shopping center.
Shelton View is a residential neighborhood north of Westhill in Snohomish County containing Shelton View Elementary.
Canyon Park is a commercial and business district at the junction of Bothell-Everett Highway and Interstate 405, with several restaurants, shops, and grocery stores, along with several major employers.
Fitzgerald is a southern extension of Canyon Park containing Canyon Park Junior High.
Queensborough/Brentwood is a residential neighborhood west and north of Canyon Park, containing Frank Love Elementary School and Wallace Swamp Creek Park.
Canyon Creek is the residential area east of Canyon Park and south of Maltby Road, with two elementary schools.
Thrasher's Corner is a retail district mostly outside the city limits of Bothell, that along with the residential Red Hawk neighborhood to the east is part of the city's official planning area.
Mays Pond (sometimes classified as part of Mill Creek).

Prior to 1993, the nearby city of Woodinville was unincorporated, and some of its neighborhoods were considered part of Bothell and were being considered for annexation. The people of Woodinville voted in 1992 to incorporate, and incorporation was official early the next year.

Education

Bothell is home to Cascadia Community College and a satellite campus of the University of Washington. The two institutions share the same campus, which opened in the year 2000, and are closely linked. Also, there is an ITT Technical Institute campus in Bothell. Schools for Bothell students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade are part of the Northshore School District.

Civic Events

Major annual events throughout the year in Bothell include:

The City of Bothell Freedom Festival, a two-day festival celebrating American Independence, including an annual 4th of July parade and a reenactment of the Battle of Concord on the Bothell Landing Bridge.
The Music in the Park concert series, every Friday in July and August at Bothell Landing Amphitheater.
Greater Bothell Arts & Crafts Fair
City of Bothell Riverfest
The Summits of Bothell bike ride
La Fiesta Viva!, a celebration of Latino cultural heritage, at Country Village.
Harvest Festival and Pumpkin Carving, at Country Village.
Tree Lighting and Santa Arrival, at Bothell Landing.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 30,150 people, 11,923 households, and 7,928 families residing in the city. The population density was 966.1/km² (2,501.5/mi²). There were 12,303 housing units at an average density of 394.2/km² (1,020.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.28% White, 1.16% African American, 0.62% Native American, 5.96% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 1.76% from other races, and 3.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.44% of the population.

There are 11,923 households, out of which 33.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $59,264, and the median income for a family was $68,580. Males had a median income of $48,476 versus $34,385 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,483. About 3.6% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Bothell was until recently predominantly a bedroom community with most of its residents working outside of the city. Starting in the 1990s, several businesses opened offices in Bothell, creating a regional employment center providing about 20,000 jobs. Many of these businesses are located in the Canyon Park and North Creek business districts.

Biotechnology is a key industry, with Sonus Pharmaceuticals, Seattle Genetics Incorporated, ICOS Corp, Alder Bio, Nastech, Eden, Amgen, Celltech, Epoch Biosciences, and Blue Heron Biotechnology all opening in Bothell. Medical device manufacturers such as Aculight are also located in Bothell.

Computer technology, data, and telecommunications are well represented, and include companies such as Cingular Wireless, Leviton Voice and Data, Systems Interface, T-Mobile, Panasonic Avionics Corporation and Teltone.

Engineering firms, including electrical engineering, environmental engineering, and civil engineering, are well represented. Examples include RH2 Engineering, North Creek Analytical, ECS Engineering, and Path Engineers.

Bothell also has companies working on new or improved energy technologies, including Neah Power Systems.

The Seattle Times moved its main production facility to the North Creek business district in Bothell in 2001.

Cascadia Community College and the University of Washington satellite campus are planned to provide education for over 10,000 students within the next several years, providing jobs for faculty and staff, and providing educated workers for other businesses in the city.

Trivia

In December 1962, LIFE Magazine recognized Bothell's 112-foot Christmas tree as the largest living Christmas tree in the world. However, in the late 1970s, disease attacked the tree, and the top had to be removed.

Famous residents

The creator of the Indie Rock band Death Cab For Cutie, Ben Gibbard spent his early life and childhood in Bothell. Ben is the creator of the band The Postal Service along with Death Cab. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington is from Bothell, and attended Bothell High School. Three time All American Softball player Shannon Fritzke graduated from Bothell High School in 1998

External links

Cities in King County, Washington | Cities in the Seattle metropolitan area | Cities in Washington | King County, Washington

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