History of Issaquah, Washington

Coal miners' homes in Issaquah, 1913

Issaquah was officially incorporated on April 29, 1892.

Initially a small mining town, this town has changed over the years. Based off of the mining on nearby Tiger Mountain, Issaquah began as the town of Gilman, Washington. As the mining phase began to peter off as the deposits wore down in the late 1890's, lumber companies moved in, transporting lumber from Issaquah and other small towns by railroad to Seattle and larger, growing communities throughout western Washington. These early industries had quieted by the time of the Great Depression. The town remained fairly quiet throughout the succeeding decades, with The Boeing Company providing the majority of employment until Microsoft and other tech industries and companies moved first into Redmond, Washington and other cities in the area, later establishing operations in Issaquah itself. Both companies have significantly affected Issaquah's history, cultural development, and diverse population. An interesting fact: Boeing's first wooden seaplane was built by employees from Issaquah and took off from Lake Sammamish (located at the northern edge of downtown Issaquah).

In June 1996, Costco moved their world headquarters to Issaquah from neighboring Kirkland, Washington (thus explaining the origin of their Kirkland Signature brand).

Visit the Issaquah Historical Society