Carnation, Washington
City in the United States in King County
About Carnation
Carnation (Lushootseed: tultxʷ) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It was historically known as Tolt and lies at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers.
The city is located east of Sammamish and south of Duvall on State Route 203. The population was 2,158 at the 2020 census. Prior to American settlement, the area was occupied by a large village of the Snoqualmie Tribe. It was the center of Snoqualmie society in the 19th century. After their removal to reservations, the city was resettled by Americans, who founded the city of Tolt in 1865. It became a thriving dairy town in the 20th century, eventually being renamed to Carnation in honor of the Carnation Evaporated Milk Company. After being renamed again back and forth twice, the name Carnation stuck. In the 1990s, the city became a bedroom community for the Seattle Eastside.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How Carnation is governed
Form of government not yet listed.
1 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Carnation
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
- Jim Ribail per Wikidata
The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
Administration & departments
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
Administration & departments
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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- Website
- carnationwa.gov
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Population over time
From 1,786 in 2010 to 2,158 in 2020 (+20.8%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,158 |
| 2016 | 1,995 |
| 2010 | 1,786 |
History
Snoqualmie settlement
The Snoqualmie people have inhabited the Carnation area for more than 10,000 years. Prior to American settlement, the Snoqualmie had a large village spanning the Tolt River (Lushootseed: tultxʷ) at its confluence with the Snoqualmie. This village was highly important as it was the second-largest village in the Snoqualmie river valley. The village also had the best natural defenses in the Snoqualmie river valley.
The most important building in the village was the x̌alalʔtxʷ (lit. "marked house"). The x̌alalʔtxʷ was a giant longhouse which served as a sort of capitol building, where council was held by both local elders and visiting leaders. It also was an education center for all the people living in the Snoqualmie valley. Elders taught valuable skills and knowledge, such as Snoqualmie language, customs, and laws.
In the 19th century, the prominent Snoqualmie leader Patkanim (Lushootseed: p̓əƛ̕qidəb) was born in this village. At this time, Snoqualmie society began to centralize into a chiefdom. During the colonial period, the village served as the de facto capital of the Snoqualmie chiefdom under Patkanim.
American settlement
The Snoqualmie Valley was resettled by Americans in the 1850s and 1860s following the signing of the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliot and the relocation of many of the Snoqualmie people to reservations like Tulalip. The community of Tolt was founded in 1865 and platted in 1902. The name of the community was derived from an Anglicization of the Lushootseed name for the Tolt River and the Snoqualmie village (variously spelled as tultxʷ, dxʷtultxʷ, or tulq in Lushootseed). Tolt was incorporated as a town on December 30, 1912, shortly after the arrival of the Milwaukee Road, which provided train connections to Monroe in the north.
The valley was home to several dairy farms established in the 1900s, including a research farm for the Carnation Evaporated Milk Company. Following lobbying from the company and the approval of the state legislature, Tolt was renamed to "Carnation" in 1917. The renaming of the town was opposed by local residents and members of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, and later changed back to Tolt on May 3, 1928. The "Carnation" name remained on the post office and train depot, and continued to be used by outsiders. Tolt was then renamed back to "Carnation" on October 29, 1951. During the late 20th century, Carnation moved away from dairy farming and became a community for job centers in the Eastside, growing to a population of 2,158 by 2020.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.