Ravensdale, Washington
Census-designated place in the United States in King County · Not an incorporated municipality
About Ravensdale
Ravensdale is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 555 at the 2020 census.
Based on per capita income, Ravensdale ranks 50th out of 522 areas in the state of Washington.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How Ravensdale is governed
Ravensdale appears to be an unincorporated community or a census-designated place, so it may have no city government of its own — services usually come from King County and its elected officials. The chart below is a generic template; readers can correct it if Ravensdale does have local officials.
Form of government not yet listed.
0 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Ravensdale
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
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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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Looking for your county, state and federal representatives too? See who represents 98051 or everyone in Washington.
Population over time
From 816 in 2000 to 555 in 2020 (−32.0%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 555 |
| 2010 | 1,101 |
| 2000 | 816 |
History
Ravensdale was originally called "Leary", after the Leary Coal Company, in turn, named for John Leary, a Seattle pioneer. The latter name came from the flocks of ravens that fed on grain spilled from the boxcars on the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks that ran through the town. Underground coal mining commenced around 1899 by the Seattle and San Francisco Railway and Navigation Company, although coal had been mined in nearby Danville and Landsburg a few years earlier. The coal mines were later acquired by the Northwest Improvement Company (NWI), a subsidiary of Northern Pacific. In 1907, Ravensdale was a coal mining town with a population of about 1,000 residents, most of whom worked for the mining company. Ravensdale was officially incorporated on August 15, 1913. On November 16, 1915, at 1:25 p.m. an explosion occurred at the mine, killing 31 men, one of the worst coal mining accidents in Washington state history. The NWI mine was closed permanently and many of the immigrant miners left town seeking work elsewhere. A number of coal miners from Ravensdale moved to Ray, Arizona, to mine copper. The town was disincorporated in the 1920s.
Over the decades, coal mining continued to fuel Ravensdale's economy as new mines were developed operating on the Danville, Landsburg, and McKay coal seams. The Dale Coal Company became one of the more successful from about 1924–1941, followed by the Continental Coal Company from 1942 to 1944, the Anderson Coal Company from 1943 to 1948; and Palmer Coking Coal Company from 1937 to 1975. On January 29, 1955, four miners were lost in the Landsburg mine when a cave-in filled the mine with water, mud and debris. On December 17, 1975, at 2:30 p.m., the Rogers No. 3 mine was dynamited shut by Palmer Coking Coal Company. This was the last underground coal mine in the state of Washington.
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