A-Z History of Sumner, Washington - Train Crossing Provided in part by Daffodil Valley Times and the City of Sumner.

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Train Crossing Cultural Resources describes the importance of trains to Sumner: The advent of the railroad did much to stimulate the growth of the town. In 1883, after the railroad came through, the town was platted on the 160 acre Kincaid DLC (donation land claim) by John Kincaid... The railroad directly influenced the pattern of land development. An urban nucleus of land use developed around and spread out from the railroad passenger terminal. Until 1962, Sumner's city limits coincided with the urbanized area located within a fifteen minute walk from the terminal. Since 1962, the city limits have continued to expand north and east. Industries sought sites along the railroad to take advantage of accessible railroad sidings. Food processing plants that canned and treated the agricultural products of the river valleys located near the railroad. Other industries established themselves in proximity to existing industries and railroads creating the present pattern of industrial land uses in the northwest corner of the City. Since large acreage of undeveloped land was available to industries, a natural development pattern took place. Life in Sumner once revolved around trains - homes were built within hearing distance of the train whistles that announced the arrival of agricultural products and called local cannery workers to the plants. Trains have altered life in this close-knit community since the new downtown Sound Transit train station opened in 2000. The station’s covered platforms resemble hops kilns and are painted green and rhubarb red to reflect the agricultural history of Sumner. New nearby park-and-ride lots offer bicycle storage and free parking for 300-350 vehicles. The Spirit of Sumner project is part of the City of Sumner's effort to prepare residents for the coming influx of commuters and local tourists. Previous Page | Next Page List of cited resources Information on these pages is provided in part by Daffodil Valley Times Staff and The City of Sumner, Wa.

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