Yelm, Washington

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Yelm, Washington
settlement_type = City
nickname =
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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Yelm, Washington


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Washington
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Thurston

government_footnotes =
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unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 14.6
area_land_km2 = 14.6
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 5.6
area_land_sq_mi = 5.6
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 5,150
population_density_km2 = 225.6
population_density_sq_mi = 584.4

timezone = Pacific (PST)
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 108
elevation_ft = 354
latd = 46 |latm = 56 |lats = 29 |latNS = N
longd = 122 |longm = 36 |longs = 23 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 98597
area_code = 360
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 53-80220GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1512817GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Yelm is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,150 as of July 2008. The current mayor is Ron Harding. His daughter, Janet Harding, is the current Miss Washington for 2008 after winning the title of Miss Tahoma.

Yelm ranked 10th of 279 eligible incorporated communities in population growth between 2000 and 2005. [ [http://www.ofm.wa.gov/pop/april1/ Washington State Office of Financial Management] ]

History

The word "Yelm" comes from the Coast Salish word "shelm" which means "land of the dancing spirits" their interpretation of the moir effect of heat rising off the prairie.

The Yelm Prairie was originally inhabited by members of the Nisqually Indian Tribe and provided good pasture for their horses. The first permanent European-American settlers came in 1853 to join the Hudson's Bay Company sheep farmers who were already conducting business in the area.

James Longmire, one of the first American settlers had this to say upon arriving in Yelm:"Having received due notice from the Hudson Bay company not to settle on any lands north of the Nisqually River we crossed the river and went to Yelm prairie, a beautiful spot. I thought as it lay before us covered with tall waving grass, a pretty stream bordered with shrubs and tall trees, flowing through it, and the majestic mountain standing guard over all, in its snowy coat, it was a scene fit for an artist. Herds of deer wandered at leisure through the tall grass." - James Longmire, October 10th 1853.

With the coming of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1873, Yelm began to prosper, having found an outlet for its agricultural and forestry products. Its economic base was further enhanced in the early 1900s when an irrigation company was formed in 1916, making Yelm a center for commercial production of beans, cucumbers, and berries.

Yelm was officially incorporated on December 10 1924.

During the Great Depression, the Yelm Irrigation Company was bankrupted by high maintenance costs and an unstructured water distribution plan.

Ironically, Yelm is now home to the first Class A Water Reclamation Facility and distribution system in Washington state. This system reclaims all of its waste water which is used in local irrigation and added to recharge streams and a wetland park that includes a catch-and-release pond for rainbow trout.

Present day Yelm is a bedroom community for residents working in the surrounding cities of Tacoma, Olympia and Centralia. Yelm also hosts a large number of military families who are currently or were formerly stationed at nearby Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base. Yelm is also the home of the controversial organization known as the Ramtha's School of Enlightenment.

The Yelm post office and school district (zip code 98597) serve the surrounding unincorporated Thurston County residential communities in the Bald Hills of Lake Lawrence and Clearwood.

Geography

Yelm is located at coor dms|46|56|29|N|122|36|23|W|city (46.941515, -122.606305)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.6 km² (5.6 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 3,289 people, 1,216 households, and 807 families residing in the city. The Estimated population as of 2004 was 4,409.The population density was 584.4 people per square mile (225.6/km²). There were 1,323 housing units at an average density of 235.1/sq mi (90.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.17% White, 1.79% African American, 2.22% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 1.16% Pacific Islander, 1.58% from other races, and 5.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.35% of the population.

There were 1,216 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the city the population was spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,453, and the median income for a family was $45,475. Males had a median income of $32,037 versus $24,474 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,865. About 7.9% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

References

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/00.ar.longmire.html

External links

* [http://www.ci.yelm.wa.us/ City of Yelm] (official website)