Murray Cromwell Morgan (1916–2000) was an author and historian of the Puget Sound region. Throughout his life he was also a writer, journalist, and political activist. He was a history teacher at Tacoma Community College .
106-559: Murray Morgan was born February 16, 1916, in Tacoma , Pierce County , Washington . His parents were Henry Victor Morgan and Adda Camille Layne Pearne Morgan. His father was a Unitarian Universalist minister and his mother wrote plays for the theater. Henry published his wife's plays and his poetry. He graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma in 1933. He attended the University of Washington and
212-472: A Civil War veteran and land speculator, built a cabin (which also served as Tacoma's first post office; a replica was built in 2000 near the original site in "Old Town"). Carr hoped to profit from the selection of Commencement Bay as the terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, and sold most of his claim to developer Morton M. McCarver (1807–1875), who named his project Tacoma City, derived from
318-662: A branch campus of the University of Washington ; the numerous privately financed renovation projects near the campus; the Washington State History Museum (1996), echoing the architecture of Union Station; the Museum of Glass (2002); the Tacoma Art Museum (2003); and the region's first light-rail line (2003). The glass and steel Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center opened in November 2004. America's Car Museum
424-478: A conservative Republican, focused on the vulnerabilities of computers to fraud. In 1998, Tacoma installed Click! Network , a high-speed fiber optic network throughout the community. The municipally owned power company, Tacoma Power , wired the city. In response, the State of Washington passed RCW 54.16.330 in 2000, effectively preventing further research and development of Click! Network until its repeal in 2021 during
530-403: A major debris avalanche and the resulting Osceola Mudflow approximately 5,000 years ago. In the past, Rainier has had large debris avalanches, and has also produced enormous lahars ( volcanic mudflows ), due to the large amount of glacial ice present. Its lahars have reached all the way to Puget Sound , a distance of more than 30 mi (48 km). Around 5,000 years ago, a large chunk of
636-443: A mayor and city-manager system in 1952. Tacoma was featured prominently in the garage rock sound of the mid-1960s with bands including The Wailers and The Sonics . The surf rock band The Ventures were also from Tacoma. Downtown Tacoma experienced a long decline through the mid-20th century. Harold Moss , later the city's mayor, characterized late-1970s Tacoma as looking "bombed out" like "downtown Beirut " (a reference to
742-564: A mudflow might also reach down the Duwamish estuary and destroy parts of downtown Seattle , and cause tsunamis in Puget Sound and Lake Washington . Rainier is also capable of producing pyroclastic flows and expelling lava. A 2012 Washington State Department of Natural Resources estimate showed that a significant lahar could cause up to $ 40 billion in damage downriver. According to Kevin Scott,
848-511: A newly rewritten city constitution – put into place to keep political power away from a single entity such as the railroad – created a standstill in the ability to further the local economy. Local businesses were affected as the sudden stop of loans limited progression of expansion and renewal funds for maintenance, leading to foreclosures. Families across the city experienced the fallout of economic depression as breadwinners sought to provide for their families. Shanty-town politics began to develop as
954-598: A population of about 1 million. Tacoma adopted its name after the nearby Mount Rainier , called təˡqʷuʔbəʔ in the Puget Sound Salish dialect, and “Takhoma” in an anglicized version. It is locally known as the "City of Destiny" because the area was chosen to be the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century. The decision of the railroad was influenced by Tacoma's neighboring deep-water harbor, Commencement Bay . By connecting
1060-403: A prolonged decline in the mid-20th century as a result of suburbanization and divestment. Since the 1990s, downtown Tacoma has experienced a period of revitalization. Developments in the downtown include the University of Washington Tacoma ; the T Line (formerly Tacoma Link), the first modern electric light rail service in the state; the state's highest density of art and history museums; and
1166-617: A restored urban waterfront, the Thea Foss Waterway . The area was inhabited for thousands of years by American Indians , most recently the Puyallup people, who lived in settlements on the delta. In 1852, a Swede named Nicolas Delin built a water-powered sawmill on a creek near the head of Commencement Bay, but the small settlement that grew around it was abandoned during the Indian War of 1855–56 . In 1864, pioneer and postmaster Job Carr ,
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#17328701983371272-784: A result of high snowfalls during the 1960s and 1970s. Since the early-1980s, however, many glaciers have been thinning and retreating and some advances have slowed. In a study using data from 2021, National Park Service scientists removed Stevens Glacier from its inventory of Mount Rainier glaciers due to its dwindling size and lack of evidence that it was moving. Using satellite data in 2022, researchers at Nichols College determined that both Pyramid and Van Trump glaciers had also ceased to exist with only fragments of ice remaining. A significant decline had been noted between 2015 and 2022. The glaciers on Mount Rainier can generate mudflows through glacial outburst floods not associated with an eruption. The South Tahoma Glacier generated 30 floods in
1378-519: A scientist with the USGS: A home built in any of the probabilistically defined inundation areas on the new maps is more likely to be damaged or destroyed by a lahar than by fire... For example, a home built in an area that would be inundated every 100 years, on the average, is 27 times more likely to be damaged or destroyed by a flow than by fire. People know the danger of fire, so they buy fire insurance and they have smoke alarms, but most people are not aware of
1484-429: A spa and hotel, drawing other visitors to the area to seek the benefits of the spring. Later, the headquarters of the national park would be established at Longmire, until flooding caused them to be relocated to Ashford. The area also became the site of features like a museum, a post office, and a gas station, with additions like a library and a gift shop soon following; many of these buildings were ultimately nominated to
1590-543: A whole most Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. in the council chambers at 747 Market St. Meetings are open to the public and provide for public input. Victoria Woodards began her term as mayor of the City of Tacoma on January 2, 2018. She is Tacoma's third African-American mayor and third female mayor, and the second African-American female mayor. She succeeded Marilyn Strickland , who was elected in 2009, becoming Tacoma's first African-American female mayor. Normal day-to-day operations of
1696-414: A year to live, but was able to overcome cancer. His treatment included surgery and a prescribed diet of hamburgers for breakfast. He died on June 22, 2000, in Tacoma, Washington, and his remains were cremated. The Murray Morgan Bridge in Tacoma, originally known as the 11th Street Bridge, was renamed in 1997, to honor Morgan for his contributions as a Pacific Northwest historian of his generation. Morgan
1802-577: Is a peak known as Little Tahoma Peak , 11,138 ft (3,395 m), an eroded remnant of the earlier, much higher, Mount Rainier. It has a prominence of 858 ft (262 m), and it is almost never climbed in direct conjunction with Columbia Crest, so it is usually considered a separate peak. If considered separately from Mount Rainier, Little Tahoma Peak would be the third highest mountain peak in Washington. The National Park Service and United States Geological Survey cite Mount Rainier's elevation at
1908-484: Is at 47°14′29″N 122°27′34″W / 47.24139°N 122.45944°W / 47.24139; -122.45944 (47.241371, –122.459389). Its official elevation is 381 feet (116 m), varying between sea level and about 500 feet (150 m). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 62.34 square miles (161.46 km ), of which 49.72 square miles (128.77 km )
2014-626: Is land and 12.62 square miles (32.69 km ) is water. Tacoma straddles the neighboring Commencement Bay with several smaller cities surrounding it. Large areas of Tacoma have views of Mount Rainier. In the event of a major eruption of Mount Rainier, the low-lying areas of Tacoma near the Port of Tacoma are at risk from a lahar flowing down the Puyallup River. The city is several miles north of Joint Base Lewis–McChord , formerly known separately as Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base . According to
2120-567: Is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. The summit is topped by two volcanic craters , each more than 1,000 ft (300 m) in diameter, with the larger east crater overlapping the west crater. Geothermal heat from the volcano keeps areas of both crater rims free of snow and ice, and has formed the world's largest volcanic glacier cave network within the ice-filled craters, with nearly 2 mi (3.2 km) of passages. A small crater lake about 130 by 30 ft (39.6 by 9.1 m) in size and 16 ft (5 m) deep,
2226-609: The New York Herald Tribune . He was also a radio personality for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). He was a noted historian of the Pacific Northwest, particularly Puget Sound . Some of his most noteworthy works are Skid Road , the "longest-running Pacific Northwest book in print" which was written about Seattle in 1946 and Puget's Sound written about Tacoma. Among other topics, he wrote about
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#17328701983372332-677: The Alaska Gold Rush , the Columbia River , the Aleutian Islands . Morgan taught history at Tacoma Community College . Murray might have held a chair in any of the distinguished professorships of history, but he reached more people on the subject of Northwest history than any other historian. People valued what Murray Morgan wrote. In 1939, Morgan married Emma Rose Northcutt at the Unitarian Universalist church where his father
2438-472: The COVID-19 pandemic , a period of over 20 years. Beginning in the early 1990s, city residents and planners took steps to revitalize Tacoma, particularly its downtown. Among the projects were the federal courthouse in the former Union Station (1991); Save Our Station community group; Merritt+Pardini Architect (1991); Reed & Stem Architects (1911); the adaptation of a group of century-old brick warehouses into
2544-664: The Carbon , White , Nisqually , and Cowlitz (above Riffe Lake ). According to the United States Geological Survey 's 2008 report, "about 80,000 people and their homes are at risk in Mount Rainier's lahar-hazard zones." Between 1950 and 2018, 439,460 people climbed Mount Rainier. Approximately 84 people died in mountaineering accidents on Mount Rainier from 1947 to 2018. The many Indigenous peoples who have lived near Mount Rainier for millennia have many names for
2650-500: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2022, there were 3,601 violent crimes and 19,217 property crimes, for 221,776 residents. Of these, the violent crimes consisted of 147 forcible rapes, 41 murders, 752 robberies and 2,661 aggravated assaults, while 2,365 burglaries, 11,027 larceny-thefts, 5,582 motor vehicle thefts and 243 instances of arson defined the property offenses. Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood struggled with crime in
2756-455: The Köppen climate classification , Tacoma has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb ). The warmest months are July and August; the coldest month is December. As of the 2020 census , there were 219,346 people and 91,951 households residing in the city. As of the 2010 census , there were 198,397 people, 78,541 households, and 45,716 families residing in the city. The population density
2862-513: The Lebanese Civil War that occurred at that time); "Streets were abandoned, storefronts were abandoned and City Hall was the headstone and Union Station the footstone" on the grave of downtown. The first local referendums in the U.S. on computerized voting occurred in Tacoma in 1982 and 1987. On both occasions, voters rejected the computer voting systems that local officials sought to purchase. The campaigns, organized by Eleanora Ballasiotes,
2968-481: The Lily Formation (about 2.9 million to 840,000 years ago). The early deposits formed a "proto-Rainier" or an ancestral cone prior to the present-day cone. The present cone is more than 500,000 years old. The volcano is highly eroded, with glaciers on its slopes, and appears to be made mostly of andesite . Rainier likely once stood even higher than today at about 16,000 ft (4,900 m) before
3074-656: The Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about 59 miles (95 km) south-southeast of Seattle . With an officially recognized summit elevation of 14,410 ft (4,392 m) at the Columbia Crest, it is the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Washington , the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States , and
3180-638: The Pacific Ocean . The 1846 Oregon Treaty between the United States and United Kingdom set new borders between British and American territory along today's approximate borders . In 1853, the land between the Columbia river and the border with British Canada was organized into the Washington Territory , which was the administrative status of the region at the time of the first successful ascent of Mount Rainier. In 1833, William Fraser Tolmie explored
3286-458: The Puyallup , Sumner–Bonney Lake , Orting , White River , and Carbonado School Districts. During the exercise, emergency operations centers in the cities of Puyallup , Bonney Lake , and Buckley were activated to help the movement of school students and staff. Typically, up to five earthquakes are recorded monthly near the summit. Swarms of five to ten shallow earthquakes over two or three days take place from time to time, predominantly in
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3392-561: The Strait of Juan de Fuca . Upon reaching what would become California in 1579, Sir Francis Drake claimed the entire northwest coast of North America for England . This claim to the coast of the Pacific Northwest was not further explored until in 1778 Captain James Cook sailed the coastline of modern-day Washington and British Columbia, stimulating a subsequent increase in English ships coming to
3498-471: The United States Geological Survey (USGS), about 150,000 people live on top of old lahar deposits of Rainier. Not only is there much ice atop the volcano, the volcano is also slowly being weakened by hydrothermal activity. According to Geoff Clayton, a geologist with a Washington State Geology firm, RH2 Engineering, a repeat of the 5000-year-old Osceola Mudflow would destroy Enumclaw , Orting , Kent , Auburn , Puyallup , Sumner and all of Renton . Such
3604-403: The 1930s, the city became known for the " Tacoma Aroma ", a distinctive, acrid odor produced by pulp and paper manufacturing on the industrial tide flats. In the late 1990s, Simpson Tacoma Kraft reduced total sulfur emissions by 90%. This largely eliminated the problem; where once the odor was ever-present, it is now only noticeable occasionally downtown, primarily when the wind is coming from
3710-465: The 1980s and early 1990s, and again in August 2015. For thousands of years, the area surrounding Mount Rainier has been inhabited by several Indigenous peoples , who traditionally hunted and gathered animals and plants in Mount Rainier's forests and high elevation meadows. These peoples and their modern-day descendants are represented today by the members of the federally-recognized tribes which surround
3816-479: The 1980s and early 1990s. The beginning of the 21st century has seen a marked reduction in crime, while neighborhoods have enacted community policing and other policies. Bill Baarsma (mayor, 2002–2010) was a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition , a bi-partisan group with the goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets". Starting in 2020, during
3922-415: The 29 named glacial features cover about 30.41 square miles (78.8 km ) of the mountain's surface in 2015 and have an estimated volume of about 0.69 cubic miles (2.9 km ). Glaciers flow under the influence of gravity by the combined action of sliding over the rock on which they lie and by deformation , the gradual displacement between and within individual ice crystals. Maximum speeds occur near
4028-684: The Columbia Crest as 14,410 ft (4,392 m). This value was taken in 1956, but was added to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 . Another commonly accepted measurement of the mountain is 14,411 ft (4,392 m) which comes from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1988 . Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc that consists of lava flows , debris flows , and pyroclastic ejecta and flows. Its early volcanic deposits are estimated at more than 840,000 years old and are part of
4134-532: The Frying Pan and Emmons glaciers on the east flank and the small near-peak snowfields; the greatest volume loss was concentrated from ~1750 m (north) to ~2250 m (south) elevation. The largest single volume loss is from the Carbon Glacier, although it is to the north, due to its huge area at <2000 m elevation. The Carbon , Cowlitz , Emmons, and Nisqually Glaciers advanced during the late 1970s and early 1980s as
4240-701: The Little Ice Age, the Nisqually Glacier advanced to a position 650 to 800 ft (200 to 240 m) downvalley from the site of the Glacier Bridge , Tahoma and South Tahoma Glaciers merged at the base of Glacier Island, and the terminus of Emmons Glacier reached within 1.2 mi (1.9 km) of the White River Campground. Retreat of the Little Ice Age glaciers was slow until about 1920 when retreat became more rapid. The Williwakas Glacier
4346-411: The Puyallup River, which discharges into Commencement Bay at Tacoma . The Nisqually empties into Puget Sound east of Lacey . The Cowlitz joins the Columbia River between Kelso and Longview . The broad top of Mount Rainier contains three named summits. The highest of these named summits is known as the Columbia Crest. The second highest summit is Point Success, 14,158 ft (4,315 m), at
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4452-666: The Saddle . For a time, both names were used interchangeably, although residents of the nearby city of Tacoma preferred Mount Tacoma. In 1890, the United States Board on Geographic Names declared that the mountain would be known as Rainier. Following this in 1897, the Pacific Forest Reserve became the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve , and the national park was established three years later. Despite this, there
4558-642: The United States. In 1824, Russia ceded all land claims south of parallel 54°40′ north to the United States as part of the Russo-American Treaty . In 1818, the United States and the United Kingdom signed a treaty, agreeing upon the joint settlement and occupation of the Oregon country which consisted of the territory north of 42°N latitude , south of 54°40′N latitude , and west of the Rocky Mountains to
4664-677: The area as part of the fur trade . On July 22, 1793, Sir Alexander Mackenzie of the British Northwest Fur Company reached the Pacific Ocean via overland route that crossed the Rocky Mountains. The first American, John Ledyard , reached the region aboard Captain Cook's ship in 1778. By 1787, six Americans from Boston formed a company which began trading along the northwest coast. The Lewis and Clark overland expedition reached
4770-417: The area looking for medicinal plants. Hazard Stevens and P. B. Van Trump received a hero's welcome in the streets of Olympia after their successful summit climb in 1870 . The first female ascent was made in 1890 by Fay Fuller , accompanied by Van Trump and three other teammates. Descending from the summit in 1883, James Longmire discovered a mineral spring; this ultimately led to his establishment of
4876-457: The area now within the boundaries of Mount Rainier National Park and extended to the perimeter of the present Puget Sound Basin. Between the 14th century and 1850, many of the glaciers on Mount Rainier advanced to their farthest extent downvalley since the last ice age. Many advances of this sort occurred worldwide during this time period known to geologists as the Little Ice Age . During
4982-637: The banded appearance of a classic podzol but the E horizon is darker than usual. Under meadows a thick dark A horizon usually forms the topsoil. The most recent recorded volcanic activity was between 1820 and 1854, but many eyewitnesses reported eruptive activity in 1858, 1870, 1879, 1882, and 1894 as well. Additionally, the Smithsonian Institution's volcanism project records the last volcanic eruption as 1450 CE. Seismic monitors have been placed in Mount Rainier National Park and on
5088-612: The bay with the railroad, Tacoma's motto became "When rails meet sails". Commencement Bay serves the Port of Tacoma , a center of international trade on the Pacific Coast and Washington's largest port. The city gained notoriety in 1940 for the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge , which earned the nickname "Galloping Gertie" due to the vertical movement of the deck during windy conditions. Like most industrial cities, Tacoma suffered
5194-532: The board of the Weyerhaeuser Company . In 1940, after eviction notices failed, the police department attempted to burn down Hooverville. In 1956, the last occupant of "Hollywood" was evicted and the police used fire to level the grounds and make room for industrial growth. In 1951, an investigation by a state legislative committee revealed widespread corruption in Tacoma's government, which had been organized commission-style since 1910. Voters approved
5300-456: The border gather research of the past eruptions of each in order to predict how mountains in this arc will behave and what they are capable of in the future, including Mount Rainier. Of these, two have erupted since the beginning of the twentieth century: Lassen in 1915 and St. Helens in 1980 and 2004. However, past eruptions in this volcanic arc have multiple examples of sub-plinian eruptions or higher: Crater Lake's last eruption as Mount Mazama
5406-484: The camp. In 1935, Tacoma received national attention when George Weyerhaeuser , the nine-year-old son of prominent lumber industry executive J.P. Weyerhaeuser , was kidnapped while walking home from school. FBI agents from Portland handled the case, in which a ransom of $ 200,000 secured the release of the victim. Four persons were apprehended and convicted; the last to be released was paroled from McNeil Island in 1963. George Weyerhaeuser went on to become chairman of
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#17328701983375512-502: The city at-large. All serve four-year terms and are elected in odd-numbered years. The council adopts and amends city laws, approves a two-year budget, establishes city policy, appoints citizens to boards and commissions, and performs other actions. The council also meets in "standing committees", which examine the council's work in more defined areas, such as "Environment & Public Works", "Neighborhoods & Housing", and "Public Safety, Human Services & Education". The council meets as
5618-490: The city government are administered by Tacoma's city manager, who is appointed by the city council. Elizabeth Pauli was appointed Interim City Manager on February 6, 2017. She replaced former manager T. C. Broadnax, who was appointed to the office in January 2012 and left in 2017 to become the city manager of Dallas, Texas . At the federal level, Tacoma is part of two congressional districts. The western and northern portions of
5724-422: The city is part of the 6th District , represented by Derek Kilmer . The eastern portion is in the 10th District , represented by Marilyn Strickland . Tacoma is the home of several international companies, including staffing company True Blue Inc., lumber company Simpson , and the food companies Roman Meal and Brown and Haley . Frank C. Mars founded Mars, Incorporated , in 1911 in Tacoma. Beginning in
5830-513: The city was the site of a smelter workers' strike organized by Local 545 of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), with the goal of a fifty-cent per day pay raise. The strike was strongly opposed by the local business community, and the smelter owners threatened to blacklist organizers and union officials. The IWW opposed this move by trying to persuade inbound workers to avoid Tacoma during
5936-454: The city. The median income for a household in the city was $ 37,879, and the median income for a family was $ 45,567. Males had a median income of $ 35,820, versus $ 27,697 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,130. About 11.4% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 20.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those 65 and older. According to Uniform Crime Report statistics compiled by
6042-477: The destitute needed some form of leadership to keep the peace. At the intersection of Dock Street EXD and East D Street in the train yard, a shanty town became the solution to the growing scar of the depression. Tacoma's Hooverville grew in 1924 as the homeless community settled on the waterfront. In 1927, Tacoma's Hooverville was coined "Hollywood" due to the type of crimes at the camp. The population boomed in November 1930 through early 1931 as families from
6148-472: The direction of Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra , a boat was sent ashore to Destruction island . Upon landing, the crew was attacked and killed by the local indigenous population. Although attempts were made in 1792 to create a permanent Spanish settlement at Neah Bay , the project was unsuccessful and by 1795, Spain had given up on the region. Although not documented anywhere, it is likely that Spanish sailors first observed Mount Rainier while sailing in
6254-523: The discovery of one of its most famous lost films, Eyes of the Totem . In 1932, the studios burned to the ground in a mysterious fire, and the production facility was never rebuilt. Several films were destroyed in the fire as old nitrate-based film did not survive. The 1929 crash of the stock market, resulting in the Great Depression , was only the first event in a series of misfortunes to hit Tacoma in
6360-467: The east. The mill produces pulpwood and linerboard products; previously owned by St. Regis Company, the mill was sold to RockTenn in 2014. The mill's name changed yet again in 2016 to WestRock and closed on September 30, 2023. Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( / r eɪ ˈ n ɪər / ray- NEER ), also known as Tahoma , is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of
6466-643: The eastern rim of the Pacific Ring of Fire . This includes mountains and calderas like Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak in California, Crater Lake , Three Sisters , and Mount Hood in Oregon, Mount St. Helens , Mount Adams , Glacier Peak , and Mount Baker in Washington, and Mount Cayley , Mount Garibaldi , Silverthrone Caldera , and Mount Meager in British Columbia . Many of the above are dormant, but could return to activity, and scientists on both sides of
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#17328701983376572-411: The effect would be cumulatively greater, because of the far more massive amounts of glacial ice locked on the volcano compared to Mount St. Helens, the vastly more heavily populated areas surrounding Rainier, and the fact that Mount Rainier is almost twice the size of St. Helens. Lahars from Rainier pose the most risk to life and property, as many communities lie atop older lahar deposits. According to
6678-451: The federal government for lahar protection in the area has dried up, leading local authorities in at-risk cities like Orting to fear a disaster similar to the Armero tragedy . To prevent against such tragedies, authorities downriver from Rainier have conducted annual large-scale evacuation exercises in cooperation with local school districts. The 2024 drill included 45,000 students and staff from
6784-584: The highest in North America with a surface elevation of 14,203 ft (4,329 m), occupies the lowest portion of the west crater below more than 100 ft (30 m) of ice and is accessible only via the caves. The Carbon , Cowlitz , Nisqually , Puyallup River , and North Mowich Rivers begin at eponymous glaciers of Mount Rainier. The sources of the White River are Winthrop , Emmons , and Fryingpan Glaciers . The White, Carbon, and Mowich join
6890-578: The indigenous name for the mountain. Tacoma was incorporated on November 12, 1875, following its selection in 1873 as the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad due to lobbying by McCarver, future mayor John Wilson Sprague , and others. However, the railroad built its depot in New Tacoma , two miles (3 km) south of the Carr–McCarver development. The two communities grew together and joined, merging on January 7, 1884. The transcontinental link
6996-456: The largest number of events of any swarm at Rainier since seismic monitoring began over two decades earlier. Further swarms were observed in 2011 and 2021. Glaciers are among the most conspicuous and dynamic geologic features on Mount Rainier. They erode the volcanic cone and are important sources of streamflow for several rivers, including some that provide water for hydroelectric power and irrigation . Together with perennial snow patches,
7102-572: The mountain Tax̱úma , which is borrowed from Cowlitz. Another anglicized name is Pooskaus. George Vancouver named Mount Rainier in honor of his friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier . The map of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804–1806 refers to it as "Mt. Regniere". Although Rainier had been considered the official name of the mountain, Theodore Winthrop referred to the mountain as "Tacoma" in his posthumously published 1862 travel book The Canoe and
7208-460: The mountain in their various languages . Lushootseed speakers have several names for Mount Rainier, including xʷaq̓ʷ and təqʷubəʔ . xʷaq̓ʷ means "sky wiper" or "one who touches the sky" in English. The word təqʷubəʔ means "snow-covered mountain". təqʷubəʔ has been anglicized in many ways, including 'Tacoma' and 'Tacobet'. Cowlitz speakers call the mountain təx̣ʷúma or təqʷúmen . Sahaptin speakers call
7314-401: The mountain itself to monitor activity. An eruption could be deadly for all living in areas within the immediate vicinity of the volcano and effects from an eruption could be noticed from Vancouver, British Columbia to San Francisco , California because of the massive amounts of ash blasting out of the volcano into the atmosphere. Mount Rainier is located in an area that itself is part of
7420-510: The mountain suggest primary use of subalpine meadows and low alpine habitats that provided relatively high resource abundance during the short summer season. Evidence suggests that there existed a tradition of Native Americans setting fire to areas of the region each year as a way to encourage meadow development. The first Europeans to reach the Pacific Northwest were the Spanish who arrived by sea in 1774 led by Juan Perez . The next year, under
7526-968: The mountain, including the Nisqually Indian Tribe , the Cowlitz Indian Tribe , the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation , the Puyallup Tribe of Indians , and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe , among others in the area. The archaeological record of human use of the mountain dates to over 8,500 years before present (BP). Sites related to seasonal use of Mount Rainier and its landscapes are reflected in chipped stone tool remains and settings suggesting functionally varied uses including task-specific sites, rockshelters, travel stops, and long-term base camps. Their distribution on
7632-403: The national historic register of historic places. Longmire remains the second most popular place in the park. In 1924, a publication from the park described the area: "A feature at Longmire Springs of great interest to everyone is the group of mineral springs in the little flat to the west of National Park Inn. There are some forty distinct springs, a half dozen of which are easily reached from
7738-567: The neighboring McKinley and Hilltop areas were evicted. Collecting scraps of metal and wood from local lumber stores and recycling centers, families began building shanties (shacks) for shelter. By 1934, alcoholism and suicide were a common event in the Hooverville that eventually led to its nickname of "Hollywood on the Tide Flats", because of the Hollywood -style crimes and events taking place in
7844-401: The new park "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and "... for the preservation from injury or spoliation of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders within said park, and their retention in their natural condition." On June 24, 1947, Kenneth Arnold reported seeing a formation of nine unidentified flying objects over Mount Rainier. His description led to
7950-583: The northwest coast in 1805 and observed Mount Rainier for the first time in the Spring of 1806. The first documented sighting of Mt. Rainier by a European was by the crew of Captain George Vancouver on May 7, 1792, during the Vancouver Expedition (1790–1795). On May 8, 1792, Vancouver gave the name of Mt. Rainier to the observed peak in homage to Vancouver's friend Rear Admiral Peter Rainier . At
8056-471: The outset of the 19th century, the region where Mt. Rainier was located was claimed by Spain, the U.S., Russia, and Great Britain, with most claims being based on instances of early naval exploration of the region's coast. Spain relinquished all remaining claims to the Pacific Northwest that had not already been handed over with the Louisiana Purchase in 1819 with the purchase and cession of Florida by
8162-435: The pandemic, Tacoma's crime started to rise again. In 2022, the city of Tacoma had the highest number of murders in its recorded history, at 45 murders, which dropped to 34 in 2023. The government of the city of Tacoma operates under a council-manager system. The city council consists of an elected mayor ( Victoria Woodards ) and eight elected council members: five from individual city council districts and three others from
8268-420: The population (8.1% Mexican, 1.1% Puerto Rican). There were 78,541 households, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no spouse present, 5.6% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 41.8% were other families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who
8374-510: The railway station at Lakeview and forced them aboard the morning train to Portland, Oregon . The next day two Chinese settlements were burned to the ground." The discovery of gold in the Klondike in 1898 led to Tacoma's prominence in the region being eclipsed by the development of Seattle. A major tragedy marred the end of the 19th century, when a streetcar accident resulted in significant loss of life on July 4, 1900. From May to August 1907,
8480-561: The region of 13,000 feet (4 km) below the summit. These earthquakes are thought to be caused by the circulation of hot fluids beneath Mount Rainier. Presumably, hot springs and steam vents within Mount Rainier National Park are generated by such fluids. Seismic swarms (not initiated with a mainshock) are common features at volcanoes, and are rarely associated with eruptive activity. Rainier has had several such swarms; there were days-long swarms in 2002, 2004, and 2007, two of which (2002 and 2004) included M 3.2 earthquakes. A 2009 swarm produced
8586-663: The risks of lahars, and few have applicable flood insurance. The volcanic risk is somewhat mitigated by lahar warning sirens and escape route signs in Pierce County , part of the Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System , which was implemented by the USGS in 1998, and has been maintained by Pierce County since. The more populous King County is also in the lahar area, but has no zoning restrictions due to volcanic hazard. More recently (since 2001) funding from
8692-419: The road. An analysis of the waters show that they all contain about the smae [sic] mineral salts but in slightly differing proportions. All the water is highly carbonated and would be classed as extremely "hard". Certain springs contain larger amounts of soda, iron and sulphur, giving them a distinct taste and color." John Muir climbed Mount Rainier in 1888, and although he enjoyed the view, he conceded that it
8798-612: The southeastern horizon in most of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area to such an extent that locals sometimes refer to it simply as "the Mountain". On days of exceptional clarity, it can also be seen from as far away as Corvallis, Oregon (at Marys Peak ), and the North Shore Mountains in British Columbia . With 26 major glaciers and 36 sq mi (93 km ) of permanent snowfields and glaciers, Mount Rainier
8904-492: The southern edge of the summit plateau, atop the ridge known as Success Cleaver. It has a topographic prominence of about 138 ft (42 m), so it is not considered a separate peak. The lowest of the three summits is Liberty Cap, 14,112 ft (4,301 m), at the northwestern edge, which overlooks Liberty Ridge, the Sunset Amphitheater, and the dramatic Willis Wall . High on the eastern flank of Mount Rainier
9010-589: The start and finish line. In November 1885, white citizens led by then-mayor Jacob Weisbach expelled several hundred Chinese residents peacefully living in the city. As described by the account prepared by the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation, on the morning of November 3, "several hundred men, led by the mayor and other city officials, evicted the Chinese from their homes, corralled them at 7th Street and Pacific Avenue, marched them to
9116-473: The state capital, Olympia , 58 miles (93 km) northwest of Mount Rainier National Park , and 80 miles (130 km) east of Olympic National Park . The city's population was 219,346 at the time of the 2020 census . Tacoma is the second-largest city in the Puget Sound area and the third-most populous in the state. Tacoma also serves as the center of business activity for the South Sound region, which has
9222-401: The strike. By August, the strike had ended without meeting its demands. Tacoma was briefly (1915–1922) a major destination for big-time automobile racing, with one of the nation's top-rated racing venues just outside the city limits, at the site of today's Clover Park Technical College . In 1924, Tacoma's first movie studio, H. C. Weaver Studio, was sited at present-day Titlow Beach . At
9328-492: The surface and along the centerline of the glacier. During May 1970, Nisqually Glacier was measured moving as fast as 29 inches (74 cm) per day. Flow rates are generally greater in summer than in winter, probably due to the presence of large quantities of meltwater at the glacier base. The size of glaciers on Mount Rainier has fluctuated significantly in the past. For example, during the last ice age , from about 25,000 to about 15,000 years ago, glaciers covered most of
9434-521: The tallest in the Cascade Volcanic Arc . Due to its high probability of an eruption in the near future and proximity to a major urban area , Mount Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it is on the Decade Volcano list. The large amount of glacial ice means that Mount Rainier could produce massive lahars that could threaten the entire Puyallup River valley and other river valleys draining Mount Rainier, including
9540-884: The term " flying saucers ". In 1998, the United States Geological Survey began putting together the Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System to assist in the emergency evacuation of the Puyallup River valley in the event of a catastrophic debris flow. It is now run by the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management. Tacoma, at the mouth of the Puyallup, is only 37 mi (60 km) west of Rainier, and moderately sized towns such as Puyallup and Orting are only 27 and 20 mi (43 and 32 km) away, respectively. Mount Rainier appears on four distinct United States postage stamp issues. In 1934, it
9646-569: The time, it was the third-largest freestanding film production space in America, with the two larger facilities being located in Hollywood. The production studio was also the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest The first film produced in Tacoma was Hearts and Fists , which starred John Bowers and premiered at Tacoma's Rialto Theater . The studio's importance has undergone a revival with
9752-464: The volcano slid away and that debris avalanche helped to produce the massive Osceola Mudflow, which went all the way to the site of present-day Tacoma and south Seattle. This massive avalanche of rock and ice removed the top 1,600 ft (500 m) of Rainier, bringing its height down to around 14,100 ft (4,300 m). About 530 to 550 years ago, the Electron Mudflow occurred, although this
9858-405: The winter of 1929–30. In one of the coldest winters on record, Tacoma experienced mass power outages and eventually the shutdown of major power supply dams, leaving the city without sufficient power and heat. During the 30-day power shortage in the winter of 1929 and 1930, the engines of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington provided Tacoma with electricity. A power grid failure paired with
9964-595: Was 3,864.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,492.2/km ). There were 81,102 housing units at an average density of 1,619.4 per square mile (625.3/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 64.9% White (60.5% Non-Hispanic White ), 12.2% African American , 8.2% Asian (2.1% Vietnamese, 1.6% Cambodian, 1.3% Korean, 1.3% Filipino, 0.4% Chinese, 0.4% Japanese, 0.2% Indian, 0.2% Laotian, 0.1% Thai), 1.8% Native American , 1.2% Pacific Islander (0.7% Samoan, 0.2% Guamanian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian), and 8.1% were from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 11.3% of
10070-494: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the city was 35.1 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 193,556 people, 76,152 households, and 45,919 families residing in
10176-406: Was a bridge tender on the bridge during the 1940s. Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( / t ə ˈ k oʊ m ə / tə- KOH -mə ) is the county seat of Pierce County , Washington , United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound , 32 miles (51 km) southwest of Seattle , 36 miles (58 km) southwest of Bellevue , 31 miles (50 km) northeast of
10282-644: Was best appreciated from below. Muir was one of many who advocated protecting the mountain. In 1893, the area was set aside as part of the Pacific Forest Reserve in order to protect its physical and economic resources, primarily timber and watersheds . Citing the need to also protect scenery and provide for public enjoyment, railroads and local businesses urged the creation of a national park in hopes of increased tourism. On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley established Mount Rainier National Park as America's fifth national park . Congress dedicated
10388-874: Was completed in late 2011 near the Tacoma Dome . The Pantages Theater (first opened in 1918) anchors downtown Tacoma's Theatre District. Tacoma Arts Live manages the Pantages, the Rialto Theater, and the Theatre on the Square. Tacoma Little Theatre (opened in 1918) is northwest of downtown in the Stadium District. Other attractions include the Grand Cinema, McMenamins Elks Temple, and the Landmark Temple Theatre. Tacoma
10494-483: Was editor for its paper, UW Daily. Morgan wrote an article about the prevalence of venereal disease among the university's students, which resulted in him being suspended. He graduated from UW in 1937. Morgan attended Columbia University in New York, where he received a master's degree in communication. Morgan was a journalist for the regional Hoquiam Daily Washingtonian and national news outlets, including Time and
10600-406: Was effected in 1887, and the population grew from 1,098 in 1880 to 36,006 in 1890. Rudyard Kipling visited Tacoma in 1889 and said it was "literally staggering under a boom of the boomiest". George Francis Train was a resident for a few years in the late 19th century. In 1890, he staged a global circumnavigation starting and ending in Tacoma to promote the city. A plaque in downtown Tacoma marks
10706-637: Was large enough to cause its cone to collapse, and Mount Rainier's closest neighbor, Mount St. Helens, produced the largest recorded eruption in the continental United States when it erupted in 1980. Statistics place the likelihood of a major eruption in the Cascade Range at 2–3 per century. Mount Rainier is listed as a Decade Volcano , or one of the 16 volcanoes on Earth with the greatest likelihood of causing loss of life and property if eruptive activity resumes. If Mount Rainier were to erupt as powerfully as Mount St. Helens did in its May 18, 1980 eruption,
10812-523: Was minister. He and his bride, nicknamed Rosa, spent their honeymoon in paddling a kayak on the Danube River . At the onset of World War II , "found themselves briefly immersed" in the wartime activities. The couple lived in a log cabin in Auburn ; their home was previously Trout Lake Dance Hall. They had a daughter, Lane Morgan. Morgan was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1964. He was told that he had less than
10918-526: Was not as large-scale as the Osceola Mudflow. After the major collapse approximately 5,000 years ago, subsequent eruptions of lava and tephra built up the modern summit cone until about as recently as 1,000 years ago. As many as 11 Holocene tephra layers have been found. Soils on Mount Rainier are mostly gravelly ashy sandy loams developed from colluvium or glacial till mixed with volcanic tephra. Under forest cover their profiles usually have
11024-414: Was noted as extinct during the 1930s. Between the height of the Little Ice Age and 1950, Mount Rainier's glaciers lost about one-quarter of their length. Beginning in 1950 and continuing through the early 1980s, however, many of the major glaciers advanced in response to relatively cooler temperatures of the mid-century. The glaciers and snowfields of Mount Rainier also lost volume during this time, except for
11130-438: Was still a movement to change the mountain's name to Tacoma and Congress was still considering a resolution to change the name as late as 1924. Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in Washington and the Cascade Range. This peak is located southeast of Tacoma, approximately 60 miles (97 km) south-southeast of Seattle. Mount Rainier has a topographic prominence of 13,210 ft (4,026 m). On clear days it dominates
11236-418: Was the 3-cent issue in a series of National Park stamps, and was also shown on a souvenir sheet issued for a philatelic convention. The following year, in 1935, both of these were reprinted by Postmaster General James A. Farley as special issues given to officials and friends. Because of complaints by the public, "Farley's Follies" were reproduced in large numbers. The second stamp issue is easy to tell from
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