Forks, also previously known as the unincorporated town of Quillayute, is a city in southwest Clallam County, Washington, United States.

More recently it has drawn tourism related to the novel series Twilight and films of the same name, which are set in Forks.

Forks is also a popular destination for sport fishers who fish for salmon and steelhead trout in nearby rivers.

[5] In 1889 a reservation was created near Forks; that same year the village was burnt down by settler Daniel Pullen.

[5] The first European American settlers in the modern-day Forks Prairie arrived in the 1860s by following the waterways in and around the Olympic Peninsula due to a lack of overland trails.

[citation needed] The first homestead on the prairie was claimed in January 1878 by Luther and Esther Ford.

They were followed by timber companies, including Merrill & Ring around the Pysht River in 1916, until the Olympic Forest Reserve was established in 1897 by the federal government.

In the early 1900s, hop growing declined and the Forks Cooperative Creamery was established which operated for 70 years.

It served as the economic center of the area between the Hoh River and Quillayute Prairie but only had a single block of buildings in its first decade.

[5] A fire on January 10, 1925, destroyed six buildings on the west side of the town; they were replaced later in the year along with plans for a new high school and social halls.

[6] A new road passable for automobiles opened from Lake Crescent to Forks in 1927 and was replaced by the Olympic Loop Highway (US 101) in 1931.

[citation needed] The local timber industry boomed from the 1950s to 1970s, earning Forks the self-proclaimed title of "Logging Capital of the World."

[7] The city gained popularity for being a key setting in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series (2005 to 2008) and related film adaptations (2008 to 2012).

Forks has an oceanic climate (Cfb) in a temperate rainforest with very high rainfall, above 100 inches (2,500 mm) per year.

[12] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.65 square miles (9.45 km2), all of it land.

Jefferson Transit runs an "Olympic Connection" bus that provides service on Highway 101 south of Forks as far as Lake Quinault.

"[22] KBDB-FM 96.7, owned by Forks Broadcasting,[23] is the only local commercial station serving the area.

Constructed in 1989 by the Forks High School carpentry class, the 3,200-square-foot (300 m2) building provides a look into the local history of the timber industry, loggers of the past, and their tools of the trade.

[26] Forks serves as the hub for numerous day excursions to the Hoh Rainforest, the Pacific Beaches, and various wilderness trails.

Other nearby Clallam, Sekiu, and Hoko rivers are also good for king salmon fishing and steelheading as well.

[25] The average annual number of tourists visiting the town rose from 10,000 before Twilight to 19,000 in 2008, the year of the first film, and 73,000 by 2010.

July is also the month for Quileute Days at La Push with its parade, traditional salmon bake, bone games, softball tournament, canoe races, and street fair.

In August, the Forks Family Festival combines arts and crafts vendors with children activities.

In late September, the Forks Chamber of Commerce partners with the Quileute Tribe and the City of Forks to host the Last Chance Fishing Derby at La Push; cash prizes are offered to those wanting to fish for salmon on the Pacific Ocean.

One of the more celebrated events during this week-long festival is the "Old Timers Round Table;" this is a moderated conversation broadcast live via the local radio station, featuring longtime residents of the region talking about days long past.

[34] Stephenie Meyer Day has been replaced with the Forever Twilight in Forks Festival which is still celebrated annually on the week of September 13.