Puyallup, Washington

[6] The city's name comes from the Puyallup tribe of Native Americans and means "the generous people" in Lushootseed.

The name of the city is also used in mailing addresses for adjacent unincorporated areas, such as the larger-populated South Hill.

"[8] The first white settlers in the region were part of the first wagon train to cross the Cascade Range at Naches Pass in 1853.

[11] The turn of the 20th century brought change to the valley with the growth of nearby Tacoma and the interurban rail lines.

The Western Washington Fairgrounds were developed giving local farmers a place to exhibit their crops and livestock.

[14] The city lies within the Puyallup Valley, an agricultural region that produces berries and daffodils, for which the annual local festival is named.

[16] Puyallup is surrounded by unincorporated areas; its closest municipalities include the city of Sumner to the northeast, Fife and Edgewood to the north, Tacoma to the northwest, Summit and Midland to the west, South Hill, Graham and Frederickson to the south, McMillin and Orting to the southeast, and Alderton to the east.

The city includes wildlife habitats for urbanized bird species and small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

The city's position on the Puyallup River is downstream of the western flank of Mount Rainier, which has the highest potential for producing far-traveled lahars due to the abundance of weakened clay-rich rock at high altitudes.

[18] A 2009 study by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) determined that Puyallup has the highest number of dependent-population facilities, public venues, and overall community assets within lahar hazard zones.

[19] The Washington State Department of Natural Resources estimates that the Puyallup Valley could experience $6–12 billion in damage from a major lahar.

The surrounding hills (averaging 500 feet (150 m) above sea level) often experience the extremes of winter, with more frequent lows below freezing and greater snowfall.

[citation needed] The mean temperatures in Puyallup range from a low of 33 °F (1 °C) in January to a high of 73 °F (23 °C) in August.

Starting in 1995, the regional nonprofit organization Valley Arts United began working with local volunteers to support a rotating selection of outdoor public artwork.

[citation needed] The Puyallup Main Street Association produces a local farmers' market that is open on Saturdays from mid-April to mid-October.

Despite this, he gained fame for retracing the Oregon Trail and erecting monuments along its route to preserve its history.

[29] The House of Tomorrow was built in 1941 by Bert Allen Smyser and followed the Streamline Moderne architectural style.

The home, listed at 1,012 square feet (94.0 m2), was situated at Clarks Creek and the George Milroy truss bridge.

The essential education and curriculum-based program serves the Puyallup School District's 20,000 K–12 student population.

The education trunk or "Discovery Kit" program has served students, teachers and community members since the 1970s.

These Kits utilize real or replica artifacts for the purposes of bringing history, art and culture to life in the school classroom.

The district is the ninth-largest in the state, extending to neighboring South Hill, parts of Tacoma, and the Edgewood area.

[33] The city is served by the Puyallup Public Library, which was established in 1913 and has been housed in its current building in Pioneer Park since 2002.

[34] The city is also served by Pierce Transit buses and Sounder commuter rail at Puyallup station.

Ezra Meeker (near lower right) at the 1926 dedication of his own statue by Alonzo Victor Lewis in Puyallup's Pioneer Park, on the site of his original cabin
A modern condominium project near Pioneer Park
Pioneer Park Pavilion
East side of 100 block of S. Meridian; in foreground, an antique shop in a former J.C. Penney
Ezra Meeker Mansion in 2015
Map of Washington highlighting Pierce County