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Washington Counties
 Click Image to Enlarge Washington CountiesThere are 39 counties in the state of Washington. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory and admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. The first counties were created from unorganized territory in 1845. |
Mason County, WashingtonMason County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
Etymology - Origin of County NameC. H. Mason, the first secretary of the Washington Territory. Demographics:County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts County HistoryMason County was formed out of King County on March 13, 1854. Originally named Sahewamish County, it took its present name in 1864 Mason County encompasses the southern reach of Hood Canal and many bays and inlets of southern Puget Sound and
once extended to the Pacific Ocean. After settlement, the mainstay of the economy was logging. Simpson Timber became
not just the main employer, but the largest source of jobs in the state. As the importance of forest products
declined, the county became an important recreation destination and bedroom community to Olympia and Tacoma. The
largest employer is the State of Washington which operates a prison and the State Patrol Academy at Shelton. The
2004 estimated population was 53,637. GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,051 square miles (2,722 kmē), of which, 961
square miles (2,489 kmē) of it is land and 90 square miles (233 kmē) of it (8.56%) is water. Neighboring Counties:
Cities and Towns:
County Resources:Enter County Resources and Information Here |
County Resources
The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define
the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local.
And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions,
reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history. Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally." |
