Edison is a census-designated place (CDP) in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 240 at the 2020 census.[3] It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Edison, Washington | |
|---|---|
 Approaching the center of Edison from the south on Farm to Market Road | |
 Location of Edison, Washington | |
| Coordinates: 48°33′50″N 122°26′05″W / 48.56389°N 122.43472°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Skagit |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.58 sq mi (1.5 km2) |
| • Land | 0.58 sq mi (1.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 240 |
| • Density | 410/sq mi (160/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 98232 |
| Area code | 360 |
| FIPS code | 53-20680[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2408046[1] |
Bow–Edison refers to Edison and the neighboring community of Bow, Washington.[4][5]
History
editFirst settled in 1869 by Ben Samson, it was later named for famous inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), with his inventing productive laboratories in Menlo Park, New Jersey, East Orange, New Jersey, and Fort Myers, Florida.[6][7]
In 1897, Edison became the headquarters of a national utopian socialist project known as Equality Colony, backed by an organization known as the Brotherhood of the Cooperative Commonwealth.[8] The socialist colony was established on 280 acres just outside Edison and it engaged in farming and timber milling and included a school as well as blacksmith and copper-working shops. The Edison-based Brotherhood also published a newspaper called Industrial Freedom for national circulation to its approximately 3,000 supporters.[8] The socialist community folded shortly after 1903, by which time only about 100 colony members remained.[9]
Geography
editAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.5 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
editAs of the census[2] of 2000, there were 133 people, 52 households, and 35 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 227.4 people per square mile (88.5/km2). There were 55 housing units at an average density of 94.0/sq mi (36.6/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.48% White, 3.76% Native American, 2.26% Asian, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population.
Economy and culture
editEdison and neighboring Bow, Washington are popular day trip destinations for residents and visitors to the Skagit Valley, the Seattle area, and Bellingham, Washington.[4] Edison is known for its concentration of artists and galleries, shops, bakeries, and farm-to-table restaurants serving locally sourced ingredients.[4][10][11]
The Edison Chicken Parade is an annual event held at "high noon" on the last Sunday in February.[12] The two-block parade last about five minutes and features real-life chickens alongside locals dressed as chickens and other fowl.[12][13]
Notable people
edit- George Boomer (1862–1915) and Harry Ault (1883–1961), journalists and members of the Equality Colony[14]
- Edward R. Murrow (1908–1965), news journalist, graduate of Edison High School
Schools
editEdison High School was in use as Edison Elementary School until its replacement with a new, larger building in 1996. Currently, the only school located in Edison is (the new) Edison Elementary School, a K-8 school, built on the site of the former Edison High School.
See also
editFootnotes
edit- 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Edison, Washington
- 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ↑ "Census Bureau profile: Edison, Washington". United States Census Bureau. May 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- 1 2 3 Laney, Cocoa (January 24, 2024). "Introducing Day Trip Diaries: Bow-Edison". Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Bow–Edison: A Hidden Gem". Visit Skagit Valley. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.
- ↑ Meany, Edmond S. (1923). Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 76.
- 1 2 Charles Pierce LeWarne, Utopias on Puget Sound, 1885-1915. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1995; pp. 63-66.
- ↑ LeWarne, Utopias on Puget Sound, 1885-1915, pp. 102-103.
- ↑ Landsel, Daneil (December 11, 2024). "This Tiny Town in the Pacific Northwest Is About to Be Really Famous for Food". Food & Wine. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Beck, Jessie (October 5, 2021). "Why Edison, Washington, Is the Food- and Art-Filled Getaway You Need". AFAR. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- 1 2 Meny, Ellen (March 11, 2022). "The Edison Chicken Parade Is a Must-see Event". KING 5 News. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Berner, Alan (February 26, 2018). "Edison's Annual Chicken Parade Draws the Real Thing and the Wannabes". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ H.W. Halladay, "Equality Colony: A Brief History Showing Our Objects and Present Condition — Cooperative Colonies Are Not All Failures," Industrial Freedom [Equality, WA], New Series no. 9 (Nov. 1, 1901), pg. 1
External links
edit
- "Browse Issues: Industrial Freedom, Edison Washington," Chronicling America, Library of Congress, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/