Woodinville Historical Timeline
The area along Squak Slough, now known as the Sammamish River, was home to the Simump Tribe.
The National Homestead Act was signed by Abraham Lincoln, encouraging 160-acre homesteads for families.
Ira and Susan Woodin homesteaded 160 acres along Squak Slough and became the first permanent white settlers in the area.
Emanuel Neilsen and Gustav Jacobsen each homesteaded 160 acres south of the Woodin homestead.
Mary B. Neilsen and Eric Jaderholm homesteaded land south of the Woodins, helping shape what became Woodinville’s first business district.
The Calkins family arrived from Kentucky and homesteaded 160 acres in the valley east of the Neilsen homestead.
The steamboat Mud Hen attempted service on Squak Slough, though the meandering waterway proved difficult to navigate.
The Seattle-Lake Shore & Eastern Railway was formed after Seattle was bypassed by the Northern Pacific Railway’s initial route.
The Seattle-Lake Shore & Eastern Railway reached Woodinville, reshaping the area’s transportation and development.
The Woodin-Sanders Store was built beside the railroad platform and served the community until the late 1890s.
The Woodin family deeded land for a cemetery in Woodinville.
The Anderson-Kennedy Rainier Saloon was built near the railroad platform.
American House opened as a saloon and hotel before burning down in the mid-1890s.
The Stringtown Bridge connected Woodinville and Bothell across Squak Slough.
Seattle’s Great Fire devastated much of the city’s business district.
Washington became a state, and Mary B. Neilsen Jaderholm became the first person granted citizenship in Washington State.
Mary B. Neilsen Jaderholm platted the Town of Woodinville, more than a century before its incorporation.
Woodinville’s first permanent schoolhouse opened near today’s 131st Avenue NE and NE 175th Street.
The Forester’s Lodge was built and became an important gathering place for community activities.
The Klondike Gold Rush began, drawing several Woodinville residents north.
The Machias Sawmill was built on Squak Slough and later operated until the mid-1920s.
The “Little” White Methodist Church was built at 131st Avenue NE and NE 175th Street.
The two-room Woodin School burned, and students temporarily used the Dodd Adjustable School Desk Factory.
A passenger locomotive and freight locomotive collided head-on in Woodinville.
The first brick schoolhouse on the east side of Lake Washington opened in Woodinville.
Hollywood Farm was developed by Frederick S. Stimson on the site now occupied by Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery.
Squak Slough was straightened and dredged to improve conditions for valley farmers.
Lake Washington was lowered as part of the Ballard Locks project, making Squak Slough harder to navigate.
John and Ellen DeYoung built the Dutch Colonial home that now houses the Woodinville Heritage Museum.
The Summit Fire District near Lake Leota was established, with a remodeled barn housing the first fire truck.
The Saginaw Sawmill was built on the Sammamish River at Woodinville.
Portions of the old Seattle-Lake Shore & Eastern Railway corridor were abandoned and later became part of regional trail systems.
The Sammamish River flood control project straightened, widened, and deepened the river to protect nearby farmland.
Woodinville’s first stoplight was installed.
The first All Fools’ Day Parade was held in Woodinville.
The City of Woodinville incorporated on March 31, 1993, 103 years after the town was first platted.