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is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,089 at the 2000 census. It lies just south of Federal Way and just north of Puyallup.
The history of Edgewood can be traced to the Puyallup Indian tribe that lived along the Puyallup River and Vashon Island. The first non-Native American to come through the Puyallup Valley was William Fraser Tolmie en route to Fort Nisqually in 1833. He was a member of the first immigrant train to pass over the Naches Pass trail through the Cascade Mountains toward Puget Sound.
There were 34 people from five different families who were so impressed with the fertility of the Valley, that they settled there the following Spring. A dozen donation land claims were taken up in the Valley and additional land that was available for settlement was purchased from the railroad. There were five people who filed land claims of 100 acres or more, William Benston's being the closest to what is now Edgewood.
After 1850, the influence of the American settlers began to increase with the tribes of the Northwest, while that of the Hudson Bay Company declined. In 1853, Washington organized as a Territory, and in 1854, the U.S. government sent Governor I.I. Stevens, Colonel M.C. Simmons, and a few associates to make treaties with the Native Americans. On December 26, 1854, a treaty was made at Medicine Creek (presently McAllister) with the Puyallup, Nisqually and Squaxin Indians, together with a few small, associate tribes. Land for reservations was set aside for each of the tribes. The treaty was ratified soon after it was made and proclaimed April 10, 1855. The Puyallup's reservation was originally 1,280 acres, two years later recommendations were made to enlarge the reservation to 18,062 acres. Under provisions of the sixth article of the Medicine Creek Treaty and executive orders the reservation was enlarged in 1857.
Washington's first telegraph line paralleled Military Road that ran through the heart of Edgewood. Approximately 420 non-Native Americans resided in what is now Pierce County in 1858. The total value of property in Pierce County, including Puget Sound Agricultural Company and Hudson's Bay Company, was $749,000.00. The county had six stores, three schoolhouses, two churches and no practicing doctors. By 1862, 681 non-Native Americans were reported to be residents of Pierce County. Evidence indicates that the first building on the North Hill (Surprise Lake) was a one-room log building formed as School District 27 in 1891. Mrs. Morris taught at the log school and is credited with naming the area Edgewood after her home town back east, located in Maryland.
The first official run of the interurban line from Tacoma to Seattle, by the way of the valley, was in October 1902. The State Spiritualists, who had six churches in Western Washington, had a summer camp at Edgewood that was purchased in 1903. In the early days, people came from Tacoma in interurban cars, got off at Jovita where they were met by horse and wagon, for the final leg of the trip to camp. Construction of a campground hotel began in 1927, and before completion a fire destroyed it in 1948.