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is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Edmonds has a view of Puget Sound and both the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range. The population was 39,515 at the 2000 census; according to 2006 estimates, Edmonds was the second most populous city in Snohomish County, ranking only behind Everett. Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Edmonds ranks 37th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
Edmonds is a port in the Washington State Ferries system. Currently, the only ferry from Edmonds is a run to Kingston, Washington; in the past, there have been much longer routes from Edmonds to Port Townsend, Washington.
Edmonds is the oldest incorporated city in Snohomish County. Logger George Brackett founded Edmonds in 1890, naming the city either for Vermont Sen. George Franklin Edmunds or in association with the nearby Point Edmund, named by Charles Wilkes in 1841 and later changed to Point Edwards. Brackett came to the future site of Edmonds while paddling a canoe north of Seattle, searching for timber. When a gust of wind hit his canoe, Brackett beached in a location later called "Brackett's Landing".
The town was named Edmonds in 1884, but was not incorporated until 1890 as an official “village fourth class” of Snohomish County. In that same year, Brackett sold to the Minneapolis Realty and Investment Company. The town was plotted and a wharf was added along the waterfront. Modest houses and commercial structures sprouted up with a row of shingle mills
In 1891, the Great Northern Railroad came through and early settlers and investors grew hopeful that Edmonds would prosper. Unfortunately, the Panic of 1893 created business setbacks and the town owners foreclosed. Brackett reclaimed his town and along with other early
settlers continued to develop its infrastructure. By 1900 there was regular passenger ferry service available by the steam-powered “mosquito fleet” of private ferryboats from Edmonds to Seattle.
Edmonds suffered major fires in 1909 and 1928, and many buildings were lost. The first car arrived in Edmonds in 1911. As more roads were established, Edmonds experienced steady growth along with commercial and residential development.