Forks, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Forks, Washington | |
| Nickname: "Logging Capital of the World" | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Clallam County |
| Incorporated | August 28, 1945 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Nedra Reed |
| Area | |
| - City | 3.1 sq mi (8.1 km²) |
| - Land | 3.1 sq mi (8.1 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 300 ft (91 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - City | 3,120 |
| - Density | 1,000/sq mi (386.1/km²) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| Website: www.forkswashington.org | |
Forks is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,120 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the forks in the nearby Quilleute River, Bogachiel River, Calawah River, and Sol Duc River.
For many years, the city's economy was fueled by the local timber industry. With recent declines in the industry, however, Forks has had to rely on the nearby Clallam Bay Correctional Center and Olympic Corrections Center as a source of jobs. Forks is a popular destination for sport fishers who fish for salmon and steelhead in nearby rivers. It is also supported by visitors to Olympic National Park. This city is also the setting for the highly acclaimed novels Twilight and New Moon written by Stephenie Meyer. In the novel Forks is noted to be a wet but beautiful place.
Contents |
[edit] History
Forks was officially incorporated on August 28, 1945.
[edit] Geography and climate
Forks is located at (47.950980, -124.384749).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.1 km² (3.1 mi²), all land.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 78 | 73 | 72 | 83 | 92 | 96 | 97 | 99 | 97 | 83 | 69 | 64 |
| Norm High °F | 46.6 | 49.2 | 51.8 | 55.7 | 60.4 | 63.8 | 68.2 | 69.3 | 67.3 | 59.2 | 50.8 | 46.5 |
| Norm Low °F | 34.6 | 35.1 | 35.7 | 37.6 | 41.9 | 46 | 49 | 49.2 | 45.7 | 40.9 | 37.5 | 34.6 |
| Rec Low °F | 7 | 11 | 19 | 23 | 29 | 33 | 38 | 36 | 28 | 24 | 5 | 7 |
| Precip (in) | 13.65 | 12.35 | 10.98 | 7.44 | 5.51 | 3.5 | 2.34 | 2.67 | 4.15 | 9.81 | 14.82 | 14.5 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [1] | ||||||||||||
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 3,120 people, 1,169 households, and 792 families residing in the city. The population density was 386.1/km² (998.6/mi²). There were 1,361 housing units at an average density of 168.4/km² (435.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.47% White, 0.42% African American, 5.03% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 8.49% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.54% of the population.
There were 1,169 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 111.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,280, and the median income for a family was $38,844. Males had a median income of $35,718 versus $23,690 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,686. About 14.6% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
The City is organized under Washington State law as a Non-charter Code City. Its structure is that of an elected Mayor and a five member elected City Council. Unlike other cities on the Olympic Peninsula, Forks operates under what is called a "strong Mayor" form of government with the Mayor being the Chief Executive Officer overseeing four department heads (Clerk/Treasurer, Public Works, Police, and Legal/Planning).
[edit] Things to do
Depending on what kind of person visits there are several things to do in Forks. For the child/teenage group there is a group called the Rainy Day Gamers that gathers every Friday at the ICN Building located a couple blocks away from the stoplight at 71 North Spartan.
For others, Forks serves as the hub for numerous day excursions to the Hoh Rainforest, the Pacific Beaches, and various wilderness trails. The Forks Chamber of Commerce, link below, can provide visitors with additional details. In addition, the Olympic National Park's Visitor Center can provide NPS and USFS related information to help plan a trip - permits can also be obtained there as well. Also, most of the locals can point you in the right direction for more information.
In March of every year, the Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction occurs. This annual fundraising event raises tens of thousands of dollars for scholarships. Since the first scholarship award in 1964, to Robert Henry, D.D.S., the Committee has awarded over $1m in scholarships to Forks students.
Rainfest, a celebration of the arts sponsored by the West Olympic Council for the Arts, occurs in April and usually has a combination of arts and craft related events. In recent years there have been quilt classes and a quilt show sponsored by the Piece Makers Quilt Club. In the Summer, Forks hosts it's traditional "Old Fashioned Fourth of July" celebration with a a Grand Fourth of July Parade with plenty of events to go to, including a demolition derby and a great fireworks display. July is also the month for Quileute Days at La Push with its parade, traditional salmon bake, bone games, softball tournament, canoe races, and street fair. In August, the Forks Family Festival combines arts and crafts vendors with children activities for a truly family oriented event.
In late September, the Forks Chamber of Commerce partners with the Quileute Tribe and the City of Forks to host the Last Chance Fishing Derby at La Push with cash prizes being the inticement to those wanting to fish for salmon on the Pacific Ocean. The first week in October is when the community celebrates its heritage during Heritage Days. One of the more celebrated events during this week long festival is the "Old Timers Round Table" that is moderated conversation broadcast live via the local radio station involving long time residents of the region talking about days long past.
[edit] Detractors
In December 2006 author Dave Gilmartin referred to Forks as "a festering wound of a town" in his book The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America [2]
[edit] External links
- North Olympic Library System
- Forks Chamber of Commerce
- The Official City Site for Forks, Washington
- University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – The Pacific Northwest Olympic Peninsula Community Museum A web-based museum showcasing aspects of the rich history and culture of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula communities. Features cultural exhibits, curriculum packets and a searchable archive of over 12,000 items that includes historical photographs, audio recordings, videos, maps, diaries, reports and other documents.
- Great Forks Fire Online museum exhibit that documents the 1951 fire in Forks, Washington, which destroyed 38,000 acres.
- People without Borders Online museum exhibit that highlights the culture and history of Latinos in Forks, Washington.
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
