Fircrest, Washington

Brief History
The City of Tacoma in western Washington state was well known by the turn of the century as a rough and tumble port city where the railroads met and all manner of blue collar workers lived and thrived. In 1907 a group of California financiers purchased a small piece of land west of Tacoma with the intention of creating an upscale subdivision of that large city. They named their subdivision Regents Park and incorporated gracefully curving streets, curbs, sidewalks and a sewer system into its design. Hundreds of the original Fir trees that grow naturally in that area were left in place in parks, school yards and residences giving the area a lush, forested appearance. In 1925 the 306 residents of Regents Park voted to incorporate their small town and renamed it the Town of Fircrest. Incorporation energized the community and gave it the financial stability and control that were needed to develop and repair the infrastructures and services. Over the years the town annexed other parcels of land which added to its land mass while also bringing new and important sources of tax revenue. By 1990, the town had grown in both population and dimensions and was given the name the City of Fircrest.

Historical Data:
Fircrest, Washington is located in the northwestern portion of Pierce County. Situated 2.8 miles from Puget Sound, the small city is bound on the north and east by the city of Tacoma and on the south and west by the city of University Place. Fircrest sits at an elevation of 276 feet. The landscape is dominated, as is most of Western Washington, by the imposing sight of Mount Rainer rising 14, 411 feet (4,352 m). Part of the Cascade mountain range, it is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. Throughout the year glacier topped Mount Rainier is visible from Fircrest and most of the other small cities that are clustered around its feet. For all its beauty and majesty Rainier is considered to be one of the ten most dangerous mountains in the world and is a dormant but still active volcano. The city of Fircrest is contained within 1.58 sq. miles (4.09 sq. km) and is all land mass with no lakes or bodies of water. In the 2010 census the population was 6,497 people living in 2,705 households. Only 31.2% of the households had children under 18 years of age living in them and 13.6% had seniors living alone. The average household size was 2.39 people and the average family size was 2.93. Median incom was $54,912. The coolest month of the year is January with a mean temperature of 41 degrees and the warmest month is August with a mean temperature of 65.7 degrees. Fircrest has an average rainfall of 38.95 inches per year.

Vital Records
Vital records for the city of Fircrest are kept by Pierce County.

http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/BirthDeathMarriageandDivorce.aspx http://www.archives.com/genealogy/vital-records-pierce-county-wa.html http://www.vitalrecordsdirectory.com/WA/vital-records/pierce-county-vital-records-4.html

City Directories
City Directories for the City of Tacoma have been kept since 1914. They have the name, address and occupation of each person listed. Copies of the City of Tacoma directory will contain information on residents of Fircrest and can be found in the Family History Center. The Family History Center's address in Tacoma is: 5915 South 12th Street, Tacoma Washington, 98465.

Cemeteries
Fircrest does not have cemeteries within its city limits. There are well kept, full service cemeteries in Tacoma and the surrounding cities. These full service cemeteries also keep hand written records of locations of head stones alphabetized by last names.

http://newtacoma.com/

http://www.mountainviewtacoma.com/

Newspapers
Fircrest does not have a newspaper. Newspapers in Tacoma and Seattle also serve the city of Fircrest.

Tacoma News Tribune

Seattle Times

Libraries and Historical Societies
Residents of Fircrest must pay a yearly fee to access the library system of Pierce County. This fee is not included in property tax assessments.