The earliest
people in Tukwila were the Duwamish who made their homes along the
Black and Duwamish Rivers. They named Tukwila for the lush forests
of hazelnut trees which grew around them. The Duwamish lived in cedar
longhouses, hunted and fished, picked wild berries and used the river
for trade with neighboring peoples.
In 1853, the area was settled by Joseph Foster, a Canadian pioneer
who had traveled to the northwest from Wisconsin. Foster would become
known as the "Father of Tukwila" and serve King County,
Washington Territory in the legislature for 22 years. Today, Foster's
legendary home on the banks of the Duwammish River is preserved as
Fort Dent Park, as it also served as a military base during 1850s
Indian Wars. Foster's name is also memorialized in the Foster neighborhood
of Tukwila where Foster High School is located.
In the early years of "Foster, Washington", the small village
would grow into an agricultural center and a vital trading point in
the upper-Duwammish River Valley. Population began to grow as well,
and expanded industry would soon follow. Although with the largely
farm-oriented commerce in Tukwila, other businesses found fertile
land in which to grow from.
Early electric rail trains traveled along Interurban Avenue in Tukwila,
connecting to Renton and a line to Tacoma. The Interurban Railroad
operated a commuter line from 1902 to 1928, making it possible to
travel from Seattle to Tacoma in less than an hour. The first Macadam
paved road in Washington State was in Tukwila and bears the name of
this new method of street paving. One of the earliest paved military
roads is located in the city.
Tukwila was incorporated as a city in 1908.
