| Sumas, Washington |
Website Links For Sumas |
Information AboutSumas, Washington |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SUMAS, WASHINGTON | |
| whatcom county, washington | |
| cities in washington | |
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Sumas lies on the US - Canada border directly across from Abbotsford, British Columbia . There is a 24 hr border crossing which tends to be less busy than the nearby Blaine, WA crossing nearer to Vancouver, BC. As a small town, Sumas is heavily influenced by international traffic from Canada. When the exchange rate is favorable to Canadians, a flood of shoppers for gas, beer, and groceries crosses into Sumas; however, a change in the exchange rate can quickly diminish the number of Canadian shoppers. This phenomenon has lead to some unusual business characteristics for a town so small. There are a large number of gas stations on Cherry Street, the main business street through town (some claim it also holds the world record for the most gas stations in a mile length of road). Unfortunately, of the 8 gas stations built, only 3 are in operation due to the low Canadian dollar in the early 2000's. Similarly of 6 bars and taverns, 3 remain operating. Other businesses in town include Bromley's supermarket, Warnie's Family Restaurant, El Nopal Mexican Restaurant, a combined B&B and family restaurant called Bob's Burgers and Brew, Sumas RV park, and other small local businesses. The town holds two holidays. Sumas Day, which is on the last Saturday of June, usually sees a parade down Cherry Street, with the Abbotsford Fire Department always invited. After that, there are events in the City Park. At night, fireworks light up the sky, and scare the dairy cows. The other holiday that Sumas participates in is the Show & Shine. In its prime, close to 200 cars were registered. Classic cars participated in the day-long event, in which proud owners showed their babies to the public. HISTORY Sumas was officially incorporated on June 18 , 1891 . Established first as a trading post in the late 1850's, it grew in size and importance as the junction of 3 railroads and a border crossing into Canada. The name, Sumas, comes from a tribal word for "land without trees". The broad valley in which Sumas is located is still called Sumas Prairie. Before settlers built canals and dams, the upper valley was marshy and covered in shallow flood filled lakes. The abundance of large trees in the surrounding hills attracted loggers and helped the city grow. In 1897, gold was discovered in the mountains nearby and Sumas quickly grew to more than 2000 residents as gold miners and mining suppliers moved in. After the trees were cleared and the gold rush subsided, the town began to shrink and businesses shifted to support the growing farming industry surrounding the town. Dairy farms sprouted in the valley and still play an important role in the area's economy. The farmers, many of Dutch origin, and area towns further tamed the flood prone valley with a series dikes and channels. Today, Sumas hosts several forest products businesses as well as support for farms in the surrounding area. See the town's website for additional information and a more {Link without Title} colorful description of its history. GEOGRAPHY Sumas is located at 48°59'50" North, 122°15'56" West (48.997278, -122.265522). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 3.6 Km&2 (1.4 Mi&2 ). 3.6 km&2 (1.4 mi&2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census of 2000, there were 960 people, 346 households, and 235 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 264.8/km&2 (687.5/mi&2). There were 401 housing units at an average density of 110.6/km&2 (287.2/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.15% White , 0.00% African American , 3.23% Native American , 4.17% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander , 4.79% from Other Races , and 1.67% from two or more races. 7.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 346 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were Married Couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.42. In the city the population was spread out with 35.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,297, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $30,227 versus $20,268 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $13,497. 18.0% of the population and 13.9% of families were below the Poverty Line . 23.1% of those under the age of 18 and 14.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Sumas is under scrutiny from Washington and British Columbia residents because of a proposed power plant Sumas 2 which would pollute the area, and the British Columbia Fraser Valley area. Sumas is serviced by the Nooksack Valley School District, the Whatcom County Fire District 14, and the Sumas Police Department. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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