Calendar

Thursday, May 19, 2022

On this date in 1891, Anacortes officially became a city. Incorporation efforts were buoyed by a boom, which was caused by expectations that Fidalgo Island would be selected as a transcontinental railroad terminus. Although this bubble was already deflating by the time incorporation was accomplished, the non-terminus city soldiered on, building a combination City Hall, police station and fire hall, and equipping its fire department. The bust hit the new city’s revenues hard, and it took decades to pay off its initial expenditures.