Forks, Washington
Forks, also previously known as the unincorporated town of Quillayute, is a town in southwest Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,335 at the 2020 census. It is named after the forks in the nearby Bogachiel, Calawah, and Sol Duc rivers which join to form the Quillayute River.
For much of the 20th century, the city's economy was fueled by the local timber industry. Forks later became a tourism destination for visitors to Olympic National Park, recreational sport fishing in nearby rivers, and fans of the novel series Twilight and films, which are set in Forks. The town is also near the Clallam Bay Corrections Center and Olympic Corrections Center.
History
Indigenous settlement
Forks was once inhabited by the Quileute Native American tribe, before they ceded their territory. In 1889 a reservation was created near Forks; that same year the village was burnt down by settler Daniel Pullen. Forks is 12 miles from tribal burning areas that area tribes used to regenerate young ferns. The phrase "prairie upstream" from Quileute language was translated and became the name Forks Prairie.Early settlement
The first European American settlers in the modern-day Forks Prairie arrived in the 1860s by following the waterways in and around the Olympic Peninsula due to a lack of overland trails. A proposal to create Quillehuyte County from the western sides of Clallam and Jefferson counties was accepted by the territorial legislature in 1868 but dissolved a year later. The first homestead on the prairie was claimed in January 1878 by Luther and Esther Ford. Their property included the first dairy in the area, set up in 1879, and was later joined by other homesteads. A post office opened in the cabin of Ole Nelson, a local trapper, in 1884 and was named "Forks"; their preferred name "Ford's Prairie" had already been taken by another settlement in the territory. The name "Forks" was chosen for the forks of three nearby rivers.Rudimentary trails and roads were built by settlers in the 1880s and 1890s to create trade routes; the nearest markets were in Port Townsend and later Port Angeles, but the seasonal supply boats were unable to take large cargo. Timber around the prairie was cleared by settlers and small-time loggers in the late 19th century. They were followed by timber companies, including Merrill & Ring around the Pysht River in 1916, until the Olympic Forest Reserve was established in 1897 by the federal government. The forest reserve was gradually reduced in size but later contributed most of the land for Olympic National Monument, which was established in 1909, and the Olympic National Forest. Logging of non-federal land continued, but slowed during the 1907 national recession. The U.S. Army sought to use the region's Sitka spruce to construct airplanes during World War I and built a railroad to Port Angeles to aid in transport; the railroad was not used due to the end of the war.
The Mora post moved to Forks in the early 1890s which consisted of a general store, hardware store, and a hotel. In the early 1900s, hop growing declined and the Forks Cooperative Creamery was established which operated for 70 years. The town of Forks was platted in 1912 on the homestead of Merrill Whittier, a hop farmer. It served as the economic center of the area between the Hoh River and Quillayute Prairie but only had a single block of buildings in its first decade. A fire on January 10, 1925, destroyed six buildings on the west side of the town; they were replaced later in the year along with plans for a new high school and social halls. A new road passable for automobiles opened from Lake Crescent to Forks in 1927 and was replaced by the Olympic Loop Highway in 1931. Another fire on Main Street in 1930 caused further damage.
Modern history
Forks was officially incorporated on August 7, 1945, following an election of the constituents who would become its first town members.The local timber industry boomed from the 1950s to 1970s, earning Forks the self-proclaimed title of "Logging Capital of the World." Changes in environmental policy led to a significant decline in the timber industry in the 1980s and 1990s. Timber harvesting is still part of the local economy, but at levels far below the peak of the 1970s.
The city gained popularity for being a key setting in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series and related film adaptations.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 3,532 people, 1,264 households, and 849 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 1,374 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 67.7% White, 0.5% African American, 6.6% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 18.1% from other races, and 5.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 25.9% of the population.There were 1,264 households, of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.8% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.16.
The median age in the city was 31.3 years. 29.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 9.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.5% male and 48.5% female.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 3,120 people, 1,169 households, and 792 families residing in the city. The population density was 854.8 people per square mile. There were 1,361 housing units at an average density of 435.6 per square mile. 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 people 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 age distribution of the population shows 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.
Geography and climate
The city lies on Forks Prairie just east of the confluence of the Calawah River with the Bogachiel River. U.S. Route 101 passes through the town.The Olympic rainforest surrounds the town.
Forks has an oceanic climate in a temperate rainforest with very high rainfall, above per year. Although there is a drying trend in summer, rain is still abundant, just not as wet as the rest of the year. Forks averages 212 days per year with measurable precipitation.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all of it land.
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.Transportation
The city is served by U.S. Route 101, which connects the western Olympic Peninsula to Port Angeles, Olympia, and Aberdeen. Another highway, State Route 110, connects Forks to La Push on the coast.Forks Municipal Airport is located in Clallam County, southwest of Forks. The airport has six based aircraft, including 3 single-engine aircraft and 3 helicopters. The latest available data indicate that the airport had a total of 13,550 annual operations. Runway 4-22 is Forks Municipal Airport's sole runway. This runway is long, wide, is equipped with medium intensity runway lighting, and has an asphalt surface. Approaches to both ends of this runway are visual.
Forks is served by two public transit agencies. Clallam Transit operates local service in Forks, including an on-demand microtransit system, as well as intercity routes to Port Angeles, La Push, and Neah Bay. The "Olympic Connection" bus, operated by Jefferson Transit, travels between Forks and Lake Quinault, where riders are able to transfer to Grays Harbor Transit buses to Aberdeen. The Olympic Connection was introduced in January 1995 to fill a gap in transit service along the U.S. Route 101 corridor.
Media
Newspapers serving Forks include the Peninsula Daily News and the weekly Forks Forum, known as "the farthest west newspaper in the contiguous United States."KBDB-FM 96.7, owned by Forks Broadcasting, is the only local commercial station serving the area. KNWU 91.5, a satellite station of Washington State University's statewide Northwest Public Radio network, is the public radio station serving the area.