Fox Island

 

 
Fox Island

Native Americans called the island Bu-ta-u for a daughter of a Nisqually Indian chief. The present name of the island was established during the 1841 Wilkes Expedition after an assistant surgeon on the crew named Fox. Native Americans used the island for seasonal gatherings and fishing and Tanglewood Island was used as a Native American burial ground. During the Indian uprisings of the 1850s, Fox Island was designated as a reservation for friendly Indians, and for a few years prior to resettlement to other reservations, there were some 800 Puyallups and Nisquallys living on the island.   

European-American settlement began in the 1850s. A number of activities had been established on the island at various times, including fishing, oysters gathering, fish processing, logging, farming, and the manufacturing of bricks, sleds, wheelbarrows and baby carriages. In the 1860s the dogfish and oyster industry was developed with Native Americas employed. Prunes were grown and a prune dryer was employed to process prunes for shipping starting in the 1890s. A flower industry was established in 1904 with bulbs brought from Iowa. The Brick and Clay Works Company stated on the south side of the island in the late 1880s. The company utilized the local clay deposits to manufacture pipes, bricks, and tiles, shipping the products to Tacoma on the streamer, Susie. The plant closed by 1910 with the depletion of the clay deposits. The post office, schools, stores, and churches formed the early centers of community life. The Fox Island Bridge was built in 1954.

Fox Island Homes for Sale

Fox Island Waterfront Homes for Sale

 


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