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Kenmore is a community built on the hills and north shoreline of Lake Washington. The earliest known residents were the Sts’-ahp-absh people, who once wintered where the Sammamish River flows into Lake Washington. Non-Native settlers found their way to Kenmore even before Washington became a state in 1889. First came the loggers who moved timber by skid and rail to the shoreline, bound for mills down-lake. Early families brought the trappings of community life: a school and churches sprang up. Kenmore was famous (some say infamous) for its eating establishments, roadhouses, and dance halls along the Bothell Highway. Contraband whiskey was available during Prohibition. Business and commerce followed, with Kenmore becoming a road, rail, water, and air transportation hub. For several decades, Kenmore beaches were an idyllic lakeside destination. Kenmore residents incorporated as a city in 1998.
To take this walking tour, visit HistoryLink.Tours.
Kenmore Self-Guided Walking Tour
- Posted 2/03/2025
- HistoryLink.org Essay 23181
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