Steilacoom, Washington

Steilacoom (/ˈstɛlᵊkəm/) is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,985 at the 2010 census. Steilacoom is on the coast of Puget Sound, on a branch not visible on the map to the right. Steilacoom incorporated in 1854 and became the first incorporated town in what is now Washington state. It has also become a bedroom community for soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Based on per capita income, Steilacoom ranks 61st of 522 areas ranked in the state of Washington.

History

The origin of the name "Steilacoom" is unclear. According to the Legacy Washington program, the town’s name is derived from an Indian word meaning “little pink flower.” Another version is that it was named by fur traders with the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and is an adaptation of Tail-a-Koom, the name of an Indian chief. In 1824 HBC chief factor John Work called it "Chilacoom". Another early spelling was "Chelakom". The Town of Steilacoom says it was named after the Steilacoom tribe, especially their main village in the Tacoma area, located on Chambers Bay. This village was called Scht’ləqʷəm, later anglicized as Steilacoom.William Bright says the name comes from the Southern Coast Salish subgroup /č'tílqʷəbš/, anglicized as "Steilacoom".