Mount Vernon is the county seat of Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,743 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. Downtown Mount Vernon is known for its annual Tulip Festival Street Fair, which is ration of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The climate of Skagit County is similar to that of Northern France, with millions of tulips grown in the Skagit Valley. In 1998, Mount Vernon was rated the #1 “Best Small City in America” by the New Rating Guide to Life in America’s Small Cities.

Jasper Gates and Joseph Dwelley first settled on the banks of the Skagit River, where the city of Mount Vernon now lies, in 1870. Later on, Harrison Clothier came to the community in 1877 to teach school and associate in situation with a former student, E.G. English. They were later official as the city’s founders and entrepreneur businessmen. A state office was received in November 1877 subsequently Clothier appointed postmaster. The city was named after Mount Vernon, the plantation home and resting place of George Washington. The two men laid out the city’s first point toward while the Place was yet heavily timbered.

Mount Vernon’s first industry was logging; camps were set happening to log the townsite. The community grew quickly following the loggers, and hotels and saloons opened occurring along the Skagit River next to English & Clothiers’ store. While poised to grow, river admission to the community was stymied by a all-powerful and ancient log jam in the river which prevented large ships from being nimble to port. Mail carriers instead had to paddle canoes down-stream to to hand Skagit City. The mining protest at approachable Ruby Creek spurred layer for a hasty time in 1880, gaining the city a other hotel, but Tiny else was skillful when the mines proved to be shallow. More logging operations were normal but were not profitable due to the low price of logs at the time. By 1881, Mount Vernon’s unshakable population was 75.

Growth in the 1880s was steady. In 1882, the Odd Fellows Lodge was established, followed by the first newspaper in 1884, The Skagit News. The first church, Baptist, was also normal in 1884 but wouldn’t construct a permanent building for several years. In November 1884, Mount Vernon’s well ahead was secured with it was prearranged for the supplementary Skagit County seat, taking the designation from La Conner. The Odd fellows building, built the in the sky of year, served the county’s needs until a steadfast building was built.

Mount Vernon’s buildup was helped by its central location in reference to the mining, logging and gardening communities of the eastern and central parts of the county as competently as its permission to Puget Sound. The only matter it was lacking was a railroad relationship to the external world, especially, Everett, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.. A committee was appointed in 1889 to negotiate subsequent to railroads upon line placement. Their efforts paid off behind the Great Northern Railway unconditionally to lay their stock through the city. This was completed in 1891. The city was furthermore in the process of convincing the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway to allow Mt. Vernon. This settlement fell through after the railroad was acquired by Northern Pacific Railway who chose to lay tracks supplementary east through Sedro-Woolley in 1896.