History of Issaquah, Washington
Issaquah was officially incorporated on April 29, 1892.
Initially a small mining town, this town has changed over the years. Based off of the mining on nearby Tiger Mountain, Issaquah began as the town of Gilman, Washington. As the mining phase began to peter off as the deposits wore down in the late 1890's, lumber companies moved in, transporting lumber from Issaquah and other small towns by railroad to Seattle and larger, growing communities throughout western Washington. These early industries had quieted by the time of the Great Depression. The town remained fairly quiet throughout the succeeding decades, with The Boeing Company providing the majority of employment until Microsoft and other tech industries and companies moved first into Redmond, Washington and other cities in the area, later establishing operations in Issaquah itself. Both companies have significantly affected Issaquah's history, cultural development, and diverse population. An interesting fact: Boeing's first wooden seaplane was built by employees from Issaquah and took off from Lake Sammamish (located at the northern edge of downtown Issaquah).
In June 1996, Costco moved their world headquarters to Issaquah from neighboring Kirkland, Washington (thus explaining the origin of their Kirkland Signature brand).
Issaquah Salmon Days Festival An Ohfishal Welcome!..to the Issaquah Salmon Days Festival, the Pacific Northwest's premier award winning community and family event! Celebrating the annual return of salmon each Fall to our lakes, streams and historic downtown hatchery, Salmon Days 2010 promises "something up our leaves" for every age and interest!
Boehms Chocolate FactoryBoehms is located just minutes from Bellevue and Seattle. We welcome visitors and customers to our grounds to see and enjoy the Edelweiss Chalet. The park-like setting invites you to stroll the grounds with its Alpine Chapel and fountains.
At the Issaquah Fish Hatchery the grand spectacle is in the fall when mature chinook and coho return to Issaquah Creek to spawn. The fish are corralled and hatchery personnel take the eggs from the females and fertilize them with milt from the males. The creek is alive with large fish from the end of August through September. As many as 30,000 salmon may migrate by year's end. Year-round, however, visitors can view salmon in tanks and displays. Most of the salmon raised at the hatchery are released into the creek. Check out "Big Salmon," a 400-pound, 8-foot bronze sculpture.
The Cougar Mountain Zoo is a small teaching zoo specializing in threatened or endangered animals. It is home to cougars, tigers, reindeer and lemurs. 
Issaquah Depot MuseumVisit the restored 1888 train depot, which houses one part of the
Issaquah History Museums. The Issaquah Valley Trolley car barn is just north of the located at 50 Rainier Blvd. North and is operated by the Issaquah Historical Society
