Snohomish is nestled between the sparkling blue waters of Puget Sound and the rugged, snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains. It rests in river valleys that have been the traditional homeland of the Snohomish and Snoqualmie Indian Tribes for thousands of years.

Settled in 1866 as a trading post on the “flats” at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River, Stanwood is a small community of Scandinavian heritage. Initially called Centerville, it was the first Norwegian settlement in Washington State. Pearson and his wife, Clara, settled in the valley in 1877 and established the town’s first general store. He was also the first mayor and postmaster and it was he who changed the town’s name to Stanwood after his wife’s maiden name. The principal industries during those two decades were agriculture and logging. Stanwood was a stop for the steam boats that plied the waters of the Stillaguamish River stopping for the lumber and grain produced by the two nearby sawmills and surrounding farms.