For the Reporter
The Senate passed a resolution Thursday celebrating Kent’s 125th anniversary and evolution from an agrarian community to an economic dynamo.
Sens. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, Joe Fain, R-Auburn, and Bob Hasegawa, D-Beacon Hill, sponsored Senate Resolution 8671, which honors the city’s past and praises its growth as a resourceful and diversified community.
Kent is known for creating the first lunar rover, designing next-generation rockets and serving as a globally connected hub of innovation and transportation.
“The Kent Valley is now the fourth-largest manufacturing and distribution center in the United States,” Keiser said. “Our economic engine generates $49 billion annually, one-eighth of Washington state’s total gross domestic product.”
In the 1860s, the area was known as Titusville and become a major hops growing center. The city was incorporated as Kent in 1890, named after a region in England known for its fine hops.
“Honoring Kent’s 125th anniversary really means honoring the many great people who make up the community,” Fain said. “Bringing together such a diverse community including people from many backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities and interests, has led to a unique place for many to call home.”
“Kent’s 125,000 residents represent one of the most diverse and vibrant cultures in the state, speaking 137 different languages,” Hasegawa said. “With more than 43 percent of Kent residents speaking a primary language other than English, this is a community that stands as a testament to the increasing diversity of our wonderful state.”
Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke, on hand to watch the passage of the resolution from the Senate gallery, noted the state’s sixth-largest city had come quite a way since the days it was known as the lettuce capital of the world.
“Kent has a lot to celebrate every year, but we have a significant milestone to celebrate this year: our 125th anniversary of incorporation,” she said. “The second city in King County to incorporate, we have grown from hops to aerospace and have become the sixth largest and most culturally diverse city in the state. It was an honor to accept a proclamation from Washington state Sens. Karen Keiser, Joe Fain and Bob Hasegawa in recognition of May 28, 2015, Kent’s 125th birthday.”
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