Mountlake Terrace
Farmers and ranchers settled in the area that would later be called Mountlake Terrace to raise chickens, minks and chinchillas, a squirrel-like mammal native to South America.
The area was named "Alderwood Manor" -- for its timber -- but was platted into ranches for farmers to raise their livestock after the area was cleared.
After World War II, veterans began moving into Mountlake Terrace with their families. The town was incorporated as Mountlake Terrace in 1954.
Nearly 50 percent of the 20,400 residents are married, and 60 percent of all households are owner-occupied dwellings.
The city has more than 120 acres of parks with playground equipment and fields for soccer, basketball and baseball and arenas for other sports. That includes trout and bass fishing and boating at Lake Ballinger.
The city's Recreation Pavilion has an exercise room, dance area, spa, rooms for artistic ventures, racquetball courts and a multipurpose room. It also has a swimming pool, which were being renovated and improved over the winter of 2002-2003.
Other recreational activities can be found at the 60-acre Terrace Creek Park, the seven-acre Ballinger Playfield and the 18-acre Evergreen Playfield Complex.
The city also has a 1.5-mile-long Inter-Urban Trail that slinks along its northwest edge toward Lynnwood.
Mountake Terrace, located just above the Snohomish-King county line, is home to such annual events as the Tour de Terrace Parade and its Pavilion Saturday Markets.
The city operates under a council-manager form of government and provides the following services: fire, police, streets, parks, recreation, water, sewer, land use, planning, development services, zoning and general administration.