Black Diamond
Black Diamond got its name long ago because of the abundance of the ebony-colored coal and because of the company that helped establish its economy -- The Black Diamond Coal Mining Co.
In the late 1800s, the California-based coal company established mines and homes for the workers in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The community would become known as Black Diamond.
The coal company owned the town's land, selling houses to the residents and leasing property.
At the time, most of the residents of Black Diamond were Americans whose parents were Welsh or Irish immigrants -- and nearly all worked at the company. The community, which was incorporated in 1959, depended solely on coal for economic stability.
The coal company loosened its reins on the town in the 1930s, allowing residents to purchase their land. The last underground coal mine closed in 1975.
This tiny town 35 miles southeast of Seattle has no grocery store. Its last one closed in the summer of 2002 when large chain stores began sprouting up around residential developments in growing cities to Black Diamond's north.
Today, the city is better known for the 100-year-old Black Diamond Bakery -- which is still open and packed seven days a week -- and for the myriad parks to the city's south.
The Hanging Gardens and Flaming Geyser state parks are nearby and Nolte State Park and the Green River Gorge Conservation Area are short drives away.
The shores of Lake Sawyer -- which is within the city's limits -- are home to much of Black Diamond's residential community.
The Black Diamond Historical Museum serves as a portal into the town's past. The museum, which is at a coal mine entrance, was once a train depot. It has since been remodeled and restored.