Kirkland

Interestingly, the area that is now downtown Kirkland was actually the last to be developed. The towns of Houghton to the south and Juanita to the north were settled first, and Mr. Peter Kirk, a British steel tycoon, decided that he wanted to make his own industrial town, hoping it would become “the Pittsburg of the West,” and named it, obviously, Kirkland. Due to several opposing forces, his plan never took off. Instead, Kirkland became known for its wool mill, its shipbuilders, and its ferry system. Eventually, Houghton, Juanita, and other surrounding communities like Rose Hill and Finn Hill were annexed into the city, which made it one of the largest suburbs in the area.