Bucoda, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bucoda, Washington
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Town
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Town hall
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| Nickname(s):
World's Tiniest Town with the Biggest Halloween Spirit
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Location of Bucoda, Washington
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Thurston |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.60 sq mi (1.56 km2) |
| • Land | 0.58 sq mi (1.51 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 266 ft (81 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 600 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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598 |
| • Density | 1,015.44/sq mi (392.40/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
98530
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| Area code | 360 |
| FIPS code | 53-08605 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1531901 |
Bucoda (/bjuːˈkoʊdə/) is a town in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 600 at the 2020 census. The community refers to itself as the "World's Tiniest Town with the Biggest Halloween Spirit".
Contents
Etymology
The community was first known as Seatco, an indigenous word meaning evil spirit or devil; the town name became official in 1887 when the community was platted by an early founder, Oliver Shead (Shed). People in the town voiced a dislike of the name and the community was renamed Bucoda in 1890 by act of the state legislature. An accepted theory of the origination of the moniker of Bucoda comes from the taking of the first two letters of the last name of three prominent members of the early town, William Buckley (Buckner), a man recorded with the last name of Coulter, and J.E. Davis (David).
History
The first American settler at what is now Bucoda was Aaron Webster (1828–1911) who arrived in 1854. In the 1860s Webster sold his claim and sawmill to Oliver Shead. The Northern Pacific Railroad located a station at Seatco in 1872. A major flood affecting communities in the Skookumchuck and Chehalis river watersheds occurred in December 1887; two Chehalis residents lost their lives while near the town.
In the 1880s, investors began operations to mine coal in the area, but the coal was of poor quality and operations were sporadic. Beginning in 1874 or 1878, Bucoda was the site of Washington's first territorial prison. A wooden, three-story structure, the jail garnered a reputation as a harsh institution as the inmates, some shackled for years, were used for dangerous and brutal manual labor in local industry. The prison was supposed to close in 1888 but was last used for inmates in 1890 and officially discontinued when the state opened the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington.
Bucoda was officially incorporated on June 7, 1910 and the first mayor was Emil Krupp. The town had a water tower that was scrapped in the early 1980s. The Mutual Lumber Mill was so productive the town was once billed as the "Town with the Million Dollar Payroll". The mill burned down and was rebuilt only to have demand wane and once again it was consumed by flames.
A federal bill signed in January 2025 authorized the renaming of the town's post office to the Mayor Rob Gordon Post Office. Gordon, who died of cancer the prior summer, had long been a resident and public servant in Bucoda, working in the fire department and on the town council.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.59 square miles (1.53 km2), of which, 0.57 square miles (1.48 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 945 | — | |
| 1920 | 442 | — | |
| 1930 | 703 | 59.0% | |
| 1940 | 541 | −23.0% | |
| 1950 | 473 | −12.6% | |
| 1960 | 390 | −17.5% | |
| 1970 | 421 | 7.9% | |
| 1980 | 519 | 23.3% | |
| 1990 | 536 | 3.3% | |
| 2000 | 628 | 17.2% | |
| 2010 | 562 | −10.5% | |
| 2020 | 600 | 6.8% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 598 | 6.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 562 people, 222 households, and 148 families living in the town. The population density was 986.0 inhabitants per square mile (380.7/km2). There were 243 housing units at an average density of 426.3 per square mile (164.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 91.6% White, 1.2% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population.
There were 222 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.92.
The median age in the town was 40.3 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 31.1% were from 45 to 64; and 12.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.
Arts and culture
Since 2009, the community has annually become known as "Boo-coda" every October, a moniker to represent its annual month-long Halloween festivities. The event is known for its Scary Nights Haunted House and hearse processions.
Parks and recreation
The South Sound Speedway, a Figure 8 racetrack, is northwest of the downtown area.
Media
Bucoda, Washington is the setting of episode 97 "We All Ignore the Pit" of the horror podcast The Magnus Archives. A small scene for the independent movie, The Mountain, with Jeff Goldblum, was filmed at a restaurant in the town.
See also
In Spanish: Bucoda (Washington) para niños
