Kangley, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kangley, Washington
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 Kangley, Washington
Location in Washington (state)
Kangley, Washington
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | King |
| Elevation | 1,007 ft (307 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1521565 |
Kangley is a small, unincorporated community in King County, Washington, in the United States. It is located east of Maple Valley, Washington and north of Kanaskat-Palmer State Park.
Kangley is about 29 miles southeast of Seattle. It used to be on the Northern Pacific and Milwaukee Railroad lines. Today, it is found at the end of Kent-Kangley Road. It is about 4 miles east of Ravensdale, Washington, and 2 miles south of Selleck, Washington. The community stretches from the intersection of Kent-Kangley Road and 346th Avenue SE north to SE 263rd Place, near Brown's Creek.
Contents
The History of Kangley
Kangley started as a town in the late 1880s. It was named after John Kangley, who was the vice president of the Northern Pacific Coal Company.
Coal Mining in Kangley
The Kangley mine was very important to the town. It actually had three different mine shafts at different times. People said the coal from Kangley was some of the best available. It had only about 2.5% to 3% ash, which was much lower than other mines that produced coal with 10% to 15% ash. This made Kangley coal very valuable.
Kangley's Post Office
A post office opened in Kangley on June 30, 1890. John Peterson Jr. was the first postmaster. He gave out mail at the coal mine where he worked. The post office closed for four years on October 20, 1898.
It reopened on February 28, 1903, with John Lavender as the new postmaster. Mail was then given out from Lavender's store. On March 4, 1910, the post office's name changed to Selleck. An area near Lavender's store, between Kangley and Selleck, was even called Lavender Town. Eventually, the post office closed for good. Its ZIP code, 98064, was combined with Ravensdale, Washington's, 98051.
Changes in Mining and Homes
Coal mining operations in Kangley started to slow down between 1912 and 1914. Since the Northern Pacific Coal Company owned most of the homes in Kangley, many of them were taken apart. They were then shipped by train to Roslyn, Washington, where coal mining was starting to grow. Today, only a few of the original mining houses are left, mostly on SE 268th Place.
Truman's Country Store
Later in Kangley's history, Truman's Country Store was a very important place. It was located at the corner of SE 268th Street and 348th Avenue SE. This store was a combination of a country store, a gas station, and a tavern.
Truman Nelson, the owner, moved to Kangley in 1965. People often saw him driving his golf cart up and down 346th Avenue SE. When Truman's Country Store closed in the 1980s, it marked the end of all businesses in Kangley. Soon after, the area was no longer called a distinct town.
See also
In Spanish: Kangley (Washington) para niños
