Taylor, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taylor, Washington
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Denny-Renton Clay and Coal Co. brick and tile plant, Taylor, Washington.
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 Taylor, Washington
Location in Washington (state)
Taylor, Washington
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | King |
| Platted | 1893 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Taylor is a ghost town in King County, Washington. A ghost town is a place where people used to live and work, but now it's empty. Taylor was once a busy place known for making clay products.
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How Taylor Town Began
Taylor was started in 1893. It was built as a company town by the Denny Clay Company. A company town is a place where a company owns most of the homes and stores. This was done to house its workers.
The company built the town after a railway was finished in the area in 1892. This railway was very important for Taylor.
What They Made in Taylor
The Denny Clay Company dug up clay from the ground. They used this clay to make many things. One main product was pipes for sewer systems.
They also mined coal in Taylor. The coal was used in big ovens to dry the clay products. This made the clay strong and ready to use.
Life in the Town
Besides the mines and factories, Taylor had other buildings. There were homes for the workers and their families. The town also had a hotel and a saloon.
A post office was opened in Taylor in 1904. It helped people send and receive mail. The post office stayed open for many years, until 1944.
Why Taylor Became a Ghost Town
Taylor made sewer pipes, but it didn't have a good sewer system itself. The city of Seattle was worried about this. Seattle gets its drinking water from the nearby Cedar River.
City leaders were concerned that dirty water from Taylor would pollute Seattle's water supply. To protect the water, Seattle decided to take action. In 1947, the city officially closed down the town. This meant everyone had to leave.
What's Left Today
Today, what's left of Taylor is inside the Cedar River Watershed. This area is very protected and strictly off-limits to visitors. Seattle Public Utilities uses a special gated road to reach the site.
Not much remains of the old town. You can still see some foundations of buildings. There are also a few brick and concrete walls. The railroad tracks that once led to Taylor are gone.
You might find some stacks of clay products that were never sold. These were left behind when the town closed. There's also a special tree called a Monkey Puzzle Tree. It's not from this area, but it was planted long ago. It still grows there today in the dense forest.
