Editing Anacortes, Washington (section)

==History==
[[File:Robinson Fisheries Co, Anacortes, Washington, April 22, 1910 (COBB 16).jpeg|thumb|left|Robinson Fisheries Co. codfish plant]]
[[File:Fish fertilizer plant of the Robinson Fish Co, Anacortes, Washington, April 22, 1910 (COBB 17).jpeg|thumb|Robinson Fisheries Co. fertilizer plant]]
Anacortes is within the historical territory of the Samish people. Anacortes was officially incorporated on May 19, 1891.

In 1877, railroad surveyor and town founder Amos Bowman moved his family to the northern tip of Fidalgo Island. Bowman began promoting the area as an obvious terminus for the [[Northern Pacific Railway]] as it was built through the north Cascades to the Pacific. Bowman established the town's first newspaper, The Northwest Enterprise, to promote his vision of the New York of the West.<ref>{{Citation|title=Anacortes – The Perfect Port|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1VuUDasQSI| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/L1VuUDasQSI| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|date=April 22, 2011|access-date=February 3, 2016|last=Southeast Seiners}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Seattle and Northern Company began building a rail line from the town in 1888. Real estate and development boomed from 1888 to 1890 as a result of the railroad rumors, and the Oregon Improvement Company posted $15 million in bonds to develop the town.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History|url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9870|website=www.historylink.org|access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref>

In 1891, the real estate bubble burst. Speculators lost money and the Oregon Improvement Company could no longer afford to complete tracks over the Cascades. The town failed to become the railroad terminus Bowman had envisioned.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Anacortes History Introduction|url = http://www.cityofanacortes.org/anacortes_history.php#.VrJ_eFMrKRs|website = www.cityofanacortes.org|access-date=February 3, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160704175111/http://www.cityofanacortes.org/anacortes_history.php#.VrJ_eFMrKRs|archive-date=July 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After the bust, the town became prominent for its fishing tradition, thriving canning industry, and timber mills.<ref name=":0" />