Editing Fife, Washington (section)

==History==
The lower Puyallup basin is the ancestral home of the [[Puyallup people]], who were relocated after the signing of the [[Medicine Creek Treaty]] in 1854. The treaty ceded Puyallup lands and created the [[Puyallup Indian Reservation]], which was expanded to include modern-day Fife. The land on which the city sits was lost after the signing of the [[General Allotment Act]] in 1887 and other land transfers that were later resolved in a 1990 claims settlement.<ref>{{cite web |last=Douglas |first=Miguel |date=October 12, 2016 |title=Puyallup Land Claims Settlement (1990) |url=https://www.historylink.org/file/20157 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref>

The first white settlers arrived in the late 1890s.{{cn|date=November 2024}} Fife may have been named for William J. Fife, a prominent Tacoma lawyer, Yukon prospector, once head of the [[Washington National Guard]], and a lieutenant colonel in the field during the [[Philippine–American War]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Denyer Gallacci |first1=Caroline |last2=Karabaich |first2=Ron |year=2009 |title=Downtown Tacoma |page=11 |series=[[Images of America]] |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7385-7002-0 |oclc=436871566}}</ref> There is also a [[Historic counties of Scotland|historic county]] of [[Scotland]] and former [[Picts|Pictish]] kingdom called [[Fife]], which could also be a source of the city's name.

In 1940, Fife was described as "at a valley crossroads in the midst of a thickly settled berry growing and truck-gardening district is represented by a string of markets, taverns, shops, and a large, balloon-roofed dance hall along the highway." The 1940 population was 135.<ref>''Washington - A guide to the Evergreen State'', WPA American Guide Series, Washington State Historical Society, 1941</ref> It had a large [[Japanese American]] population until [[Executive Order 9066]] forced residents into [[Japanese American internment|internment camps]].<ref name="HistoryLink-Mizukami">{{cite web |last=Nimura |first=Tamiko |date=October 29, 2020 |title=Mizukami, Robert Taro (1922-2010) |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/21116 |work=HistoryLink |accessdate=November 25, 2024}}</ref>

Fife was officially incorporated on February 11, 1957, with approximately 850 residents. The city had been created to prevent the annexation of its business district by Tacoma and to give the area a distinct identity.<ref name="HistoryLink-Mizukami"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Tucker |first=Rob |date=September 16, 1979 |title=Fife leaders lost friends but not town's confidence |page=A24 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-fife-leaders-lost-frien/159783835/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=November 25, 2024}}</ref> Joe Vraves was elected as Fife's first mayor and served in that position until becoming a [[Pierce County Council|Pierce County councilmember]] in 1981.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lawrence |first=John |date=January 11, 1981 |title=New Fife mayor following Vraves' footsteps |page=D1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-new-fife-mayor-followin/159783849/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=November 25, 2024}}</ref> The [[Pacific Highway (U.S.)|Pacific Highway]] ([[U.S. Route 99]]) was replaced by [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]] (I-5), which opened through Fife on October 10, 1962.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stansfield |first=Dick |date=October 10, 1962 |title=New Strip Of Freeway Dedicated |page=1 |work=[[The News Tribune]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-new-strip-of-freeway-de/159783762/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=November 25, 2024}}</ref> The freeway's opening led to new commercial development in Fife, including those catering towards motorists, that brought high [[sales tax]] revenue to the city.<ref>{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Jody |date=July 3, 1983 |title=Fife's booming economy yields larger returns |page=A3 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-fifes-booming-economy/159783897/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=November 25, 2024}}</ref>