Editing Rainier, Washington (section)

==History==
[[File:1896 Historic Lutheran Church.JPG|thumb|left|alt=A small white chapel in Rainier, Washington from 1896.|Church built by Gehrke brothers in 1896.]]
Rainier began in the 1870s as a stop on the [[Northern Pacific Railroad]] line between [[Kalama, Washington]] and [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]. Situated amidst the ‘ten al quelth’ prairies – [[Lushootseed]] for "the best yet" – it was named for its view of [[Mount Rainier]].<ref name=History /> In 1890, Albert and Maria Gehrke were the first permanent [[settlers]] to [[Homestead Act|homestead]] in Rainier; later that year a store and post office were established by Henry Harmer, who homesteaded with his wife Jessie and children on the [[Deschutes River (Washington)|Deschutes River]] near Rainier.<ref name=History>{{cite web |url=http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/history/location.asp?mod=prev&locid=8&currecord=2 |title=Rainier Area of Interest. |work=Thurston County History: People and Places |publisher=Thurston County Historic Commission |accessdate=July 8, 2010}}</ref> Rainier was officially platted in 1891.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/historic/docs/Place-Names.pdf | title=Thurston County Place Names: A Heritage Guide | publisher=Thurston County Historical Commission | date=1992 | access-date=March 28, 2018 | pages=70}}</ref>

In 1896, the community's first full-time school as well as a Lutheran church were built by Albert Gehrke and his two brothers, Theodore and Paul;<ref name=History /> the buildings are now state historic landmarks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rainierhistoricalsociety.org/church.html |title=Historic Lutheran Church |publisher=Rainier Historical Society |accessdate=July 8, 2010}}</ref>

In 1906, the Bob White Lumber Company opened, bringing prosperity to the area through [[logging]] and [[sawmilling]].<ref name=History /> Other lumber companies, such as Deschutes, Gruber and Docherty, and Fir Tree, were soon attracted to the area as well. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, several of these mill operations and many of the local buildings were destroyed by a series of fires, leading many residents to seek work at [[Weyerhaeuser]] Lumber at nearby Vail, which is now a [[ghost town]].<ref name=History />

In 1936, Rainier's third school was built out of brick. The construction of this new school allowed for addition of the second story, added in 1926 of the school built in 1915 to be removed, leaving it as a single story building again.

Rainier's 1940 population was 500.<ref name=WPA>''Washington - A Guide to the Evergreen State'', WPA American Guide Series, Washington State Historical Society, 1941</ref> In 1941, the ''[[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] Guide to Washington'' described Rainier as "the social center for farmers and loggers of the vicinity, although its closed mills and vacant houses mark it as a ghost lumber town."<ref name=WPA />

Rainier was officially incorporated on October 23, 1947.<ref name=Profile>{{cite web |url=http://www.mrsc.org/cityprofiles/cityprofile.aspx?id=187 |title=City Profile: City of Rainier. |publisher=[[Municipal Research and Services Center]] |accessdate=July 8, 2010}}</ref> In 1948, Rainier opened its town hall at 102 Dakota Street South; it housed the Rainier town council, police department, and fire department.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 12, 1979 |title=Rainier May Get Portable Town Hall |page=B2 |work=[[The Olympian]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-olympian-rainier-may-get-portable-to/146881311/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=May 8, 2024}}</ref>

On May 4, 1974, Rainier High School was destroyed by a fire caused by an electrical fault in an attic storage space; the state's [[fire marshal]] office had previously noted several fire hazards during inspections of the building.<ref>{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Bruce |date=May 8, 1974 |title=Inspections Pinpointed Rainier School Fire Hazards |page=6 |work=The Olympian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-olympian-inspections-pinpointed-rain/125610716/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=May 4, 1974 |title=Blaze destroys Rainier High School |page=1 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)|The Daily Chronicle]] |location=Centralia, Washington |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-chronicle-blaze-destroys-raini/125610591/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref> Classes were cancelled for the remainder of the school year; a set of 13 [[portable classroom]]s were constructed adjacent to the destroyed building by local residents and soldiers from nearby [[Fort Lewis (Washington)|Fort Lewis]]. The portable buildings had been sold at cost by [[Seattle Public Schools]] after they were withdrawn from a surplus auction.<ref>{{cite news |last=Oakland |first=Mike |date=July 28, 1974 |title=Spirit Raises Rainier High School From Ruins |page=2 |work=The Olympian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-olympian-spirit-raises-rainier-high/125610888/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref> A new building for Rainier High School—along with a new elementary school—was opened on September 1, 1976.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 29, 1976 |title=Back to School: Openings Vary |page=D12 |work=The Olympian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-olympian-back-to-school-openings-va/125611008/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref>  In late 1979, the Town of Rainier considered leasing a portable building from Rainier School District as the existing town hall had grown too small to hold meetings in. While the school board was willing to lease the building, they were only willing to do so for a 1 year term, citing that increasing enrollment numbers could necessitate the use of the building.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 18, 1979 |title=Rainier Ups Water Fee |page=B2 |work=The Olympian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-olympian-rainier-ups-water-fee/146881093/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=May 8, 2024}}</ref>

In 1990, Rainier's current Town Hall was built at 102 Rochester Street West. It was assembled from several prefabricated pieces, forming the manufactured building that serves as the Town Hall.