Editing Edison, Washington

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Edison, Washington
| settlement_type    = [[Census-designated place|CDP]]
| image_skyline      = Edison, WA - Farm to Market Road 01.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Approaching the center of Edison from the south on Farm to Market Road
| image_map          = Skagit_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Edison_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Edison, Washington
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Skagit County, Washington|Skagit]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = 1.5
| area_land_km2      = 1.5
| area_water_km2     = 0.0
| area_total_sq_mi   = 0.6
| area_land_sq_mi    = 0.6
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.0
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 240
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- General information -->
| timezone           = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
| utc_offset         = -8
| timezone_DST       = PDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -7
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 10
| coordinates        = {{coord|48|33|50|N|122|26|05|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 98232
| area_code          = [[Area code 360|360]]
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 53-20680<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2408046<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2408046}}</ref>
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Edison''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Skagit County, Washington]], United States. The population was 240 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2023 |title=Census Bureau profile: Edison, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Edison%20CDP,%20Washington |access-date=May 9, 2024 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> It is included in the [[Mount Vernon, Washington|Mount Vernon]]&ndash;[[Anacortes, Washington|Anacortes]], Washington [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==
First settled in 1869 by Ben Samson, it was later named for famous inventor [[Thomas Edison|Thomas Alva Edison]] (1847-1931), with his inventing productive laboratories in [[Menlo Park, New Jersey]], [[East Orange, New Jersey]], and [[Fort Myers, Florida]].<ref name=majors>{{Cite book| last = Majors | first = Harry M. | title = Exploring Washington | publisher = Van Winkle Publishing Co | year = 1975 | page = 19 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ| isbn = 978-0-918664-00-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Meany|first=Edmond S.|title=Origin of Washington geographic names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027074981;view=1up;seq=92|year=1923|publisher=University of Washington Press|location=Seattle|page=76}}</ref>

In 1897, Edison became the headquarters of a national [[utopian socialism|utopian socialist]] project known as [[Equality Colony]], backed by an organization known as the Brotherhood of the Cooperative Commonwealth.<ref name=LeWarne63-66>Charles Pierce LeWarne, ''Utopias on Puget Sound, 1885-1915.'' Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1995; pp. 63-66.</ref> The [[socialist colony]] was established on 280 acres just outside Edison and it engaged in farming and timber milling and included a school as well as blacksmith and copper-working shops. The Edison-based Brotherhood also published a newspaper called ''Industrial Freedom'' for national circulation to its approximately 3,000 supporters.<ref name=LeWarne63-66 /> The socialist community folded shortly after 1903, by which time only about 100 colony members remained.<ref>LeWarne, ''Utopias on Puget Sound, 1885-1915,'' pp. 102-103.</ref>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of 0.6&nbsp;square miles (1.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), all of it land.

==Demographics==
As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 133 people, 52 households, and 35 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 227.4 people per square mile (88.5/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 55 housing units at an average density of 94.0/sq&nbsp;mi (36.6/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.48% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.76% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.26% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 1.50% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.75% of the population.

There were 52 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 24.8% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 39.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 122.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,607, and the median income for a family was $50,982. Males had a median income of $40,000 versus $21,719 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $18,547. None of the population or families were below the [[poverty line]].

==Notable people==

* [[George Boomer]] (1862–1915) and [[Harry Ault]] (1883–1961), journalists and members of the Equality Colony<ref>H.W. Halladay, "Equality Colony: A Brief History Showing Our Objects and Present Condition — Cooperative Colonies Are Not All Failures," ''Industrial Freedom'' [Equality, WA], New Series no. 9 (Nov. 1, 1901), pg. 1</ref>
* [[Edward R. Murrow]] (1908–1965), news journalist, graduate of Edison High School

[[File:Edison, WA - Edison Elementary 01.jpg|thumb|Edison Elementary, 2013]]
==Schools==

Edison High School was in use as Edison Elementary School until its replacement with a new, larger building in 1996. Currently, the only school located in Edison is (the new) [[Edison Elementary School (Edison, Washington)|Edison Elementary School]], a K-8 school, built on the site of the former Edison High School.

==See also==

* [[Equality Colony]]
* [[Socialist Party of Washington]]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085617/issues/ "Browse Issues: ''Industrial Freedom,'' Edison Washington,"] Chronicling America, Library of Congress, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

{{Skagit County, Washington}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Skagit County, Washington]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:1869 establishments in Washington Territory]]
[[Category:Utopian communities in Washington]]