Lakewood

First settled in the mid-1800s, the area we now call Lakewood was once known as The Prairie. A number of wealthy families built grand estates on the shores of Gravelly and American Lakes towards the end of the 1800s, and the Tacoma Country and Golf Club was established on American Lake in 1894 – the first golf club west of the Mississippi River. Commercial and residential development in the area increased significantly following the Great Depression. Lakewood Colonial Center began construction in 1937 as one of the first suburban shopping centers in the country.

The population in the Lakes District jumped from 3,000 in 1939 to 17,000 in 1949. As the area grew, other amenities were added, including what we now know as St. Clare Hospital, the Flora B Tenzler Memorial Library, Clover Park Technical College, Pierce College and Lakewold Gardens. The City of Lakewood was incorporated in 1995 and is currently the second largest city in Pierce County. It offers easy access to downtown Tacoma and Joint Base Lewis McChord.