History
The island was named in 1841 by Charles Wilkes of the United States Exploring Expedition. Given a warm reception at Fort Nisqually by Mr. Anderson and Captain McNeill, and assistance to aid his operations, Wilkes repaid the kindness by naming the two nearby islands after these two men.
In 1870, Andrew N. Christensen, a Dane, and his brother, Christian F. Christensen, were the first settlers to come to the island. Andrew's wife had a strong hand in the development of the island community. Christian was the only Christensen brother to permanently reside on Anderson Island. The primary industry was the sale of wood to the wood burning steamers that came into Amsterdam Bay. Other early industries included brick making, farming and fishing.
One General Store serves the needs of island residents. The store is run by Dr. & Mrs. Lake of Steilacoom, WA.
In 2004, National Recreational Properties, Inc. of Irvine, California purchased more than 400 vacant lots on the island in the range of $4,000 to $7,000. They created an infomercial and sold to out of state investors, most from California. Residents speculated that the lots would be sold for about $25,000. eventually more 300 lots were purchased, most selling for over $40,000.
Read more about this topic: Anderson Island (Washington)
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