Wilkeson, WA

Wilkeson is a Pierce County town that grew from coal mining in the 1870s, with the Northern Pacific carrying coal to Tacoma by 1877. The town’s older industrial map still shows up in its coke ovens, mine works, and the Wilkeson School, a 1909 building listed on the National Register. Holy Trinity Orthodox Church is another local marker, and July brings the National Handcar Races. Wilkeson sits between Carbonado and Burnett, near the Carbon River side of Mount Rainier country. It is a former coal town that keeps its history in brick, timber, and a race on rails.