Langley, Washington, United States

🇺🇸 Langley (sc̓q̓abac) is a city in Island County, Washington, United States. It sits near the south end of Whidbey Island, overlooking the Saratoga Passage. It is the largest incorporated area on the island. Langley proper only covers 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), but its ZCTA extends for 26.20 square miles (67.9 km²).

Langley has been home to the Snohomish people since time immemorial. For centuries, there was a village at Sandy Point (č̓əč̓ɬqs), which, as of 1792, was inhabited by about 200 people; however, the Snohomosh were removed to the Tulalip Reservation in the late 1800s, and the village was abandoned. After that, the modern settlement of Langley was founded in the 1890s by Jacob Anthes, and the town was finally incorporated in 1913.

Langley is served by South Whidbey Fire/EMS, the Langley Police Department, and South Whidbey School District #206; the school district offices are located there. The city's current mayor is Scott Chaplin.

History Indigenous peoples, namely the Snohomish people, have inhabited south Whidbey Island since time immemorial. Langley is known in the Lushootseed language as sc̓q̓abac, meaning "gooseberry bush".

There was a village of the dəgʷasx̌abš, a Snohomish band, about a mile east of Langley on Sandy Point (č̓əč̓ɬqs). This village had a large potlatch house, which brought visitors from peoples as far as the Samish during festivities.

According to Snohomish oral history, several people were walking along the beach near sc̓q̓abac during the myth age. When dukʷibəɬ, known in English as the Changer, changed the world to how it is today, those people were made into large boulders.

For centuries, warfare was uncommon in Puget Sound, and mainly retaliatory in nature. The main dangers to the Snohomish at the time were the Haida and other Northwest Coast peoples, who traveled in large war canoes from the far north to raid and pillage all along the southern coasts, similar to the Vikings of the European medieval period.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, smallpox epidemics rocked the Northwest Coast, killing 90 percent of the population. In 1792, the village at č̓əč̓ɬqs was seen by Joseph Whidbey, who noted that the population seemed to be about 200 people. Later, the village would be abandoned in the late 1800s after the removal of the Snohomish people to the Tulalip Reservation.

American settlement Langley was founded in the 1890s by Jacob Anthes, and was named for J.W. Langley of Seattle. In 1902, Anthes built a logger bunkhouse that still stands in the downtown core (it functions today as the South Whidbey Historical Society Museum). Langley was officially incorporated on February 26, 1913.

At some point in the late 1900s, a number of 4H rabbits escaped their enclosures at the Island County Fair and went on to thrive as a large feral population initially residing around the county fairgrounds and later spreading throughout Langley and south Whidbey Island. In the 2010s the rabbits became a controversial issue in local politics, with citizens and groups advocating for public policy positions from removal and relocation to outright eradication. Some favored controlling the rabbit population using raptors, while other voices advocated for a more lenient position of community acceptance.

The Olympic Club The Dog House was opened in 1908 and home to an elite gentlemen's club called "The Olympic Club", however, the founder on opening night realized that he didn't have enough money to pay the entertainers – so he left with everyone's money and skipped town. Over the years, the building acted as host to many businesses, adding to the building's rich and vibrant history.

During the Prohibition, the building went back to its roots and played host to underground boxing and wrestling matches which were illegal on the mainland.

When the Prohibition ended, the club became a public bar, and operated as a restaurant and bar until its closure in 2008. The Clyde Theatre began in the top floor of this building.

Government and politics The City of Langley operates under a mayor–council form of government. The mayor and city councilmembers are elected to four-year terms. The City Council enacts ordinances and resolutions, holds public hearings, receives citizen comments, authorizes payment of City funds, approves contracts, and creates committees and boards to assist in the operation of city government. The City Council meets on the first and third Monday of each month in City Hall at 5:30pm. The Mayor presides over Council meetings and is responsible for the administration of City government.

Langley is also served by a sewage treatment facility on Coles Road (for now, in the middle of the woods), operated by the city's Public Works Department.

Paull Schell, the former Mayor of Seattle, was a big influence on city politics in the 90s and 2000s, constructing the Inn at Langley.

Langley Marina • Vessel Moorage • Accessible Restroom • Showers • Accessible Parking • Boat Ramp • Beach Access • Accessible Fishing

In January 2009, the City of Langley transferred ownership of the Langley Marina to the Port of South Whidbey. The small boat harbor consists of 41 slips and 330 feet of linear moorage that can accommodate vessels up to 190 feet (57.6 meters).

Facilities include restrooms and showers, water and 110v 20, 30, 50 and 100 amp power at the docks, a floating pump out station, and a boat launch. No fuel is available.

Schools Langley is in the South Whidbey School District, which has been in declining in attendance over the last two decades.

The first school constructed in Langley, the original Langley High School, and what was eventually the Langley Middle School campus after the new High School was constructed – home of the Cougars – is now completely defunct, managed by various local nonprofits and companies. There are still two time capsules buried next to the Middle School flagpole, the next one scheduled is to be opened in the year 2055, buried in 2005.

The main building has been converted into an artistic community classroom, known as the South Whidbey Community Center.

The gym has been converted into a CrossFit studio. The football field and track and field are still maintained by the Community Center, and the science building is now home to the Veterans Resource Center of South Whidbey.

Whidbey Children's Theatre is now housed in the former school auditorium.

The library is now home to the Whidbey Dance Theatre and the Island Dance Studio.

The home of the Eagles absorbed grades 7–8 with the closure of the Middle School in 2017. Today, grades 7-12 are now housed at the High School.

The home of the Dolphins and the home of the Orcas, constructed next door to one another, downsized and have now been merged into a singular entity, still occupying some classrooms in both campuses. Grades K – 6 now are housed at this Elementary School campus.

Events Mystery Weekend is a yearly mystery game event occurring the last weekend in February. A fake newspaper story is run in the South Whidbey Record or a fake newspaper can be purchased from the Visitor & Information Center, detailing the persons involved and instructing players to seek out characters played by local residents.

The Welcome the Whales Festival and parade is held at the beginning of April each year.

The Djangofest NW Music Festival is held in September each year. This five-day festival celebrates the gypsy jazz style of Django Reinhardt, and features workshops, concerts, and impromptu jam sessions around town.

The Whidbey Island Area Fair is held in July at the Island County Fairgrounds in Langley. The original Island County Fair Association was formed in 1912, predating the incorporation of Langley itself.

Choochokam was an event that ran for annually in this town for 41 years, before funding dried up. Local groups are discussing how to bring this festival back.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.08 square miles (2.80 km²), all of it land.

Demographics As of the census of 2010, there were 1,035 people, 555 households, and 271 families residing in the city. The population density was 958.3 inhabitants per square mile (370.0/km²). There were 678 housing units at an average density of 627.8 per square mile (242.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.1% White, 0.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.

There were 555 households, of which 16.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.2% were non-families. 43.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86 and the average family size was 2.51.

The median age in the city was 57 years. 14% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.4% were from 25 to 44; 39.8% were from 45 to 64; and 28.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 40.9% male and 59.1% female.