Loving Small Old-Fashioned Towns ~ Ruthie L Manier

Have you ever explored the charming town of La Conner, Washington? If not, it's definitely worth a visit the next time you're in Washington state! I moved to Skagit County in the 1970s and remember the first time my mom brought me to La Conner so vividly. I thought it was the prettiest little old-fashioned town I had ever seen. The town’s older buildings are next to the waterfront. Restaurants, art museums, and shops run along both sides of the street. We ate ice-cream sitting by the channel. Then drove over the Rainbow bridge and stopped at the park to play for a while underneath the bridge. Today La Conner is still my favorite lunch destination. If you ever visit, make sure to go to the La Conner Pub, it has delicious food, kid-friendly restaurant side, you can sit outside looking over the water and enjoy a spectacular view. 

Some early History: La Conner is nestled on the delta near the mouth of the Skagit River. Swinomish was the original name when it was founded in the early 1860s. The name changed to La Conner in the 1870s after the town and 70 acres of land were deeded to John Conner for only $500. Conner renamed the town after his wife, Louisa A. Conner. 

 La Conner is the oldest community in Skagit County. The first non-native settlers came right after the Civil War, including Alexander Underwood, Michael Sullivan, Sam Calhoun, and A.G. Tillinghast. 

In 1869, John Conner bought the trading post built by John Hayes on the west side of the Swinomish Slough and set up a post office. For a time, La Conner even served as the county seat before Mount Vernon took over. 

After the early settlers diked hundreds of acres of land, creating farmland that surpassed per-acre yields around the world, it became a popular farm community and a hub for steamers carrying freight and passengers from Seattle. The population grew quickly due to La Conner’s proximity to the river. Logging and fishing lured people in until the Great Depression. 

Artists flocked to La Conner in the 1940s, drawn by the breathtakingly scenic landscape and unique light. The nature-inspired them to put a paintbrush to canvas. Some artists were leaders of the Northwest School of Art. With the artists came more tourists. By the 1970s, tourists from all around the world came for the Tulip Festival, the art galleries, the museums, the restaurants, the history, shopping, and to see the Rainbow Bridge. Some came for the old-fashioned feel. Others for peace. 

2026:   La Conner is a favorite town to visit if you want to watch the waterfront or enjoy fine restaurants, inns, and bed & breakfasts. You can also enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife, including birdwatching. La Conner is the wintering grounds for swans and Canada geese. The fertile farmlands continue to produce food and seed crops. Other facts: La Conner is on the National Registry of Historic Places. The Civic Garden Club was the first courthouse north of Seattle. New Series Check out my new series “Snooper’s Coopers!” Amazon.com/dp/B0GSS9CW9X Follow me on Facebook, @ruthielmanier Instagram BookBub Website, ruthielmanierbooks.com Xoxoxo