Stanwood was originally called Centerville but when D.O. Pearson arrived in 1877 and established the first store he named the town after his wife, using her maiden name of Stanwood.
East Stanwood was established in 1906 and by 1910 it boasted many businesses.
Stanwood and East Stanwood each forged ahead and soon developed a rivalry (like sisters) that lasted over 50 years until consolidation was approved in 1960. The side by side towns were know as "Twin Cities".
You can see in the photo, taken in 1960, the high school boys and how they joked about haveing to walk all the way from one town to another just to go to school. Small town joke of the day.
The towns merged as one in 1965.
The total population in 1960 was 1100 and today it is 5500.
