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Puyallup

Washington, United States
Also known as: Franklin
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
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•History

News •

What are Washington state’s fastest growing companies? See the list for 2026 • Oct. 29, 2026, 12:00 PM ET (The Tacoma News Tribune)
State had complaints about Puyallup rail crossing before wheelchair user’s death • Oct. 23, 2026, 7:42 PM ET (The Tacoma News Tribune)
Man killed by train in downtown Puyallup ID’ed by Medical Examiner • Oct. 23, 2026, 12:23 PM ET (The Tacoma News Tribune)

Puyallup, city, Pierce county, western Washington, U.S., on the Puyallup River. Settled in 1854 and known as Franklin, it was destroyed in a raid (1855) by Puyallup and Nisqually Indians from whom the land had been claimed. The area was resettled by Ezra Meeker in 1859. Laid out in 1877, it was named Puyallup, meaning “generous people” in the Puyallup language. Located in an agricultural valley (berries, dairy and truck-garden produce, poultry, bulbs), it developed food-processing and woodworking industries. The Puyallup Trout Hatchery and Western Washington (agricultural) Experiment Station are located in the city. An annual daffodil festival is held in the city in the spring. The Ezra Meeker Mansion (1875) houses artifacts relating to area history. The Puyallup Indian Reservation lies between Puyallup and Tacoma. Inc. 1890. Pop. (2000) 33,011; (2010) 37,022.

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