The community of Woodinville, located northeast of Seattle across Lake Washington, traces its origins to Ira and Susan Woodin, who arrived in 1871. The young family rowed their boat from Seattle across the lake, then up a wide, sluggish stream called Squak Slough (later Sammamish River) to settle on 160 forested acres. Joined by more settlers within 10 years, the small settlement was first defined by logging camps and sawmills. The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad came to town in 1887, tying the community to the neighboring settlements and bringing more homesteaders. After the timber was removed from the river valley, large-scale farming and dairying took over the fertile area for the next 60 years, culminating in a viticulture industry that has given the once-bucolic valley a national reputation for wineries and tasting rooms.
