Long before European settlement, the Green River Valley was inhabited by the Coast Salish people, specifically ancestors of the modern Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, who fished the rivers and gathered resources in the fertile plains. European-American settlement began in the 1850s. The area was originally known as "Titusville," but was renamed "Kent" in the 1880s by Ezra Meeker, an early pioneer. Meeker noticed the region's climate and soil were perfect for growing hops, likening it to the English county of Kent, famous for its hop production. Kent was officially incorporated in 1890, becoming the second incorporated city in King County after Seattle.
After an aphid infestation destroyed the hop industry in the late 19th century, farmers pivoted to dairy, berries, and vegetables. By the 1920s, Kent had earned the moniker "Lettuce Capital of the World," producing massive crops of iceberg lettuce that were shipped nationwide in ice-packed train cars. Agriculture dominated the local economy until the mid-20th century.
The turning point in Kent's history was the completion of the Howard A. Hanson Dam in 1962, which controlled the seasonal flooding of the Green River. With the valley floor finally stabilized, agriculture quickly gave way to large-scale industrial and commercial development. Aerospace giant Boeing built its Kent Space Center in the 1960s, where the Lunar Roving Vehicles used in the Apollo missions were designed and built. The ensuing decades saw massive suburbanization and immigration, transforming Kent from a quiet farming town into a sprawling, highly diverse, and economically vital city.
