Sultan, Washington

Sultan is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, located where the Sultan River flows into the Skykomish. The population was 4,651 at the 2010 census. There is an annual 3-day street fair held in July, known as the 'Sultan Shindig'. Carnival rides, street vendors and logging games are a popular part of the fair. As well as this, the Shindig's loggers practice in Spring with logs that they are allowed to cut into a variety of wooden sculptures.

History

Sultan was originally settled around 1880, but not officially incorporated until June 28, 1905. Both the Sultan River and the town of Sultan were named by prospectors for the chief of a Snohomish sub-tribe who lived on the Skykomish River in the 1870s. His name as Tsul-tad or Tseul-tud, which was anglicized by the miners into Sultan. For generations Sultan remained a small logging community.

In 1968, the town was visited by more than 20,000 hippies during The Sky River Rock Festival and Lighter Than Air Fair, one of the first outdoor rock festivals. The event took place on a farm near town. The line-up included Santana, Grateful Dead, Country Joe McDonald, Muddy Waters, Buffy St. Marie, guitarist John Fahey, and many others. Also on hand was the young comedian Richard Pryor.