Mission:

To provide needed and valued services that promote our sense of community.

Vision:

Sumner will set the standard of excellence for a progressive small city.

Values:

-We are collaborative and professional.
-We are innovative and visionary.
-We are responsive and accountable.
-We serve with respect and integrity.

History:

In 1853, members of a wagon train crossed over the Cascade Mountains through Naches Pass and settled an agricultural community in a fertile river valley at the junction of the Puyallup River and Stuck Creek (now known as the White River). They grew crops such as daffodils, rhubarb, hops, berries, vegetables and turf grass.

In 1873 George Ryan came west from Wisconsin. He purchased 40 acres from Laura Kincaid Seaman and raised fruit, vegetables and hops. He also owned a sawmill, built a large section of the business district, and helped establish a railroad depot.

The town itself was platted in 1883 on the 160 acres owned by John Kincaid. The establishment of the Northern Pacific rail line through the area and the construction of the depot influenced the development of the community. The downtown and core residential area developed within a 15 minute walk of the depot. With 127 registered voters and a majority vote, the town of Sumner incorporated in 1891 with George Ryan as the first mayor.

The reported population of Sumner was 538 in 1900. By 1998, it had grown to about 8,400. Agriculture remains important to the local economy, along with food manufacturing, wood products production and warehousing and distribution.