Gilman Apartments for Rent

Gilman is the old name given to Issaquah, Washington and the name of the area’s shopping neighborhood. Issaquah was settled by miners who first called it Gilman. When the mines ran out in the 1890s, the lumber industry found the mountain’s store of cedar and fir could keep the town afloat. The city incorporated in 1892 as Issaquah. Interstate 90 from Seattle across the Cascade Mountains keeps a flow of people passing by this town, nestled in the valley. Many large corporations have built their headquarters nearby, including Siemen’s Medical Solutions, Darigold, and Boehm’s Candy. Both T-Mobile and Costco also have their headquarters nearby on Interstate 90. The name Issaquah is purported to be from the Native American word that means “the sound of birds.” It is possible that the name derived from the European name of the valley, which was Squawk Valley, also named for the many bird songs heard from the surrounding trees.

Gilman Village Shopping area was created in 1972 from historic buildings in downtown Issaquah. Marvin and Ruth Mohl wanted to save the structures left from the mining era. The shopping area now comprises 40 shops, and was given an award by the Issaquah Design Commission in 1977. Another award followed in 1985 when the Bellevue, Washington Chamber of Commerce awarded the shopping area the Eastside Quality of Life Award. Some of the houses were built in 1909, such as the Trigg house that was once a dairy. The Granary building was once part of a working farm and used to house grain.