Lacey City History

Lacey was originally called Woodland after settlers Isaac and Catherine Wood, who claimed land here in 1853. Renamed for attorney and developer O.C. Lacey, the city of Lacey was officially incorporated on December 5, 1966. At the time, the main industries were forest products, and retail.

Lacey sported one of the Northwest's first ever "indoor malls," South Sound Center, which has since been converted into an outdoor shopping center in the heart of Lacey. Since then, business developments, community groups, and population growth have led Lacey to develop into a city in its own right. The City of Lacey now flourishes with retail, warehousing/distribution centers, a large retirement community, a major mushroom farm, and Weyerhaeuser's corrugated container facility, with tons of new growth on it's way -- and has officially emerged as one of the Puget Sound's brightest stars.

The city is perceived as a slower paced community with its best characteristics being it's close proximity to many lakes and forests as well as being close to the beautiful Nisqually Valley.