Reflecting back to when King County was renamed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Jan 19, 2026, 12:00 PM
American Baptist minister and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr sits outside a property in Montgomery, Alabama, US, May 1961. (Photo: Daily Express via Getty Images)
(Photo: Daily Express via Getty Images)
On July 24, 2005, King County, Washington was officially renamed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
It was a long time coming. King County was originally named after U.S. Vice President Rufus de Vane King in 1852. King was a plantation owner in Alabama who reportedly owned between 250 and 500 slaves.
In 1986, the King County Council, with support from county residents, passed a proposal to rename the county after a champion of justice, rather than a slave owner.
“Martin Luther King Jr. was much more meaningful to be named after a guy whose life was based on creating social justice, fairness, and equity for all people,” Larry Gossett, former Chair of the King County Council, said. “So, it still continues to thrill me to see people recognizing and celebrating the meaningfulness of who our county’s namesake is. And I remain proud of the role I played in bringing that about.”
The change still needed a vote from the legislature and the governor’s signature. The legislature finally passed the renaming bill before Governor Christine Gregoire signed it into law in April 2005.
The name change became official on July 24, 2005.
“Changing the history of the county is symbolic. It’s symbolic to honor the best in ourselves, which is Martin Luther King Jr. A person who stood for non-violent protest,” former Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said. “This is a great time to celebrate that, particularly when we are actually encouraging people to peacefully protest what they believe in.”
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