The Calhoun-Ives area of northwestern Washington was first settled in the 1730s, when it was part of the towns of Woodbury and Kent. The earliest settlers, members of the Calhoun, Ives, and Averill families, purchased land from Native Americans. At first, the local farmers engaged in subsistence farming, but by the mid-19th century a trend toward market-driven dairy farming took hold, and is reflected in the changed layouts and outbuildings of the district's farm properties.
