Jacob D. Fowler was Mukilteo’s first homesteader. He was also a merchant, postmaster, and orchardist. In 1863 he planted a pear tree in his orchard, which may be the oldest pear tree in Washington State. Before the winter wind storm of 1995, the tree stood 35 feet tall and spread nearly 45 feet. The wind storms damaged the crown and revealed serious signs of decay in the trunk. Since then Mukilteo officials have propagated the tree in hopes to replace it if the original tree doesn’t continue to survive.
The Fowler Pear is all that is left of the orchard, and is a state registered historic landmark. The tree is located in the Barbara Brennan Dobro Park below Second Street on Mukilteo Lane north of Park Avenue.