Roy was officially incorporated on January 16, 1908. It is a rural city outside Tacoma and primarily features ranch-style homes and farms. Roy was one of the early communities in the area, a prosperous boom-town and a major stop on the railroad line. But 3 major blows reduced this once-thriving town to the current form. A major fire in 1929 wiped out most of the downtown businesses just before the Depression started. The railroad eventually discontinued using Roy as a main stop. And the Army annexed most of the surrounding land to the north and west, limiting expansion and the local tax base, and erasing the nearby community of Loveland. Major features and/or attractions in Roy and the vicinity include the Roy Pioneer Rodeo, attracting participants and spectators from several states and Canada; Roy Elementary School, and many community organizations like 4H, Grange Hall, Scouts, etc.