Zillah, Washington

Zillah is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States, with a population of 2,964 as of 2010 census. Tourist attractions include the Teapot Dome Service Station, the fortuitously named Church of God Zillah and the local wineries.

Zillah was founded in 1891 following the completion of the Sunnyside Canal project, an irrigation scheme delivering water from the Yakima River to the arid lower Yakima Valley. Walter Granger, superintendent of the canal company, chose the town site in 1892. The town was named for Miss Zillah Oakes, daughter of Thomas Fletcher Oakes, who, as president of the Northern Pacific Railway, had backed the building of the canal. The town was named after Miss Zillah because she would scream and cry on the way to the new town, while on the trip her father promised to name the town after her if she would stop. Granger housed the headquarters of the Washington Irrigation Company in Zillah, giving it economical advantages for a time. He also made his residency in Zillah, becoming its mayor after retiring from the irrigation company. Zillah was officially incorporated on January 5, 1911.[7]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 2,964 people, 1,033 households, and 741 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,665.2 inhabitants per square mile (642.9/km2). There were 1,105 housing units at an average density of 620.8 per square mile (239.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 63.8% White, 0.3% African American, 3.8% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 27.1% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.5% of the population.

There were 1,033 households of which 43.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.3% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.40.

Yakima, Washington

Yakima (/ˈjækɪmɑː/ or /ˈjækɪmə/) is a U.S. city located about 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Mount Rainier in Washington. Yakima is the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's eleventh largest city by population. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,067 and a metropolitan population of 243,231.[5] The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima.[6]

Yakima is situated in the Yakima Valley, an extremely productive agricultural region noted for apple, wine and hop production. As of 2011, the Yakima Valley produces 77% of all hops grown in the United States.[7] The name Yakima originates from the Yakama Nation, located south of the city.

The Yakama people were the first known inhabitants of the Yakima Valley. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition came to the area and discovered abundant wildlife and rich soil, prompting the settlement of homesteaders.[8] A Catholic Mission was established in Ahtanum, southwest of present-day Yakima, in 1847.[9] The arrival of settlers and their conflicts with the natives resulted in the Yakima War. The U.S. Army established Fort Simcoe in 1856 near present-day White Swan as a response to the uprising. The Yakamas were defeated and forced to relocate to the Yakama Indian Reservation.

Yakima County was created in 1865. When bypassed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in December 1884, over 100 buildings were moved with rollers and horse teams to the nearby site of the depot. The new city was dubbed North Yakima and was officially incorporated and named the county seat on January 27, 1886. The name was changed to Yakima in 1918. Union Gap was the new name given to the original site of Yakima.

Yelm, Washington

Yelm /jɛlm/ is a city in Thurston County, Washington, US. Its population was 6,848 at the 2010 census. It ranked 10th of 279 eligible incorporated communities in Washington for population growth from 2000–2010.[citation needed]

Yelm is in southeast Thurston County, Washington. It is a suburban city, surrounded by other suburban cities and pockets of unincorporated Thurston County. It is near the major transportation routes of Interstate 5 and State Routes 507, 510 and 702, which connect it economically and socially to the greater Puget Sound Region and provide a gateway to Mount Rainier.

The Yelm Prairie was originally inhabited by the Nisqually and provided good pasture for their horses. The first permanent non-indigenous settlers came in 1853 to join the Hudson's Bay Company sheep farmers who already conducted business in the area.

With the coming of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1873, Yelm began to prosper, having found an outlet for its agricultural and forestry products. Its economic base was further enhanced when an irrigation company was formed in 1916, making Yelm a center for commercial production of beans, cucumbers and berries.[8]

Touchet, Washington

The original inhabitants of the Walla Walla valley were the Nimi'ipuu people. These people, which originally included bands of Palouse, Yakamas, Umatilla, Walla Walla and Wanapum, were collectively renamed Nez Perce by Lewis and Clark when they passed through the Walla Walla Valley on their return journey in 1806.[3][4]

The Walla Walla & Columbia River Railroad from Wallula to Walla Walla was not completed until 1875, but by March 1874, 16 miles of track were completed up to Touchet. By the end of that year Touchet farmers shipped 4,000 tons of wheat and received 1,100 tons of merchandise.[6]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 396 people, 135 households, and 112 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 326.1 people per square mile (126.4/km²). There were 140 housing units at an average density of 115.3/sq mi (44.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.68% White, 0.76% Native American, 4.29% from other races, and 2.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.66% of the population.

There were 135 households out of which 48.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.27.

Washougal, Washington

This small community is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River, with its lowlands and famous prairie situated on the west entrance to the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Motorists who approach Washougal from the west on the Lewis & Clark Highway can see Mount Hood rising above the Cascade Mountains framed by the columnar cliffs that signal the gateway of the Gorge. It is home to Excelsior High School and Washougal High School.

It can be accurately stated that Washougal is the "crossroads to discovery" in the Pacific Northwest. Shortly after Capt. Robert Gray, a Boston fur trader, entered the mouth of the Columbia River in May 1792, the famed British explorer George Vancouver traveled to the region to verify Gray's discovery. In October 1792, Vancouver directed a young Lieutenant named William Broughton to lead a party of men in a long boat up the Columbia to explore its head waters. Broughton came as far as present day Washougal and landed near the east end of Reed Island. He named Mount Hood after a British admiral and Point Vancouver after his commanding officer. Broughton incorrectly assumed the head waters of the Columbia originated from Mount Hood. In reality, the river originates some 1,000 miles to the north and east in Canada, but it would be 18 years later before the entire river was charted by another famed British explorer named David Thompson.

Captain Gray's discovery of the Columbia opened trade between Europeans and Chinook Indians who lived along the lower Columbia between the Cascade region and the river's mouth. U.S., British, Spanish and Russian fur traders bartered for sea otter and beaver skins in the late 18th century. Then, another important group of explorers visited the region in 1805–1806, but this group came from the east, which marked the first cross-continental expedition. These famed explorers were Meriwether Lewis & William Clark.

The Corps of Discovery was impressed with the fertile valley located near Washougal. In fact, when they finally reached the Pacific Coast and conducted their historic vote on selecting their winter camp site, the three viable options considered were the Clatsop area near Astoria (Oregon), the north bank near Chinook (Washington), and the fertile valley near the Sandy and Washougal Rivers. But, because the Corps had reached the Pacific in late November, they did not have much time to construct a winter fort before the cold weather set in, therefore choosing the Clatsop region because of the abundance of big game and its view of the Pacific—and they hoped to make contact with a fur trading ship to get word back to President Jefferson about the success of their mission.

Toutle, Washington

Toutle is an unincorporated community in Cowlitz County, Washington. Toutle is located 10 miles (16 km) east of Castle Rock along Washington State Route 504, which is also known as the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway.[2] The Toutle community, similar to Toutle River, takes its name from the Hullooetell, a band of the Skillot - a Chinookan tribe.[3] The Toutle community is part of the Toutle Lake School District, a K-12 school district of about 600 students. Toutle is near Mount St. Helens and the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, which lies at the end of the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States.

Washtucna, Washington

Washtucna is a town in Adams County, Washington, United States. The population was 208 at the 2010 census, a 20% decrease over the previous census. The town was named for a lake 12 miles from the town in Franklin County which was in turn named after a Palouse Native American chief.[5]

George Bassett, an Iowan settler homesteaded the future site of Washtucna in 1878[5] with his wife Alice Lancaster Bassett. Their goal was to raise horses, and until 1900 their ranch was the site of an annual roundup of wild horses. In 1882, the first Post Office in Adams County was established with Bassett as postmaster. The post office was taken over by T.C. Martin in 1894 who then opened the first store in Washtucna.

The first rail line into the area was completed by the Oregon Improvement Company in 1886, and shipped 30,000 bushels of wheat in its first five years. Several attempts at large-scale irrigation projects were attempted between 1892 and 1917, but all failed. Dry land wheat farming has persisted since that time.

Washtucna is located at the intersection of Washington Highways 26 and 261; about 65 miles (105 km) west of Pullman, Washington, 86 miles (138 km) southwest of Spokane, Washington, and 220 miles (350 km) east of Seattle, Washington.

Tracyton, Washington

Tracyton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. Its population was 5,233 at the 2010 census. Tracyton was named for 19th century Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy.[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.3 km²), of which, 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) of it (37.45%) is water.

As of the census[1] of 2010, there are 5,233 people, 1,215 households, and 924 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 2,143.4 people per square mile (829.9/km²). There are 1,288 housing units at an average density of 845.0/sq mi (327.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 80.56% White, 3.67% African American, 0.73% Native American, 6.06% Asian, 0.98% Pacific Islander, 1.99% from other races, and 6.00% from two or more races. 3.61% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,215 households out of which 35.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% are married couples living together, 12.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% are non-families. 18.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.69 and the average family size is 3.05.

Waterville, Washington

Waterville was founded in 1885 and platted in 1886. The town was incorporated under the Territorial Charter in 1889 but after Washington gained statehood the town was officially incorporated on May 12, 1890.

Since its founding in 1889, Waterville, along with the designation of being the seat of Douglas County, boasts a rich history filled with farming, recreation destinations, and diverse economic trends.

In 1883, Stephen Boise placed a squatter's claim on the shrub steppe plateau in Eastern Washington, high above a big bend in the Columbia River. Soon, he built a cabin and dug a well. The well produced water, and lots of it…it was the only available water for miles around. Before long, the site would eventually become the county seat; the precious liquid would give the Town of Waterville its name.

A.T. Greene bought the Boise land claim in 1885, with visions of building a town. He deeded and platted 40 acres (160,000 m2) for use as the original townsite, which he called Waterville. Waterville boosters wanted the town to be the county seat of newly established Douglas County. The problem was, Douglas County already had a county seat, a small town named Okanogan, six miles (10 km) to the northeast. Okanogan, however, was dry… despite several attempts, not a single well produced a drop of water. So at a political convention in Okanogan, the Waterville contingent produced a barrel of water and insisted on moving the county seat to its source. Bowing to popular demand, the Commissioners did so on May 2, 1887, declaring Waterville to be the new county seat. On March 22, 1889, Waterville became an incorporated town in Washington Territory. That same year, town founder A. T. Greene built the first Douglas County Courthouse in Waterville and sold it to the newly formed county for one dollar. No trace remains of Okanogan, but the town of Douglas survives as an unincorporated hamlet.

Trout Lake, Washington

Trout Lake is a census-designated place (CDP) in Klickitat County, Washington, United States. The population was 557 at the 2010 census. The town is notable for its organic dairy and herb farms, and as an access point to Mount Adams and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²), of which, 7.1 square miles (18.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.70%) is water.

As of the 2010 United States Census,[4] there were 557 people, 224 households, and 171 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 78.5 people per square mile. There were 290 housing units at an average density of 40.8/sq mi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.6% White, 0.2% Black, 0.9% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 2.5% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.2% of the population.

There were 224 households, out of which 28.1% included children under the age of 18, 64.7% included a married husband and wife, 4.0% included a male householder with no wife present, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.81.