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Category: Washington place names

A snapshot of Ferry County

A snapshot of Ferry County

 Ferry County flag (Image courtesy of Washington State Archives) Washington’s northern reaches contain some of its larger counties, such as Okanogan, Ferry and Stevens. In our 10th snapshot story, we turn the lens toward Ferry County, a sparsely populated but beautiful county in Washington’s northeastern region. Ferry County was named after Washington’s first governor, a Seattleite named Elisha Ferry, in 1899. Ferry contains 2,197 square miles and has a population of around 7,646, giving it a population density of around 3.4…

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A snapshot of Douglas County

A snapshot of Douglas County

Douglas County flag (Image courtesy of Washington State Archives) Just east of the Cascade Mountains in roughly the center of Washington lies Douglas County. Douglas, which was founded in 1883 out of land from Lincoln County, is the ninth county in our snapshot series. Douglas was named after Illinois Senator and statesman Stephen A. Douglas, who famously lost to Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election. He participated in historic debates with Lincoln regarding issues such as slavery and abolitionism….

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A Snapshot of Columbia County

A Snapshot of Columbia County

The Palouse region of Washington is a landscape of gentle hills, rural towns, and wheat fields in the southeastern corner of the state. Eliciting a Van Gogh painting, Palouse starkly contrasts the mountains and forests of Western Washington. Columbia County is found in this golden part of Washington, and is the seventh county in our series. Columbia County is named after the Columbia River, which winds through Washington and serves as a vein of commerce, irrigation, and recreation for the…

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A snapshot of Clark County

A snapshot of Clark County

Clark County flag (Image courtesy of Washington State Archives) If you were asked which county in Washington was the oldest, would you know the answer? Think way back to the pioneer era and you may get a clue. In 1805, Lewis and Clark ended their historic westward journey at the mouth of the Columbia River on the Pacific Coast. Located inland from the Pacific on the Columbia lies the answer to our question, Clark County, which was established in 1845. That…

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A snapshot of Clallam County

A snapshot of Clallam County

Clallam County flag (Images courtesy of Washington State Archives) The northern part of the Olympic Peninsula is a place where the spectacular Olympic Mountains meet the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For mountaineers trekking up the slopes of the Olympics, a bird’s eye view of Clallam County greets them at the summit. Past the borders of Clallam they may get a glimpse of Canada on a clear day, and to the south they can see the full expanse of the…

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A Snapshot of Chelan County

A Snapshot of Chelan County

Chelan is third in a series covering Washington’s 39 counties, including how they got their names. ————————————— If you look at a map of Washington, you’ll notice a long body of water gently winding across the northern Cascades. This blue swath is not a river, but Lake Chelan, a long, narrow lake that is a scenic icon that draws tourists to the fourth county in our snapshot series, Chelan County. Chelan is named after the 55-mile-long lake that snakes near its…

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A Snapshot of Benton County

A Snapshot of Benton County

Benton is third in a series covering Washington’s 39 counties, including how they got their names. In southcentral Washington where the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers converge, sits Benton County. Benton covers 1,738 square miles, designating it as Washington’s 21st largest county. Although it’s not particularly big, it’s population is 186,486 people, giving it a density of 103 people per square mile. This is slightly higher than the state average of 101.2, and is the 9th highest among Washington’s counties….

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A Snapshot of Asotin County

A Snapshot of Asotin County

Asotin is second in a series covering Washington’s 39 counties, including how they got their names. Nestled in the reaches of Washington’s far southeastern corner is Asotin County (pronounced uh-SOH-tin). It is colloquially referred to as Washington’s “cornerstone.” Asotin, a word derived from the Nez Perce Indian language (originally Has-Hu-Tin), translates into English as, “eel creek.” This title refers to the eels that are ubiquitous in the waterways in and around Asotin County, including the Snake River. Before the arrival…

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A Snapshot of Adams County

A Snapshot of Adams County

Adams is first in a series covering Washington’s 39 counties, including how they got their names. —————————————————————————————————– Adams County, named for the second president, John Adams, is a landscape of pastoral hills, farmland, and vast skies in the southeastern part of the state. It was founded in November, 1883, by the Territorial Legislature, six full years before Washington became a state. Unlike the densely populated counties in the West around Puget Sound, Adams County offers plenty of elbow room. With…

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From Your Corner: Zillah’s name

From Your Corner: Zillah’s name

(Photo courtesy of City of Zillah) If you’ve driven from Yakima to the Tri-Cities or if you’ve done a wine-tasting tour in the Yakima Valley, chances are you’ve been through Zillah, a town of roughly 3,000 inhabitants in south-central Washington. Zillah is in beautiful Yakima County, known for more than two dozen local wineries and vineyards. Zillah (pronounced ZIL-uh) was named by Yakima Valley irrigation pioneer Walter N. Granger, president of the Yakima Land and Canal Company. One of the…

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