East Wenatchee, Washington

Infobox Settlement
official_name = East Wenatchee, Washington


imagesize =
image_caption =
image_

settlement_type = City
nickname = Eastmont
website = [http://www.east-wenatchee.com www.east-wenatchee.com]

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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in the state of Washington


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = Washington
subdivision_name2 = Douglas
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = March 11 1935
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Steven C. Lacy
area_magnitude =
area_total_sq_mi = 3.67
area_land_sq_mi = 3.67
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
area_water_percent =
area_total_km2 = 6.0
area_land_km2 = 6.0
area_water_km2 = 0.0
population_as_of = 2000
population_total = 5,757
population_density_sq_mi = 3126.3
timezone = PST
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
latd = 47 |latm = 25 |lats = 17 |latNS = N
longd = 120 |longm = 17 |longs = 17 |longEW = W
elevation_ft = 712
elevation_m = 217
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 98802
area_code = 509
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 53-20155GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1519148GR|3
footnotes = The City of East Wenatchee is located in Douglas County, Washington, United States along the northern banks of the Columbia River. According to 2008 statistics, the population of East Wenatchee is 11,570. [http://www.ofm.wa.gov/pop/april1/default.asp] .

East Wenatchee is part of the Wenatchee, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The earliest, known residents of the East Wenatchee area were Native Americans; the Richey Clovis Cache discovered in 1987 in a local orchard places humans in East Wenatchee 11,250 years ago. At the turn of the 20th Century, irrigation projects, including the Columbia Basin Project east of the region, opened the door for farming the barren land. Orchards become the area’s leading industry.

In 1908, the first highway bridge to span the Columbia River opened. The privately owned bridge carried people, horses, wagons, and a rare motorcar, and also water in two large pipelines along its sides. It connected Chelan County on the Wenatchee shore with Douglas County on East Wenatchee shore. The bridge opened East Wenatchee and the rest of Douglas County to apple orchard development. Still standing today, the bridge is a 1,060-foot pinconnected steel cantilever bridge and cost $177,000 to build. It once carried Sunset Highway (State Highway 2) across the river.

The bridge was the brainchild of W. T. Clark, one of the builders of the Highline Canal, a major irrigation project to water the apple orchards in the valley. It was financed in part by James J. Hill (1838-1916), of the Great Northern Railway (which arrived in Wenatchee in 1892). In its second year of operation the canal firm that owned it decided to start charging tolls.

This prompted local leaders to hasten to the state legislature to persuade the state to purchase the bridge as part of the state highway system. The state purchased the bridge despite the state-employed consultant's opinion "that the ugliness of the structure is very apparent" (Dorpat), despite defects in the timber floor and concrete piers, and despite leaks in the waterpipes.

The structure remained in full use until 1950 when a new bridge was built. Today, it remains as a footbridge and still carries water to the apple trees of East Wenatchee.

From its foundation in agriculture, the region’s economy has diversified to include year-round tourism and a variety of other industries.

Founding

On February 28, 1935, citizens voted, 48 in favor and 46 against, to incorporate the town of East Wenatchee. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
] When the town was incorporated on March 11, 1935, the original town site was fifty acres. Today, the town has grown into a city. As of 2007, East Wenatchee's boundaries emcompassed 3.67 square miles.

Major Events

On Oct. 5, 1931, East Wenatchee became part of aviation history. Having taken off from Misawa, Japan, pilots Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon Jr. safely belly-landed their Bellanca airplane Miss Veedol on a nearby airstrip, Fancher Field. After take off, the pilots intentionally jettisoned the landing gear to conserve fuel. This flight was the first nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean. In honor of this pioneering flight, East Wenatchee's airport is called Pangborn Memorial Airport.

On May 27, 1987, East Wenatchee became part of archaeological history. On that date, while digging in an orchard just east of the city, farmworkers accidentally discovered a cache of 11,000-year-old Clovis points and other artifacts, left by Pleistocene hunters some 11,000 years earlier. The East Wenatchee Clovis Site, explored in two subsequent archaeological digs in 1988 and 1990, was closed to science by the landowner after protests by local Indian tribes. The legal moratorium on new archaeological work at the site ended on June 1, 2007. [http://clovis.wenatcheeworld.com]

Geography

East Wenatchee is located at coor dms|47|25|17|N|120|17|17|W|city (47.421506, -120.288094)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²), all of it land.

Culture

Tourism

Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval

Apple Blossom Festival

Wings & Wheels

Classy Chassis Parade & Car Show

Demographics

According to 2008 estimates by the state of Washington, the current population of the City is 11,570. As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 5,757 people, 2,295 households, and 1,569 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.4 people per square mile (954.0/km²). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 1,044.0/sq mi (402.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.09% White, 0.40% African American, 0.96% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 6.13% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.05% of the population.

There were 2,295 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,919, and the median income for a family was $41,518. Males had a median income of $37,629 versus $24,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,876. About 13.4% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government and Politics

Mayors of Note

Steven C. Lacy (1998-present) A native of Washington, Steven C. Lacy graduated from Franklin Pierce High School in 1969. He graduated from the University of Utah School of Law in 1979 with a juris doctor degree, and settled in East Wenatchee.Dawn Cawlings

ister Cities

East Wenatchee has one sister city:
*flagicon|Japan Misawa, Japan

Education

Public K-12 education is provided by the Eastmont School District.

Transportation

Air

The city is served by Pangborn Memorial Airport with flights to/from Seattle on Horizon Air.

Rail

East Wenatchee's rail access is located across the Columbia River in Wenatchee which is on the major railroad line of the Great Northern Railway (now BNSF Railway) to Seattle. It was once the eastern terminus of electric operations (1909-56) on its Cascade Tunnel route, which went all the way to Skykomish. Here, steam or diesel locomotives were changed or coupled to electric locomotives for this route. Today, Amtrak's "Empire Builder" serves the city.

Also see:

*Columbia Station (Wenatchee)

Roads and Highways

East Wenatchee is serviced by State Route 28, U.S. Route 97, and U.S. Route 2.

References

External links

*dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Washington/Localities/E/East_Wenatchee