Lincoln County, Washington
Encyclopedia
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Washington. It is named after Abraham Lincoln
. As of 2010, the population was 10,570. The county seat is at Davenport
, which is also the county's largest city.
Lincoln County was created out of Whitman County
on November 24, 1883.
, the county has a total area of 2340 square miles (6,060.6 km²), of which 2311 square miles (5,985.5 km²) is land and 29 square miles (75.1 km²) (1.22%) is water.
of 2000, there were 10,184 people, 4,151 households, and 2,914 families residing in the county. The population density
was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 5,298 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.64% White
, 0.23% Black
or African American
, 1.63% Native American
, 0.25% Asian
, 0.07% Pacific Islander
, 0.58% from other races
, and 1.61% from two or more races. 1.88% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 36.6% were of German, 10.5% English
, 9.3% United States
or American and 5.8% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 4,151 households out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% were married couples
living together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.80% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 5.20% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 27.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,255, and the median income for a family was $41,269. Males had a median income of $31,086 versus $22,444 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $17,888. About 8.40% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.
. In 2004 it voted for Republican George W. Bush
over John Kerry
69%-30%. In 2008 it voted for John McCain
over Barack Obama
62%-35%. In the last sixteen years no Democratic candidate for President has received more than 36% of the county's vote. Lincoln County has not voted for a Democrat for President since 1948.
In the 2008 election Republicans carried the county in all races where party affiliation was listed. In many cases they did so with 65% or more. Hence Dino Rossi
was the clear winner 65% to Governor Christine Gregoire
's 35%; Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers received 78.1% of the county's vote; Sam Reed
received 74.64% for Washington state Secretary of State; and Rob McKenna
received 75.43% for Attorney General.
), sometimes producing 25 million bushels (680,000 t) a year.http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/data-sets/crops/9X180/97180/3/aw96cerk.txt Only about 500,000 of 900,000 acres (2,000 of 3600 km² (1,390 sq mi)) of farmland in the county are planted in any given year due to the practice of typically harvesting one crop every two years, a necessity in a region with only 12 inches (300 mm) of precipitation annually.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. It is named after Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. As of 2010, the population was 10,570. The county seat is at Davenport
Davenport, Washington
Davenport is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,734 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:Davenport was first settled in 1880, and was named in 1882 for resident J.C. Davenport...
, which is also the county's largest city.
Lincoln County was created out of Whitman County
Whitman County, Washington
Whitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,776, with the majority living in its largest city, Pullman, home to Washington State University, the state's land-grant university. The county seat is at Colfax.Whitman County was...
on November 24, 1883.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 2340 square miles (6,060.6 km²), of which 2311 square miles (5,985.5 km²) is land and 29 square miles (75.1 km²) (1.22%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 90
U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 395
Adjacent counties
- Ferry County, Washington - north
- Stevens County, Washington - northeast
- Spokane County, WashingtonSpokane County, WashingtonSpokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after the Spokane tribe. As of the 2010 census the population was 471,221, making it the fourth most populous county in Washington state. The largest city and county seat is Spokane, the second largest city in the state,...
- east - Whitman County, WashingtonWhitman County, WashingtonWhitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,776, with the majority living in its largest city, Pullman, home to Washington State University, the state's land-grant university. The county seat is at Colfax.Whitman County was...
- southeast - Adams County, Washington - south
- Grant County, Washington - west
- Okanogan County, Washington - northwest
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 10,184 people, 4,151 households, and 2,914 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 5,298 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.64% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.23% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.63% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.25% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.07% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.58% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.61% from two or more races. 1.88% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 36.6% were of German, 10.5% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 9.3% United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or American and 5.8% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 4,151 households out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.80% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 5.20% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 27.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,255, and the median income for a family was $41,269. Males had a median income of $31,086 versus $22,444 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $17,888. About 8.40% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
Lincoln County is one of the most conservative counties in Washington. In 1964 it was one of only three counties in the state to be carried by Barry GoldwaterBarry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
. In 2004 it voted for Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
over John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
69%-30%. In 2008 it voted for John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
over Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
62%-35%. In the last sixteen years no Democratic candidate for President has received more than 36% of the county's vote. Lincoln County has not voted for a Democrat for President since 1948.
In the 2008 election Republicans carried the county in all races where party affiliation was listed. In many cases they did so with 65% or more. Hence Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
was the clear winner 65% to Governor Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
's 35%; Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers received 78.1% of the county's vote; Sam Reed
Sam Reed
Sam Reed is the Secretary of State of Washington and a Republican. Reed is Washington's fourteenth Secretary of State.Reed received his bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from Washington State University...
received 74.64% for Washington state Secretary of State; and Rob McKenna
Rob McKenna
Robert Marion "Rob" McKenna is the Republican Attorney General of Washington and was elected in November 2004 for a term beginning in January 2005. He won re-election in November 2008 with over 59 percent statewide...
received 75.43% for Attorney General.
Economy
The county is completely dependent on agriculture, primarily wheat farming. Lincoln County is generally considered the second-largest producer of wheat in the United States (following Whitman County, WashingtonWhitman County, Washington
Whitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,776, with the majority living in its largest city, Pullman, home to Washington State University, the state's land-grant university. The county seat is at Colfax.Whitman County was...
), sometimes producing 25 million bushels (680,000 t) a year.http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/data-sets/crops/9X180/97180/3/aw96cerk.txt Only about 500,000 of 900,000 acres (2,000 of 3600 km² (1,390 sq mi)) of farmland in the county are planted in any given year due to the practice of typically harvesting one crop every two years, a necessity in a region with only 12 inches (300 mm) of precipitation annually.
Census-recognized communities
- AlmiraAlmira, WashingtonAlmira is a town in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 284 at the 2010 census.In the 2004 US presidential election, Almira cast 62.22% of its vote for Republican George W. Bush.-History:...
- CrestonCreston, WashingtonCreston is a town in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 236 at the 2010 census.-History:Creston sprang up with the arrival of the Central Washington Railroad in 1889. It was named so because of its high altitude, because it is the highest town in Washington state...
- DavenportDavenport, WashingtonDavenport is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,734 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:Davenport was first settled in 1880, and was named in 1882 for resident J.C. Davenport...
- HarringtonHarrington, WashingtonHarrington is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 424 at the 2010 census. It was named after W.P. Harrington, a banker from Colusa, California who had heavily invested in local land.-History:...
- OdessaOdessa, WashingtonOdessa is a town in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 910 at the 2010 census.-History:George Finney first settled on the site of Odessa in 1886. He platted Odessa in the summer of 1899 after the Great Northern Railway had built its line through the valley in 1892...
- ReardanReardan, WashingtonReardan is a town in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 571 at the 2010 census.-History:Founded in 1882 and platted in 1889, Reardan was named for Central Washington Railroad engineer C.F. Reardan...
- SpragueSprague, WashingtonSprague is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 446 at the 2010 census. The town was plotted in 1880 and named for former American Civil War Union general John Wilson Sprague.Eugene E...
- WilburWilbur, WashingtonWilbur is a town in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 884 at the 2010 census.-History:Just prior to the construction of the Central Washington Railroad line in 1889, no towns existed west of Davenport in Lincoln County. One place along the line, "Wild Goose Bill's...
Other communities
- Fishtrap
- IrbyIrby, WashingtonIrby is an unincorporated community in southern Lincoln County, Washington, United States, west of Odessa, north of State Route 28 on Irby Road. The BNSF Railway runs through the town. It was founded as a ranch in 1878 by John Irby.-External links:*...
- LamonaLamona, WashingtonLamona is an unincorporated community located in southern Lincoln County, Washington, United States, between Odessa and Harrington on State Route 28. Lamona is located at an elevation of above sea level....
- LincolnLincoln, WashingtonLincoln is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, Washington, United States, in the eastern part of the state. Located on the shores of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, it lies 7 mi northeast of Creston. Its elevation is 1,394 feet . Although it is unincorporated, it has a post...
- Mondovi
- MohlerMohler, WashingtonMohler is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. Named for early stagecoach driver Morgan Mohler, Mohler is southwest of Harrington. Mohler has a post office with ZIP code 99154....
- Seven Bays
- EdwallEdwall, WashingtonEdwall is a small unincorporated village located about 35 miles from the city of Spokane in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. Edwall is part of the Reardan-Edwall School District. The school district was closed for a record amount of days due to a big snow storm in the inland area in...
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, Washington