Ritzville, Washington
Encyclopedia
Ritzville is a city in Adams County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,673 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Adams County.
on behalf of his company, The Northern Pacific Railway
. In 1881, McKay built the first house on the townsite. The Northern Pacific grade was under construction in the vicinity and McKay's home was used as a makeshift hotel for the workers and associated transients.
With the railroad came a new wave of settlers to the area. In the summer of 1881, McKay erected the first store and the railroad built a depot nearby, which also served as a hotel, theater and meeting hall. At that time the fledgeling village had a population of around 50 and the school consisted of a lean-to
against a house. The town's water supply was the railroad tank because it was not thought that water could be found in the ground. The first religious services were held in Adams County in Ritzville in April 1882 at the McKay Home and the First Congregational Church
was soon organized, a church would be built in 1885. The post office was established in 1883 by J.L. Johnson of Walla Walla
who also purchased McKay's store. Soon afterwards, many more businesses would set up shop in town. As the 1880s wore on, the town was beginning to realize its position as a major wheat shipping point in the Big Bend Country and it continued to grow.
When the town's water supply from the railroad tank began to stretch thin, a search for underground water was initiated. At first, no water was found but a well was finally struck 1 miles (1.6 km) east of the town-site. Most of the land-owners in town agreed moved towards the well with the exception of a large hotel, which couldn't be moved. Water was eventually found at the site and the town was allowed to stay where it was. By 1887, Ritzville had three general merchandise stores, one drug store, one saloon, two blacksmith shops, two lumber yards, two livery stables, one harness shop, two hotels and a large, two-story wooden schoolhouse with an attendance of 100.
On June 6, 1888, a fire caused by a defective flue
, wiped out nearly all of the business section of town. Ritzville had no fire department at the time and its citizens were unable to combat the flames effectively. Rebuilding went underway quickly resulting in the town's first brick building in 1889 built by the town's first mayor, N.H. Greene. It still stands and is currently part of the Ritzville Historic District
.
Following the rebuilding from the fire, Ritzville was incorporated as a town in 1888 and was officially re-incorporated as a city on July 17, 1890 after Washington became a state. The first banking institution, The Adams County Bank (later First National Bank) would follow in April 1891. After another downtown fire in 1894, a waterworks system was installed at a cost of $20,000. The first permanent Adams County courthouse was also built in 1892.
After the panic of 1893
had subsided in 1898, Ritzville was experiencing another boom, with demand for property rising and scores of buildings being built. Telephone service was established in August 1899. By the turn of the century, the population had exceeded 1,200. The town finally received a volunteer fire department in 1901, with equipment funded by the citizens. Also in 1901, Ritzville received the title of the greatest wheat shipping point in the world. Between August of that year and August 1902, approximately 1,967,725 bushels of wheat were received in Ritzville warehouses for shipment and 1,990 rail cars of wheat
and flour
were billed out. These numbers would only be exceeded in 1902. On January 17, 1902, Ritzville was electrified for the first time, run by a Steam powered Dynamo
. The Chamber of Commerce
was formed in 1903 and the following year the courthouse was doubled in size. The city received a Carnegie Library
in 1907, the only one in Adams County. It still serves as the town's library today.
By the time of The Great Depression, growth had slowed and Ritzville settled in as a small town. In the 1960s Interstate 90
was constructed around the south-end of town, replacing U.S. Route 10
and re-routing US 395 (WA) and its traffic away from downtown. The town's arrested development from then on helped contribute to its charm, helping form The Ritzville Historic District in 1990.
Several years ago, the first Starbucks Coffee opened in Ritzville next to Interstate 90.
on Interstate 90
and U.S. Route 395
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 1,736 people, 777 households, and 470 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,347.8 people per square mile (519.6/km²). There were 873 housing units at an average density of 677.8 per square mile (261.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.79% White, 0.35% African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.86% from other races
, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.36% of the population.
There were 777 households out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,560, and the median income for a family was $40,240. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $21,083 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,308. About 8.4% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
. They are the Burroughs (Dr. Frank R.) House on Main Street, the Greene (Nelson H.) House on South Adams Street, the Ritzville Carnegie Library on West Main Street, and the Ritzville High School, also known as Old Ritzville High School, on Seventh Avenue. In addition, the Ritzville Historic District, bounded roughly by Broadway, Division Street, Railroad Avenue, and Washington Street, is on the register. Ritzville is currently home to the biggest annual rodeo in eastern Washington. Ritzville is notorious for its ubiquitous speed traps—a major source of income for the local government.
Seattle Grunge
band Mudhoney
recorded a song named after Ritzville on their 1992 album, Piece of Cake
.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Adams County.
History
The first settler in what would become Ritzville was William McKay in 1880. The town would be named after Philip Ritz, who had settled in the area two years earlier. By December 1880, Ritzville's town-site had been platted by John W. SpragueJohn W. Sprague
John Wilson Sprague was an American soldier and railroad executive. He served as a general in the Union Army in the Western Theater of operations during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Decatur during the Atlanta Campaign...
on behalf of his company, The Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
. In 1881, McKay built the first house on the townsite. The Northern Pacific grade was under construction in the vicinity and McKay's home was used as a makeshift hotel for the workers and associated transients.
With the railroad came a new wave of settlers to the area. In the summer of 1881, McKay erected the first store and the railroad built a depot nearby, which also served as a hotel, theater and meeting hall. At that time the fledgeling village had a population of around 50 and the school consisted of a lean-to
Lean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
against a house. The town's water supply was the railroad tank because it was not thought that water could be found in the ground. The first religious services were held in Adams County in Ritzville in April 1882 at the McKay Home and the First Congregational Church
First Congregational Church
First Congregational Church, or variations such as First Congregational Church, Former, may refer to:-Alabama:*First Congregational Church of Marion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Marion, Alabama-Arizona:...
was soon organized, a church would be built in 1885. The post office was established in 1883 by J.L. Johnson of Walla Walla
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
who also purchased McKay's store. Soon afterwards, many more businesses would set up shop in town. As the 1880s wore on, the town was beginning to realize its position as a major wheat shipping point in the Big Bend Country and it continued to grow.
When the town's water supply from the railroad tank began to stretch thin, a search for underground water was initiated. At first, no water was found but a well was finally struck 1 miles (1.6 km) east of the town-site. Most of the land-owners in town agreed moved towards the well with the exception of a large hotel, which couldn't be moved. Water was eventually found at the site and the town was allowed to stay where it was. By 1887, Ritzville had three general merchandise stores, one drug store, one saloon, two blacksmith shops, two lumber yards, two livery stables, one harness shop, two hotels and a large, two-story wooden schoolhouse with an attendance of 100.
On June 6, 1888, a fire caused by a defective flue
Flue
A flue is a duct, pipe, or chimney for conveying exhaust gases from a fireplace, furnace, water heater, boiler, or generator to the outdoors. In the United States, they are also known as vents and for boilers as breeching for water heaters and modern furnaces...
, wiped out nearly all of the business section of town. Ritzville had no fire department at the time and its citizens were unable to combat the flames effectively. Rebuilding went underway quickly resulting in the town's first brick building in 1889 built by the town's first mayor, N.H. Greene. It still stands and is currently part of the Ritzville Historic District
Ritzville Historic District
The Ritzville Historic District, located in Ritzville, Washington, is a district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district encompasses 3 blocks of Ritzville's main business district and contains 27 contributing properties, most of which were built between 1889 and 1920....
.
Following the rebuilding from the fire, Ritzville was incorporated as a town in 1888 and was officially re-incorporated as a city on July 17, 1890 after Washington became a state. The first banking institution, The Adams County Bank (later First National Bank) would follow in April 1891. After another downtown fire in 1894, a waterworks system was installed at a cost of $20,000. The first permanent Adams County courthouse was also built in 1892.
After the panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
had subsided in 1898, Ritzville was experiencing another boom, with demand for property rising and scores of buildings being built. Telephone service was established in August 1899. By the turn of the century, the population had exceeded 1,200. The town finally received a volunteer fire department in 1901, with equipment funded by the citizens. Also in 1901, Ritzville received the title of the greatest wheat shipping point in the world. Between August of that year and August 1902, approximately 1,967,725 bushels of wheat were received in Ritzville warehouses for shipment and 1,990 rail cars of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
were billed out. These numbers would only be exceeded in 1902. On January 17, 1902, Ritzville was electrified for the first time, run by a Steam powered Dynamo
Dynamo
- Engineering :* Dynamo, a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator* Dynamo theory, a theory relating to magnetic fields of celestial bodies* Solar dynamo, the physical process that generates the Sun's magnetic field- Software :...
. The Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
was formed in 1903 and the following year the courthouse was doubled in size. The city received a Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library, Carnegie Public Library, Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie Free Public Library, Andrew Carnegie Library, Andrew Carnegie Free Library or Carnegie Library Building may refer to any of the following Carnegie libraries:- California :*Carnegie Library , listed on the National Register...
in 1907, the only one in Adams County. It still serves as the town's library today.
By the time of The Great Depression, growth had slowed and Ritzville settled in as a small town. In the 1960s Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
was constructed around the south-end of town, replacing U.S. Route 10
U.S. Route 10
U.S. Route 10 is an east–west United States highway formed in 1926. Though it never became the cross-country highway suggested by the "0" as the last digit of its route number, U.S...
and re-routing US 395 (WA) and its traffic away from downtown. The town's arrested development from then on helped contribute to its charm, helping form The Ritzville Historic District in 1990.
Several years ago, the first Starbucks Coffee opened in Ritzville next to Interstate 90.
Geography
Ritzville is approximately 53 miles (85 km) southwest of SpokaneSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
on Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
and U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border near Laurier, where the road becomes Highway 395 upon entering British Columbia. At one time, the...
. According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all land.
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 1,736 people, 777 households, and 470 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,347.8 people per square mile (519.6/km²). There were 873 housing units at an average density of 677.8 per square mile (261.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.79% White, 0.35% African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.86% 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 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.36% of the population.
There were 777 households out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,560, and the median income for a family was $40,240. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $21,083 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 city was $18,308. About 8.4% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
Climate
The average temperature in January is 27 °F (-3 °C), and in July it is 69 °F (21 °C). Annual snowfall averages 20 inches (51 cm).Points of interest
Four individual structures in Ritzville are on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. They are the Burroughs (Dr. Frank R.) House on Main Street, the Greene (Nelson H.) House on South Adams Street, the Ritzville Carnegie Library on West Main Street, and the Ritzville High School, also known as Old Ritzville High School, on Seventh Avenue. In addition, the Ritzville Historic District, bounded roughly by Broadway, Division Street, Railroad Avenue, and Washington Street, is on the register. Ritzville is currently home to the biggest annual rodeo in eastern Washington. Ritzville is notorious for its ubiquitous speed traps—a major source of income for the local government.
Seattle Grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
band Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
recorded a song named after Ritzville on their 1992 album, Piece of Cake
Piece of Cake (album)
Piece of Cake is the third studio album by the grunge band Mudhoney. Recorded and released in 1992, it was their first album released through Reprise Records...
.
External links
- City of Ritzville website
- Ritzville Heritage
- History of Ritzville at HistoryLinkHistoryLinkHistoryLink is a website that is an encyclopedia of Washington State history. The site has more than 4,500 stories. There are 500 biographies and more than 14,000 images....
- List of Known Ritzville Speed Traps
- Ritzville Fire Department