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The new spiritual center of art and free expression, Seattle has become an urban magnet for travelers seeking everything from rock clubs and symphonies to upscale galleries and folk-art shops. Going neighborhood by neighborhood, Gottberg gets to the heart of each community while describing both its famous attractions and hidden favorites.
Native American cultures in the area included the Interior Salish, Wenatchi, Okanagan.
The first white settlers began to arrive in the mid- to late-1800s, primarily with the goal of raising livestock. One government official described the area in 1879 as, “…a desolation where even the most hopeful can find nothing in its future prospects to cheer…”. Hauling water in the Columbia Basin at the beginning of the 20th century was very hard and dusty.
When railroads arrived they also brought new settlers, and the economy began a shift from ranching to farming. This transition required the people to have ready access to water, and irrigation became a necessity. The first large-scale irrigation attempts began in 1898, but it would be years before real success.
With the influx of dryland farming, the county soon boasted access to three major railway systems; the Great Northern Railway, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. In addition, the Columbia River in this area was navigable. This allowed crops to be transported out of the area easily. Towns like Wilson’s Creek, Ephrata began to thrive.
The Washington State Legislature officially created Grant County February 24, 1909, and named after President Ulysses S. Grant. The county seat was located in Ephrata. The population in the county at the time was only about 8700 people (compared to about 75,000 today)
The Columbia Basin Reclamation Project, which began as a group of businessmen from Ephrata began looking for ways to make the area more viable. One idea was to dam the Columbia River at Grand Coulee. Although the idea of the Grand Coulee Dam would not be approved until 1933 and still not implemented until 1939, the project would fundamentally change the region forever. Today the Columbia Basin has various Social Clubs, “Grass Root”, Non-Profit and Business Organizations that offer informational resources, community assistance , business opportunities and historical insight; such as the Columbia Basin’s premier blog the Columbia Basin Explorer
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