Wenatchee,
Washington is located in the central part of the state, on the eastern
slops of the
Cascades Mountains, midway between
Spokane and
Seattle. Wenatchee is in
Chelan County, and is the county seat. The City of Wenatchee’s unique name
is derived from the areas first residents; Salish-speaking division of the
Pisquose Indians known as the
Wenatchi. Their name meant “river issuing from a canyon”, referring to the
Wenatchee River.
Wenatchee WA was founded by a group of
Seattle businessmen in 1890, who saw the area’s potential as a productive
agricultural region, due to the arid climate, rich volcanic soil, and proximity
to the
Columbia and
Wenatchee Rivers. The expansion of the
Great Northern Railway in 1892 provided much needed access to Wenatchee;
before this time, the scenic beauty of the surrounding mountains also provided a
barrier to trade and transportation. The
current population (2007) of Wenatchee is 30,270 residents; the expected
growth is 268,275 residents by 2025.
The
Wenatchee Valley College, established 1939, covers a district the size of
Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined, covering more than 10,000 square miles
of
Chelan,
Douglas and
Okanogan counties. Wells House, a must-see for its castle-like turrets, was
built of hand-hewn stone from the Columbia River.
Wenatchee is at the crossroads of three major
highways:
U.S. Highway 2 provides a westbound connection to the cities of Seattle and
Everett, and Eastbound to Spokane.
U.S. Highway 97 connects with Ellensburg and Yakima to the South and Chelan
and Okanogan to the North.
State Route 28 provides direct access to the cities of Quincy, Ephrata, and
Moses Lake.
Link Transit provides public transportation, and replica trolleys operate in
downtown Wenatchee.
Wenatchee, home of premium wines, is known as “The
Apple Capitol of the World”. The city’s newspaper, the
Wenatchee Daily World, has used “The Apple Capital of the World.” as the
paper’s masthead on since 1925, and images of apples abound throughout the city.
Washington State’s
Apple Blossom Festival has been held in Wenatchee each spring since 1920.
Entertainment at the renowned
Performing Arts
Center of Wenatchee at the Stanley Civic Center, concertos at
Sleeping Lady
Mountain Retreat or at the
Icicle Creek Music Center,
the Mariachi Festival, and the Fiestas Mexicanas which celebrates Mexican
Independence day each fall provide afull calendar of happenings in Wenatchee.
<<Back
to Our Community
