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Washington State...
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Washington Counties
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Washington Counties
There are 39 counties in the state of Washington.
Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory and admitted to the Union as the 42nd
state in 1889. The first counties were created from unorganized territory in 1845. |
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Chelan County, Washington
Chelan County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Wenatchee
Year Organized: 1899
Square Miles: 2,922 |
Court House: 350 Orondo Street
County Courthouse
Wenatchee, WA 98801-2885
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
A Native American word meaning deep water, probably a reference to Lake Chelan.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts:
Census Bureau Quick Facts
History
"Chelan" derives from a Chelan Indian word meaning "deep water,"
14 Dec 1872, a very powerful earthquake centered near Lake Chelan was felt over 300,000 square miles, extending from
Victoria, British Columbia south past Baker City, Oregon, southwest past Portland, Oregon. There are many small
accounts of the quake in historical books and historical newspapers. It triggered additional quakes at the
Yellowstone National Park. Aftershocks were observed for next 2 years
Chelan County embraces the drainages of the Wenatchee River, the Entiat River, and Lake Chelan, and the Chelan
River for a total of 2,920 square miles. Irrigation has transformed the arid valleys into agricultural treasure
houses and the home to Washington apples and the ubiquitous Aplet and Cotlet confections. Hydroelectric development
has lived up to the Wenatchee Daily World's claim as the "Power Belt of the State of Washington." Almost 90
percent of the county is owned by the state and federal governments.
File 7624: Full Text >
Economic
Located in central Washington State, Chelan County is home to the Confluence Technology Center which through a
partnership with Wenatchee Valley College, offers businesses customized workforce training, broadband connection,
redundant power and a state-of-the-art videoconferencing center.
Wenatchee, the county seat and business hub, sits at the intersection of cross-state highways 2 and 97, and serves
as an intersection of the state’s fiber optic highway.
The regional hospital and clinic are recognized for quality health care services; and Pangborn Memorial Airport puts
Sea-Tac just a 35 minute flight away.
Four distinct seasons and development of irrigation transformed Chelan County from a semi-arid landscape into one of
the most productive agricultural regions in the state. This region boasts the lowest power rates in the country -
generated by Columbia River hydroelectric dams.
Bounded by National Forest, the county attracts recreational enthusiasts and world-class adventurers from across the
state and around the world
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,994 square miles (7,753 kmē), of which,
2,921 square miles (7,566 kmē) of it is land and 72 square miles (187 kmē) of it (2.41%) is water.
Neighboring Counties:
- Okanogan County, Washington northeast
- Douglas County, Washington east
- Kittitas County, Washington south
- King County, Washington southwest
- Snohomish County, Washington west
- Skagit County, Washington northwest
Cities and Towns:
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- Cashmere |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Chelan |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Entiat |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Leavenworth |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Wenatchee
(County
Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
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