Goldendale, Washington
Klickitat County
53-27435
Goldendale is the capital of Klickitat County in the southern U.S. state of Washington. The town is located 20 kilometers north of the Columbia River. In the census in 2000, he had 3,760 inhabitants.
Location and climate
The area of the municipality is 6.1 km ², the highest point is located at the County Courthouse, the county court ( 499 m above sea level. NN ).
Goldendale is located in an arid region of Eastern Washington, as the Cascade Range, which is located 60 km westward, leaves little rain clouds pass. Therefore, the annual rainfall is at 200 to 250 mm. In the dry grasslands grow bushes and a few tree species, such as ponderosa pine ( yellow pine ), but also oaks. The drinking water supply ensures the Bloodgood Creek, which flows along the city with the Little Klickitat River to the west. The Highway 97 touches the eastern edge of the city and connects it to the streets on the Columbia, and the direction of Toppenish and Yakima.
Demography
Data obtained from the census in 2000 3.760 inhabitants of Goldendale lived in 1,515 households; among them were 963 families. The population density was 615 inhabitants per km ². In place 1,690 residential units were recorded. Among the population was 87.4 % White, 0.2% African American, 4.6% American Indian, 0.7 % Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, and 4.1 % of other ethnic groups; 2.7 % reported belonging to several ethnic groups. 5.9 % of the population claimed to be Hispanic or Latino.
Among the 1,515 households 34.4 % had children under the age of 18; 46.4 % were married couples living together. 31.3 % of households were single-person households. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size is 3.02.
The population was spread out with 28.4 % under the age of 18, 7.7 % from 18 to 24, 26.1% 25-44 years, 22.6% from 45 to 64 years and 15.2 % of 65 years or older. The median age was 36 years.
The median household income was $ 26,030, the median family income $ 33,866. The per capita income was $ 13,111. Under the poverty line lived 25.4 % of the population.
History
The expedition of Lewis and Clark traveled down the Columbia in 1805 and camped at the mouth of the White Salmon River in the Columbia. The chief of the Klickitat living there, later called Old Jake Hunt Towetex, the expedition encountered as a child. 1909 photo taken at the Museum of Goldendale shows the 107 -year-old at that time.
Mortimer Thorp is considered the first settlers in the region. As he ran late 1850s a cattle here, two, three other families settled. Thorp left the area and went into the Yakimagebiet because the area is " overpopulated " in his opinion. His house took Lyonel J. Kimberland, who later in turn sold 200 acres to John J. Golden. He was the namesake of the place. 1871 turned the small community of a Methodist minister, and the place got its present name.
When selecting the county seat was 1872 Rockland, today's Dallesport, the contract, but in 1878 became the seat of the Government of Goldendale Klickitat County, 1879, the village was registered as a town.
May 1888 broke the west end of Main Street from a fire, when most residents were at the Sunday picnic. Westerly winds fanned the fire to such an extent that the entire city burned down. However, it was rebuilt in the next few years again, but this time with fired bricks on site. The Main Street was widened by nearly seven meters in the core area.
The timber industry was initially the most important industry, but this was replaced by agriculture. In 1968, near the John Day Dam, an aluminum company, which employed up to 1,400 people. In 2003 it was closed, however, although a gas power plant was built for its power supply. The economic consequences are still being felt today. Today Rabanco Regional Disposal is the largest employer in the region. The average per capita income in 2004 was $ 24,809, while the average was in the U.S. at 35 041.
Museum
Winthrop Bartlett Presby came in 1888, after Goldendale and studied law with Judge Ralph " Oregon " Dunbar. He was one of the fathers of the Constitution of the State of Washington, sitting in the Washington Senate, and was mayor of Goldendale. In 1902 he left for $ 8000 a house plan, which included 20 rooms. It now houses the Klickitat County Historical Museum. In addition to the interior of the early period of the house, it offers a collection of coffee grinders, a scientific library and is the seat of Klickitat Historical Society, the Historical Society of the County. The furniture consists mainly of donations from the pioneer families. In addition an extensive photo collection.