Dryden, Washington
Encyclopedia
Dryden is a small unincorporated community
in Chelan County, Washington, United States
. It is situated along the Wenatchee River
in the fertile Wenatchee Valley between the towns of Cashmere
and Leavenworth
. The community serves as a supply and shipping point for local farms and orchards.
Dryden is part of the Wenatchee
–East Wenatchee
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
The USPS
ZIP Code
for Dryden is 98821. According to data from the 2000 census, the total population in the Dryden ZIP code was 243 persons occupying 101 housing units. Dryden itself is not incorporated, and is not tracked by the Census.
. Native American homesteaders Dan and Topen Nason where the first to see any value in the then undeveloped area and filed a land claim in 1904. Other settlers soon followed with the intent of planting orchards, specifically Apple Trees
. The land was cut into small tracts which were quickly sold.
The Dryden Fruit Growers Union was incorporated in 1909 and the first fruit warehouse was constructed. That same year 18 railroad car
s of apples were shipped out. The next year a post office
was established for the small settlement growing by the warehouse. Orchard planting greatly escalated with the completion of the Icicle Canal in 1913. By 1915, the railroad had established a station at Dryden and by 1919, the town had its own bank and school as well as two churches. Currently, Dryden retains a post office and a general store.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Chelan County, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is situated along the Wenatchee River
Wenatchee River
The Wenatchee River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, originating at Lake Wenatchee and flowing southeast for , emptying into the Columbia River immediately north of Wenatchee, Washington...
in the fertile Wenatchee Valley between the towns of Cashmere
Cashmere, Washington
Cashmere is a city in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,060 at the 2010 census.-Early people:...
and Leavenworth
Leavenworth, Washington
Leavenworth is a city in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,965 at the 2010 census. The entire town center is modelled on a Bavarian village.-History:...
. The community serves as a supply and shipping point for local farms and orchards.
Dryden is part of the Wenatchee
Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...
–East Wenatchee
East Wenatchee, Washington
East Wenatchee is a city in Douglas County, Washington, United States along the northern banks of the Columbia River. The population at the 2010 census was 13,190, a 129.1% increase over the 2000 census....
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Wenatchee metropolitan area
The Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in Washington, anchored by the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee...
.
The USPS
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
for Dryden is 98821. According to data from the 2000 census, the total population in the Dryden ZIP code was 243 persons occupying 101 housing units. Dryden itself is not incorporated, and is not tracked by the Census.
History
The area that is now Dryden was historically called Pine Flat by local ranchers because of the large Pine trees growing in the area. In the 1890s these trees were logged and floated down the Wenatchee River to be milled, leaving the land barren and dry. Also in 1892, the Great Northern Railway built its main line through the valley but no town or station were established at that time. Only the name Dryden was assigned to the area by the railroad in honor of Canadian horticulturist and Minister of Agriculture John Dryden who toured with Great Northern Railway president James J. HillJames J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
. Native American homesteaders Dan and Topen Nason where the first to see any value in the then undeveloped area and filed a land claim in 1904. Other settlers soon followed with the intent of planting orchards, specifically Apple Trees
Apple Trees
Apple Trees is a 1992 German drama film directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Johanna Schall - Lena* Thomas Büchel - Heinz* Udo Kroschwald - Sienks...
. The land was cut into small tracts which were quickly sold.
The Dryden Fruit Growers Union was incorporated in 1909 and the first fruit warehouse was constructed. That same year 18 railroad car
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
s of apples were shipped out. The next year a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established for the small settlement growing by the warehouse. Orchard planting greatly escalated with the completion of the Icicle Canal in 1913. By 1915, the railroad had established a station at Dryden and by 1919, the town had its own bank and school as well as two churches. Currently, Dryden retains a post office and a general store.