East Wenatchee, Washington
Encyclopedia
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.

On November 10, 2002, East Wenatchee was designated a principal city 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 Metropolitan Statistical Area by the Office of Management and Budget.

History

At the turn of the 20th Century, irrigation projects, including the Columbia Basin Project east of the region, opened the door for farming the barren land. Orchards become the area's leading industry.

In 1908, the first highway bridge to span the Columbia River opened. The privately owned bridge carried people, horses, wagons, and automobiles; it also supported two large water pipelines along its sides. It connected Chelan County on the Wenatchee shore with Douglas County on East Wenatchee shore. The bridge opened East Wenatchee and the rest of Douglas County to apple orchard development. Still standing today, the bridge is a 1060 feet (323.1 m) pinconnected steel cantilever bridge and cost $177,000 to build. It once carried Sunset Highway (State Highway 2) across the river.

The bridge was the brainchild of W. T. Clark, one of the builders of the Highline Canal, a major irrigation project to water the apple orchards in the valley. It was financed in part by James J. Hill (1838–1916), of the Great Northern Railway (which arrived in Wenatchee in 1892). In its second year of operation the canal firm that owned it decided to start charging tolls.

This prompted local leaders to hasten to the state legislature to persuade the state to purchase the bridge as part of the state highway system. The state purchased the bridge despite the state-employed consultant's opinion "that the ugliness of the structure is very apparent" (Dorpat), despite defects in the timber floor and concrete piers, and despite leaks in the waterpipes.

The structure remained in full use until 1950 when the George Stellar bridge was built. Today, it remains as a footbridge and still has the old pipeline running across it.

From its foundation in agriculture, the region's economy has diversified to include year-round tourism and a variety of other industries.

Founding

On February 28, 1935, citizens voted, 48 in favor and 46 against, to incorporate the town of East Wenatchee. When the town was incorporated on March 11, 1935, the original town site was 50 acres (202,343 m²). Today, the town has grown into a city. As of 2007, East Wenatchee's boundaries encompassed 3.67 square miles (9.5 km²).

Major events

On Oct. 5, 1931, East Wenatchee became part of aviation history. Having taken off from Misawa, Japan, pilots Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon Jr. safely belly-landed their Bellanca airplane Miss Veedol on a nearby airstrip known then as Fancher Field. After take off, the pilots intentionally jettisoned the landing gear to conserve fuel. This flight was the first nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean. In honor of this pioneering flight, East Wenatchee's airport is called Pangborn Memorial Airport, and the Pangborn-Herndon Memorial Site
Pangborn-Herndon Memorial Site
The Pangborn-Herndon Memorial Site is dedicated to the Clyde Edward Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, Jr., the two men who made the first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean from Misawa, Japan to East Wenatchee, Washington without stopping. The memorial is northeast of East Wenatchee and consists of...

, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

, is nearby.

On May 27, 1987, East Wenatchee became part of archaeological history. On that date, while digging in an orchard just east of the city, farmworkers accidentally discovered a cache of 11,000-year-old Clovis point
Clovis point
Clovis points are the characteristically-fluted projectile points associated with the North American Clovis culture. They date to the Paleoindian period around 13,500 years ago. Clovis fluted points are named after the city of Clovis, New Mexico, where examples were first found in 1929.At the right...

s and other artifacts, left by Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....

 hunters some 11,000 years earlier. The East Wenatchee Clovis Site
East Wenatchee Clovis Site
The East Wenatchee Clovis Site is a deposit of prehistoric Clovis points and other implements, dating to roughly 11,000 radiocarbon years before present or about 13,000 calendar years before present, found near the city of East Wenatchee, Washington in 1987...

, explored in two subsequent archaeological digs in 1988 and 1990, was closed to science by the landowner after protests by local Native American tribes. The legal moratorium on new archaeological work at the site ended on June 1, 2007.http://clovis.wenatcheeworld.com

Geography

East Wenatchee is located at 47.421506°N 120.288094°W (47.421506, -120.288094).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2), all of it land.

Other information

East Wenachee has seen a rapid increase in population since 2000.

There are many orchards surrounding East Wenatchee. Commercial crops primarily include apples, sweet cherries and pears. Apricots, peaches, nectarines, and plums are also grown.

Wheat and other grain are also grown on farms in the outlying areas near East Wenatchee.

Nearby Entertainment and Recreation

The following activities are located in East Wenatchee or the nearby city of Wenatchee:
  • Alpine Skiing (Mission Ridge
    Mission Ridge Ski Area
    Mission Ridge Ski Area is a ski area located near Wenatchee, Washington. The base elevation is at 4570 feet with the peak at 6820 feet .Mission Ridge receives an average of of snow per year with over 300 sunny days.- Alpine Skiing :...

    )
  • Cinemas (Liberty and Gateway 11)
  • Walking or Cycling Paved Trails (Apple Capital Loop Trail)
  • Shopping (Malls, Outlets, Boutique shops, Downtown)
  • Boating, Water Skiing, Wake Boarding (Columbia River
    Columbia River
    The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

    )
  • Hiking (trails and many area parks)
  • Kayaking, Rafting (Columbia
    Columbia River
    The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

     or Wenatchee
    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...

     rivers)
  • Bowling (Eastmont Lanes)
  • Hockey (Wenatchee Wild
    Wenatchee Wild
    The Wenatchee Wild is a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's West Division based in Wenatchee, Washington. The team joined the NAHL as an expansion team for the 2008-09 season, the team plays its home games at the 4,300-seat Town Toyota Center...

     @ the Town Toyota Center)
  • Indoor Football (Wenatchee Valley Venom @ Town Toyota Center)
  • Wenatchee AppleSox
    Wenatchee AppleSox
    The Wenatchee AppleSox are a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the West Coast League's East Division. The team is based in Wenatchee, Washington. The team was established in 2000 by owner Jim Corcoran and have played their home games at Paul Thomas Sr...

     Baseball (Wenatchee)
  • Go Karting (Revolution Go Karts, seasonal @ Wenatchee Valley Mall
    Wenatchee Valley Mall
    Wenatchee Valley Mall is a shopping mall located in East Wenatchee, Washington. It opened in 1978 and is anchored by Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's, Ross Dress For Less and Sears....

    )
  • Carnivals - Apple Blossom Festival
    Washington State Apple Blossom Festival
    The Washington State Apple Blossom Festival is a festival held annually in Wenatchee, Washington, self-proclaimed the "Apple Capital of the World" due to the valley's many apple orchards...

     (April) Wings and Wheels Festival (September)
  • Fishing (Columbia
    Columbia River
    The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

     or Wenatchee
    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...

     rivers)
  • Parks (Confluence, Hydro, Walla Walla, Lincoln, all these are only parks by the water!)

Community Events

Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval

Apple Blossom Festival

Wings & Wheels

On the first weekend of October, the City hosts an annual Wings and Wheels Festival to commemorate Clyde Pangborn's historic non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean.

Classy Chassis Parade & Car Show

Sprint Boat Racing

On July 9, 2011 and August 13, 2011 Thunderswamp will host United States Sprint Boat Association (USSBA) racing. Please see www.thunderswamp.com for more information.

Projects

The following projects are taking place in East Wenatchee or nearby Wenatchee.

Current Construction Projects:
  • Wenatchee Valley Mall
    Wenatchee Valley Mall
    Wenatchee Valley Mall is a shopping mall located in East Wenatchee, Washington. It opened in 1978 and is anchored by Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's, Ross Dress For Less and Sears....

     Project
Includes Cinema, Food Court, 4 story parking garage, and mall expansion.

  • George Sellar Bridge
Includes additional lane and bypass

  • Odabashian Bridge
Includes additional bridge, road that extends to Eastmont Ave., new bridge to connect road in Fancher Heights area, and new road.

  • Walgreens
    Walgreens
    Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...

    - where Columbia Cinema is located

  • Pangborn Airport
    Pangborn Memorial Airport
    Pangborn Memorial Airport is a public use airport in Douglas County, Washington, United States. It is located four nautical miles east of the central business district of Wenatchee, a city in Chelan County...

     Project
Includes longer runway, more airlines, and flights to new destinations

  • Gateway 14 Cinema - Opened at Gateway Shopping Center in Wenatchee

Wenatchee Valley lodging

  • Avenue Motel
  • Best Western (Chieftain Inn)
  • Cedars Inn
  • Coast Center Hotel
  • Comfort Inn
  • Comfort Suites
  • Econo Lodge
  • Hampton Inn and Suites (coming soon East Wenatchee)
  • Holiday Inn Express
  • Inn at the River
  • Motel 6
  • La Quinta Inn and Suites
  • Motor Inn
  • Red Lion Inn
  • Super 8 Motel
  • Spring Hill Suites by Marriott
  • Travel Lodge
  • Value Inn
  • Warm Springs Inn

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there are 5,757 people, 2,295 households, and 1,569 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,474.4 inhabitants per square mile (954.0/km²). There are 2,429 housing units at an average density of 402.5 persons/km² (1,044.0 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 89.1% White, 0.40% African American, 0.96% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 6.13%other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.69% from two or more races. 12.1% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 2,295 households out of which 34.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% are married couples living together, 11.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 31.6% are non-families. 26.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 2.98.

In the city the population is spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $34,919, and the median income for a family is $41,518. Males have a median income of $37,629 versus $24,875 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,876. 16.5% of the population and 13.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 28.6% are under the age of 18 and 4.2% are 65 or older.
Wenatchee Valley Mall

The Wenatchee Valley Mall
Wenatchee Valley Mall
Wenatchee Valley Mall is a shopping mall located in East Wenatchee, Washington. It opened in 1978 and is anchored by Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's, Ross Dress For Less and Sears....

 is a regional mall that serves Douglas and Chelan counties.
The mall features big retail stores such as:
  • Macy's
    Macy's
    Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...

  • Sears
  • Ross
  • Bed Bath & Beyond
    Bed Bath & Beyond
    Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. was formed in 1971 and today operates a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores across United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. They feature mostly medium-ranged, but also a limited selection of high quality, domestic merchandise: items for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen,...

    .

Other stores include:
  • Hot Topic
    Hot Topic
    Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...

  • Pac Sun
  • Buckle
  • Payless ShoeSource
    Payless ShoeSource
    Payless ShoeSource is a discount footwear retailer founded in Topeka, Kansas in 1956 that is owned by Collective Brands, Inc. In 1961, it became a public company as the Volume Shoe Corporation which merged with the May Department Stores Company in 1979. In the 1980s, Payless was widely known in the...

  • The Children's Place
    The Children's Place
    The Children’s Place is an American specialty retailer of children’s apparel and accessories founded in 1969. They became publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange in 1997 under the ticker symbol PLCE...

  • Rue21
    Rue21
    Formerly known as Pennsylvania Fashions Inc., rue21 Inc., headquartered in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, is a specialty discount retailer of young men and women’s casual apparel and accessories. On November 13, 2009, rue21 announced its initial public offering. The company trades on the NASDAQ under...

  • Just Sports
  • Zumiez
    Zumiez
    Zumiez is a mall-based, specialty apparel store founded by Tom Campion and Gary Haakenson in 1978, and publicly traded since 2005. "Offering gear and clothing for the skater, snowboarder, and surfer," Zumiez sells action-sports related clothing and has created an image based around action sports...

  • Claires

The mall serves many restaurants
such as:
  • Shari's
    Shari's
    Shari's Restaurants is a chain of family dining restaurants in the western United States. Shari's is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Shari's currently has 98 locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Wyoming, and Nebraska. The original restaurant was opened in Hermiston, Oregon in...

  • Olive Garden
    Olive Garden
    Olive Garden is an American restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, near Orlando. Olive Garden operates more than 730 locations globally.- History :The...

  • Taco del Mar
    Taco del Mar
    Taco del Mar is a Seattle, Washington-based Fresh Mex fast food restaurant chain that specializes in San Francisco burritos. Since opening in Seattle on June 8, 1992 by brothers James and John Schmidt, it has expanded into over 260 locations in the U.S. and Canada...

  • Orange Julius
    Orange Julius
    Orange Julius is a chain of fruit drink beverage stores. It has been in business since the late 1920s. The eponymous beverage is a mixture of orange juice, milk, sugar, ice and vanilla flavoring.- History :...

  • Quiznos

Valley North Mall (Wenatchee)
  • J. C. Penney
    J. C. Penney
    -External links:*...

  • Target
    Target Corporation
    Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...

  • Old Navy
    Old Navy
    Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...

  • Maurices
    Maurices
    Maurices, typeset as maurices, is an American clothing retail chain based in Duluth, Minnesota. Founded in 1931, the chain comprises more than 750 stores in 44 states, primarily located in shopping malls and smaller towns...

  • Pier 1
  • Red Robin
    Red Robin
    Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is a chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1969 in Seattle, Washington, and now headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.-History:...

  • Applebees
  • Albertsons
  • Rite Aid
    Rite Aid
    Rite Aid is a drugstore chain in the United States and a Fortune 500 company headquartered in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, near Camp Hill. Rite Aid is the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast and the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S....

  • Shopko
  • Famous Footwear
    Famous Footwear
    Famous Footwear is a nationwide chain of retail stores in the United States dealing in branded footwear, generally at prices discounted from manufacturer's suggested prices. Established in 1960 as a single store, "Famous" is regarded as both a forerunner and champion of the trend towards the...

  • Taco Bell
    Taco Bell
    Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...

  • Blockbuster
  • Verizon
  • AT&T
    AT&T
    AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...


Downtown Wenatchee

Locally owned businesses and specialty shops line Wenatchee Avenue in downtown Wenatchee.
Other Big Box Stores
  • Costco
    Costco
    Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...

  • Fred Meyer
    Fred Meyer
    Fred Meyer, Inc., is a chain of hypermarkets founded in 1922 in Portland, Oregon, by Fred G. Meyer. The company was one of the pioneers of one-stop shopping, eventually combining a complete grocery supermarket with a drugstore, clothing store, shoe store, fine jewelers, home decor store, home...

  • Walmart Supercenter (August 2011)
  • Safeway
    Safeway Inc.
    Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...

  • Food Pavilion
  • Top Foods

City Hall

City Hall is located at 271 9th St. N.E., East Wenatchee, WA 98802

Mayors of note

Steven C. Lacy (1998–present) A native of Washington, Steven C. Lacy graduated from Franklin Pierce High School in 1969. He graduated from the University of Utah School of Law in 1979 with a juris doctor degree, and settled in East Wenatchee.

Dawn Collings

Sister cities

East Wenatchee has one sister city
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

: Misawa
Misawa, Aomori
is a city located in eastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 42,399 and a density of 353 persons per km²...

, Japan

Education

Public K-12 education is provided by the Eastmont School District#206.

Schools:
  • Cascade Elementary

  • Grant Elementary

  • Kenroy Elementary

  • Lee Elementary

  • Rock Island Elementary

  • Sterling Intermediate School

  • Clovis Intermediate School

  • Eastmont Junior High

  • Eastmont High School
    Eastmont High School
    Eastmont High School, locally referred to as Eastmont or EHS, is a four-year public high school located in East Wenatchee, Washington, USA. The school has 1,390 students in grades 10-12....


Bus

Link Transit provides public transportation throughout the Wenatchee valley including routes that connect the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee with Leavenworth, Chelan, and Waterville.

Air

The city is served by Pangborn Memorial Airport
Pangborn Memorial Airport
Pangborn Memorial Airport is a public use airport in Douglas County, Washington, United States. It is located four nautical miles east of the central business district of Wenatchee, a city in Chelan County...


with daily flights to Seattle via Alaska Airlines.

Airline and destination

There are also Executive Flight jets that fly out of Pangborn Memorial Airport.

Rail

East Wenatchee's rail access is located across the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

 in Wenatchee which is on the major railroad line of the Great Northern Railway (now BNSF Railway) to Seattle. It was once the eastern terminus of electric operations (1909–56) on its Cascade Tunnel
Cascade Tunnel
The Cascade Tunnel refers to two tunnels at Stevens Pass through the Cascade Mountains, approximately to the east of Everett, Washington. The first Cascade Tunnel was a 2.63-mile long single track railroad, built by the Great Northern Railway in 1900 to avoid problems caused by heavy winter...

 route, which went all the way to Skykomish. Here, steam
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

 or diesel locomotives were changed, or coupled, to electric locomotives for this route. Today Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

's Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...

serves the city.

Also see:
  • Columbia Station (Wenatchee)
    Columbia Station (Wenatchee)
    Columbia Station is an intermodal facility that serves as the station stop for the Amtrak Empire Builder in Wenatchee, Washington, USA. The station and parking are owned by LINK Transit, the regional transit agency. The track and platforms are owned by BNSF Railway...


Roads and highways

East Wenatchee is serviced by State Route 28, U.S. Route 97, and U.S. Route 2.
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