Moscow, Idaho
Encyclopedia
Moscow is a city in northern
Idaho
, situated along the Washington/Idaho
border. It is the most populous city and county seat
of Latah County
and the home of the University of Idaho
, the land grant
institution and primary research university for the state. Eight miles (12 km) west is Pullman, Washington
, home of Washington's land-grant university, Washington State University
.
While the university is the dominant employer in Moscow, the city also serves as an agricultural
and commercial hub for the Palouse
region. The 2010 census reported a population of 23,800.
Moscow is the principal city in the Moscow, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area
, which includes Latah County
. Moscow is the birthplace of writer Carol Ryrie Brink
and singer Josh Ritter
.
Along with the rest of northern Idaho
, Moscow resides in the Pacific Time Zone
. The elevation of its city center is 2,579 feet (786 m) above sea level. Major highways serving the city are US-95
(north-south) and Highway 8
(east-west), both of which are routed through Moscow city center. Limited commercial air service is four miles west (6.4 km) at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport
.
Main Street runs north-south through Moscow along the 117th meridian west
.
The city of Moscow lies on the eastern edge of the Palouse
region of North Central Idaho
in the Columbia River Plateau
. East of the city is a valley within the mountains of the Palouse Range to the northeast, whose highest point is Moscow Mountain at 4983 feet (1519 m) above sea level. The less prominent Paradise Ridge at 3702 feet (1128 m) and Tomer Butte at 3474 feet (1059 m) are southeast of the town. Paradise Creek, with headwaters on Moscow Mountain north of the city, flows through the city of Moscow. It then crosses the state border and joins the south fork of the Palouse River
near Pullman, which eventually drains into the Snake River
and Columbia River
on its way to the Pacific Ocean.
The geology
in and around Moscow represents varied formations: very old intrusive granite
structures of the Cretaceous
–Tertiary
Idaho Batholith
, fertile fields atop rolling hills of deep Pleistocene
loess
of the Palouse Formation deposited after the last ice age by westerly winds, and flood-worn channels of the Columbia River Basalt Group
.
There are a variety of flora and fauna within the vicinity of Moscow. An amphibian, the Rough-skinned Newt
, has a disjunctive population
at Moscow; this species is found typically along the Pacific coast of the USA.
Miners and farmers began arriving in the northern Idaho
area after the Civil War
. The first permanent settlers came to the Moscow area in 1871. The abundance of camas
bulbs, a favorite fodder of pigs brought by the farmers, led naming the vicinity Hog Heaven. When the first US post office opened in 1872, the town was called Paradise Valley initially, but the name was changed to Moscow in 1875. The name Paradise persists with the main waterway through town called Paradise Creek.
The precise origin of the name Moscow has been disputed, but there is no proof that it was named by a Russian or for the Russian city
(the Russian municipality is pronounced 'MoskVA' and the Idaho municipality is pronounced 'MosCO'). It was reported by early settlers that five men in the area met to choose a proper name for the town, but could not come to agreement on a name. The postmaster Samuel Neff then completed the official papers for the town and selected the name Moscow. Interestingly, Neff was born in Moscow, Pennsylvania
and later moved to Moscow, Iowa
.
The business district was established by 1875 and the town was a center of commerce for the region. By 1890, the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
's rail line (later the Union Pacific
) and the Northern Pacific railroad line helped to boost the town's population to 2000.
The capital of the Idaho Territory
was relocated from Lewiston
to Boise
in December 1864. In the late 1880s, statehood
for the Washington Territory
was nearing. Because its commercial and transportation interests looked west, rather than south, the citizens of the Idaho Panhandle
passionately lobbied for their region to join Washington, or to form an entirely separate state, rather than remain connected with the less accessible southern Idaho. To appease the residents of the north, the territorial legislature
of Idaho in Boise placed the new land grant university in Moscow, which at the time was the largest city other than Boise in the state. The University of Idaho
was chartered in January 1889, and first opened its doors to students in October 1892.
In March 1890 Moscow's neighboring city, Pullman
, was selected as the home of Washington's land grant institution. The college which would eventually become Washington State University
, opened its doors in January 1892. Washington entered the union as the 42nd state in November 1889. Idaho entered next, eight months later, in July 1890.
and Ladies’ Historical Club formed a cooperative named the Women's Reading Room Society and established a small library in the Browne building at the corner of Main and Second Streets in 1902.
In 1904 the committee planned to raise funds for a new library building. Andrew Carnegie
promised funding of $10,000 if the community agreed to maintain a free public library
at the rate of at least $1000 annually. Moscow voters approved a permanent tax in 1905 and with successful fundraising
by subscription of local residents and businesses, coupled with the Carnegie library
money, the library construction was begun in 1905. In March 1906, the Mission Style
building was ready for occupancy. A fire at the University Of Idaho Administration Building totally destroyed that structure, so the new library was used for university classes during the day and residents used the library in the evening. Beginning in 1907 the building was returned to full use as a library. The original library building (which is on the National Register of Historic Places
) was expanded in 1931 and 1983. The building houses a children's room named for the author Carol Ryrie Brink. In 2006, the Friends of the Library celebrated a Century of Service for the organization. The current organizational structure of library service encompasses all public libraries in Latah County as the Latah County Library District. The library enjoys broad support from the citizens of Moscow and the County and is also supported by the Idaho Commission for Libraries
(formerly the Idaho State Library.) To commemorate the first century of the library, an essay competition was held. One young writer wrote:
The library serves as resource for all the residents of Moscow, or as one essayist (Ellis Clark) in the 2006 contest states, "When time, money, or circumstances bind you to one locale, the Library is your passport for travel."
s located throughout the town offering a wide variety of venues for outdoor activities. These parks fall under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Parks and Recreation
Department. The Paradise Path Task Force is a citizen committee seeking to develop a system of linearly connected parks
throughout the area. Carol Ryrie Brink Nature Park was a community collaboration between the Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute and local volunteers to remeander
Paradise Creek and add riparian
plantings. The Moscow community, including schools and the city, led by local youth, raised money over several years to fund, design, and build a skate
park which was completed in 2000.
The Latah Trail, completed in October 2008, extends from the eastern edge of Moscow bike path
system to Troy
, parallel to the Troy Highway
for most of its 12 miles (19.3 km). On the west side of Moscow, the Bill Chipman Trail
connects the two university communities of the Palouse
. Starting at the UI's Perimeter Road, it gradually descends with Paradise Creek for 8 miles (12.9 km) to Pullman through Whitman County
, alongside the Moscow-Pullman Highway
. Completed in April 1998, the trail honors a Pullman businessman (and UI alumnus) who died following a winter highway accident in Spokane County
. The Paradise Path bridges the gap in Moscow between the endpoints of the Chipman and Latah trails, passing through the north and east edges of the UI campus. The trail systems together constitute a continuous 22 miles (35.4 km) paved linear park from Pullman to Troy, extending in Troy beyond the eastern boundary of the Palouse
ecosystem. From Pullman to the western boundary of Moscow (the state line), it follows the right of way of a dismantled Union Pacific railroad line, and east of US-95
it follows the right of way of a dismantled BNSF railroad line that junctioned at Arrow on the Clearwater River
by way of Troy, Kendrick
, and Juliaetta
.
This list does not include private daycare facilities unless they are listed with the State of Idaho as schools.
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,291 people, 7,724 households, and 3,869 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,460.6 people per square mile (1,336.7 per km²). There were 8,029 housing units at an average density of 1,305.0 per square mile (504.1 per km²). The racial makeup of the city was:
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.47% of the population.
There were 7,724 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.9% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows:
The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,884, and the median income for a family was $46,331. Males had a median income of $35,494 versus $24,560 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,930. About 9.5% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Moscow has a Council-Mayor form of government consisting of six Council members (at large) and a Mayor. These positions are elected separately and serve four year terms. Council member elections are held in odd-numbered years in November, with terms staggered so that three of the six seats are open at each election. Mayoral elections are held the November after a US Presidential election (e.g., most recently in 2009).
The Council elects a President and Vice-President from among its members at its first meeting in January each year. These two officers may stand in for the mayor as necessary. Council is the legislative and judicial arm of Moscow's City government; enacting ordinances and resolutions. This body confirms the Mayor's appointments of City officials and citizen advisory commission members. Council approves the City's annual budget and serves as the convening body for public hearings and appeals of other City Boards and Commissions. Meetings are generally scheduled for the first and third Monday of each month, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Moscow, in comparison to the rest of the state of Idaho tends to be more politically Liberal
. In the 2004 Presidential Election
, John Kerry
out-polled George W. Bush
in Moscow 54%-46%. Latah County was 49.5%-48.0% for the Bush/Cheney ticket; the entire state of Idaho went 68%-30% for George W. Bush. In the 2008 Presidential Election, Democrat Barack Obama
won Moscow and Latah County 52%-45% while losing statewide 61%-36%. In 2000 Latah county went to Republican George W. Bush 53% to Democrat Al Gore
's 36% and Independent Ralph Nader
's 6%, The state of Idaho went to Bush 67%, to Gore 27%, with Nader at 2%
: Villa Carlos Fonseca
, Nicaragua
Villa Carlos Fonseca is the former name of Villa El Carmen
North Central Idaho
North Central Idaho is an area which spans the central part of the state of Idaho and borders Oregon, Montana, and Washington. It is the southern half of the Idaho Panhandle region and is rich in agriculture and natural resources. Lewis and Clark travelled throughout this area on their journey to...
Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, situated along the Washington/Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
border. It is the most populous city and county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Latah County
Latah County, Idaho
Latah County is a county located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 37,244 at the 2010 census. The county seat and largest city is Moscow, which is the home of the University of Idaho, the state's flagship and land-grant university...
and the home of the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
, the land grant
Land-grant university
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
institution and primary research university for the state. Eight miles (12 km) west is Pullman, Washington
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
, home of Washington's land-grant university, Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
.
While the university is the dominant employer in Moscow, the city also serves as an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and commercial hub for the Palouse
Palouse
The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes...
region. The 2010 census reported a population of 23,800.
Moscow is the principal city in the Moscow, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area
United States micropolitan area
United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas , as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, are urban areas in the United States based around a core city or town with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003...
, which includes Latah County
Latah County, Idaho
Latah County is a county located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 37,244 at the 2010 census. The county seat and largest city is Moscow, which is the home of the University of Idaho, the state's flagship and land-grant university...
. Moscow is the birthplace of writer Carol Ryrie Brink
Carol Ryrie Brink
Carol Ryrie Brink was an American author of over thirty juvenile and adult books. Her novel Caddie Woodlawn won the 1936 Newbery Medal...
and singer Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and author who performs and records with The Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine.- Early life :Josh...
.
Along with the rest of northern Idaho
Idaho Panhandle
The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho...
, Moscow resides in the Pacific Time Zone
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
. The elevation of its city center is 2,579 feet (786 m) above sea level. Major highways serving the city are US-95
U.S. Route 95 in Idaho
In the U.S. state of Idaho, U.S. Route 95 is a north–south highway near the western border of the state, stretching from Oregon to British Columbia for over .-Route description:...
(north-south) and Highway 8
Idaho State Highway 8
State Highway 8 is an Idaho state highway in Latah and Clearwater counties, running from the Washington state line in Moscow to Elk River. It is in length, and runs primarily east–west.-Route description:...
(east-west), both of which are routed through Moscow city center. Limited commercial air service is four miles west (6.4 km) at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport
Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport
Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport is a public airport located in Whitman County in the U.S. state of Washington, two miles east of Pullman and four miles west of Moscow, Idaho...
.
Geography and natural history
117th meridian west
The meridian 117° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
.
The city of Moscow lies on the eastern edge of the Palouse
Palouse
The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes...
region of North Central Idaho
North Central Idaho
North Central Idaho is an area which spans the central part of the state of Idaho and borders Oregon, Montana, and Washington. It is the southern half of the Idaho Panhandle region and is rich in agriculture and natural resources. Lewis and Clark travelled throughout this area on their journey to...
in the Columbia River Plateau
Columbia River Plateau
The Columbia Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It is a wide flood basalt plateau between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains, cut through by the Columbia River...
. East of the city is a valley within the mountains of the Palouse Range to the northeast, whose highest point is Moscow Mountain at 4983 feet (1519 m) above sea level. The less prominent Paradise Ridge at 3702 feet (1128 m) and Tomer Butte at 3474 feet (1059 m) are southeast of the town. Paradise Creek, with headwaters on Moscow Mountain north of the city, flows through the city of Moscow. It then crosses the state border and joins the south fork of the Palouse River
Palouse River
The Palouse River is a tributary of the Snake River located in the U.S. states of Washington and Idaho. It flows for southwestwards, primarily through the Palouse region of southeastern Washington...
near Pullman, which eventually drains into the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
and 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...
on its way to the Pacific Ocean.
The geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
in and around Moscow represents varied formations: very old intrusive granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
structures of the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
–Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
Idaho Batholith
Batholith
A batholith is a large emplacement of igneous intrusive rock that forms from cooled magma deep in the Earth's crust...
, fertile fields atop rolling hills of deep 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 ....
loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
of the Palouse Formation deposited after the last ice age by westerly winds, and flood-worn channels of the Columbia River Basalt Group
Columbia River Basalt Group
The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California...
.
There are a variety of flora and fauna within the vicinity of Moscow. An amphibian, the Rough-skinned Newt
Rough-skinned Newt
The rough-skinned newt is a North American newt known for its strong poison.- Toxicity :Many newts produce toxins to avoid predation, but the toxins of the genus Taricha are particularly potent...
, has a disjunctive population
Disjunctive population
A disjunctive population, in ecology, is a colony of plants or animals, whose geographical locus is severed from the continuous range of the bulk of the species distribution. Although a disjunctive population may sometimes occur on an island, which creates physical separation via water, a large...
at Moscow; this species is found typically along the Pacific coast of the USA.
History
Idaho Panhandle
The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho...
area after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The first permanent settlers came to the Moscow area in 1871. The abundance of camas
Camassia
Camassia is a genus of six species native to western North America, from southern British Columbia to northern California, and east to Utah, Wyoming and Montana...
bulbs, a favorite fodder of pigs brought by the farmers, led naming the vicinity Hog Heaven. When the first US post office opened in 1872, the town was called Paradise Valley initially, but the name was changed to Moscow in 1875. The name Paradise persists with the main waterway through town called Paradise Creek.
The precise origin of the name Moscow has been disputed, but there is no proof that it was named by a Russian or for the Russian city
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(the Russian municipality is pronounced 'MoskVA' and the Idaho municipality is pronounced 'MosCO'). It was reported by early settlers that five men in the area met to choose a proper name for the town, but could not come to agreement on a name. The postmaster Samuel Neff then completed the official papers for the town and selected the name Moscow. Interestingly, Neff was born in Moscow, Pennsylvania
Moscow, Pennsylvania
Moscow is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,026 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Moscow is located at ....
and later moved to Moscow, Iowa
Moscow, Iowa
Moscow is an unincorporated community in northern Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. It lies along local roads just north of U.S. Route 6, north of the city of Muscatine, the county seat of Muscatine County. Its elevation is 653 feet...
.
The business district was established by 1875 and the town was a center of commerce for the region. By 1890, the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company was a railroad that operated a rail network of of track running east from Portland, Oregon, United States to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Idaho...
's rail line (later the Union Pacific
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
) and the Northern Pacific railroad line helped to boost the town's population to 2000.
Idaho Territory
The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 4, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Idaho.-1860s:...
was relocated from Lewiston
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
to Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
in December 1864. In the late 1880s, statehood
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
for the Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
was nearing. Because its commercial and transportation interests looked west, rather than south, the citizens of the Idaho Panhandle
Idaho Panhandle
The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho...
passionately lobbied for their region to join Washington, or to form an entirely separate state, rather than remain connected with the less accessible southern Idaho. To appease the residents of the north, the territorial legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of Idaho in Boise placed the new land grant university in Moscow, which at the time was the largest city other than Boise in the state. The University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
was chartered in January 1889, and first opened its doors to students in October 1892.
In March 1890 Moscow's neighboring city, Pullman
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
, was selected as the home of Washington's land grant institution. The college which would eventually become Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, opened its doors in January 1892. Washington entered the union as the 42nd state in November 1889. Idaho entered next, eight months later, in July 1890.
Moscow Public Library
Members of the Pleiades ClubPleiades Club
-History:The Pleiades Club emerged in 1896 from the gatherings of some members of the Greenwich Village artistic community in the small Italian restaurant of Maria del Prato on MacDougal Street...
and Ladies’ Historical Club formed a cooperative named the Women's Reading Room Society and established a small library in the Browne building at the corner of Main and Second Streets in 1902.
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
promised funding of $10,000 if the community agreed to maintain a free public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
at the rate of at least $1000 annually. Moscow voters approved a permanent tax in 1905 and with successful fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
by subscription of local residents and businesses, coupled with the Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
money, the library construction was begun in 1905. In March 1906, the Mission Style
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
building was ready for occupancy. A fire at the University Of Idaho Administration Building totally destroyed that structure, so the new library was used for university classes during the day and residents used the library in the evening. Beginning in 1907 the building was returned to full use as a library. The original library building (which is 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...
) was expanded in 1931 and 1983. The building houses a children's room named for the author Carol Ryrie Brink. In 2006, the Friends of the Library celebrated a Century of Service for the organization. The current organizational structure of library service encompasses all public libraries in Latah County as the Latah County Library District. The library enjoys broad support from the citizens of Moscow and the County and is also supported by the Idaho Commission for Libraries
Idaho Commission for Libraries
The Idaho Commission for Libraries , formerly the Idaho State Library, assists libraries in Idaho to build the capacity to better serve their clientele.-History of the Idaho Commission for Libraries:...
(formerly the Idaho State Library.) To commemorate the first century of the library, an essay competition was held. One young writer wrote:
The library serves as resource for all the residents of Moscow, or as one essayist (Ellis Clark) in the 2006 contest states, "When time, money, or circumstances bind you to one locale, the Library is your passport for travel."
Highways
- US 95U.S. Route 95 in IdahoIn the U.S. state of Idaho, U.S. Route 95 is a north–south highway near the western border of the state, stretching from Oregon to British Columbia for over .-Route description:...
- to Coeur d'AleneCoeur d'Alene, IdahoCoeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
(north) and LewistonLewiston, IdahoLewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
(south)
- SH-8Idaho State Highway 8State Highway 8 is an Idaho state highway in Latah and Clearwater counties, running from the Washington state line in Moscow to Elk River. It is in length, and runs primarily east–west.-Route description:...
- to PullmanPullman, WashingtonPullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
(west) and TroyTroy, IdahoTroy is a city in Latah County, Idaho, United States. Located in the eastern part of the Palouse region, its population was 862 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Troy is located at ., east of Moscow on State Highway 8....
(east)
Parks and recreation
There are seventeen neighborhood parkPark
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s located throughout the town offering a wide variety of venues for outdoor activities. These parks fall under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Parks and Recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
Department. The Paradise Path Task Force is a citizen committee seeking to develop a system of linearly connected parks
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
throughout the area. Carol Ryrie Brink Nature Park was a community collaboration between the Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute and local volunteers to remeander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
Paradise Creek and add riparian
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
plantings. The Moscow community, including schools and the city, led by local youth, raised money over several years to fund, design, and build a skate
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
park which was completed in 2000.
The Latah Trail, completed in October 2008, extends from the eastern edge of Moscow bike path
Segregated cycle facilities
Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...
system to Troy
Troy, Idaho
Troy is a city in Latah County, Idaho, United States. Located in the eastern part of the Palouse region, its population was 862 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Troy is located at ., east of Moscow on State Highway 8....
, parallel to the Troy Highway
Idaho State Highway 8
State Highway 8 is an Idaho state highway in Latah and Clearwater counties, running from the Washington state line in Moscow to Elk River. It is in length, and runs primarily east–west.-Route description:...
for most of its 12 miles (19.3 km). On the west side of Moscow, the Bill Chipman Trail
Bill Chipman Palouse Trail
The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail is a paved rail trail from Pullman, Washington, eastward to Moscow, Idaho. Completed in 1998, it follows the former Northern Pacific Railroad right-of-way and connects the rural university towns on the Palouse across the Idaho-Washington border.-The trail:The trail's...
connects the two university communities of the Palouse
Palouse
The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes...
. Starting at the UI's Perimeter Road, it gradually descends with Paradise Creek for 8 miles (12.9 km) to Pullman through Whitman County
Whitman County, Washington
Whitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,776, with the majority living in its largest city, Pullman, home to Washington State University, the state's land-grant university. The county seat is at Colfax.Whitman County was...
, alongside the Moscow-Pullman Highway
Washington State Route 270
State Route 270 is a road connecting U.S. Route 195 and Pullman, Washington with the Idaho state line at Moscow. SR 270 provides a connection to U.S. Route 95 in Moscow via a junction with Idaho State Highway 8 at the state line.-Route description:...
. Completed in April 1998, the trail honors a Pullman businessman (and UI alumnus) who died following a winter highway accident in Spokane County
Spokane County, Washington
Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after the Spokane tribe. As of the 2010 census the population was 471,221, making it the fourth most populous county in Washington state. The largest city and county seat is Spokane, the second largest city in the state,...
. The Paradise Path bridges the gap in Moscow between the endpoints of the Chipman and Latah trails, passing through the north and east edges of the UI campus. The trail systems together constitute a continuous 22 miles (35.4 km) paved linear park from Pullman to Troy, extending in Troy beyond the eastern boundary of the Palouse
Palouse
The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes...
ecosystem. From Pullman to the western boundary of Moscow (the state line), it follows the right of way of a dismantled Union Pacific railroad line, and east of US-95
U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95 is a north–south U.S. highway in the western United States. Unlike many other US highways, it has not seen deletion or replacement on most of its length by an encroaching Interstate highway corridor, due to its mostly rural course...
it follows the right of way of a dismantled BNSF railroad line that junctioned at Arrow on the Clearwater River
Clearwater River (Idaho)
The Clearwater River is a river in north central Idaho, which flows westward from the Bitterroot Mountains along the Idaho-Montana border, and joins the Snake River at Lewiston. In October 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition descended the Clearwater River in dugout canoes, putting in at "Canoe...
by way of Troy, Kendrick
Kendrick, Idaho
Kendrick is a city in Latah County, Idaho, United States. The population was 369 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kendrick is located at , near the Potlatch River....
, and Juliaetta
Juliaetta, Idaho
Juliaetta is a city in Latah County, Idaho, United States. The population was 609 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Juliaetta is located at and lies approximately 2 miles north of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation...
.
Community Arts and Events
| Name | Dates | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival | Last weekend of February | Multiple venues, city and UI campus | Main concerts in Kibbie Dome |
| Moscow Hemp Fest | Mid-April Saturday | East City Park | |
| Renaissance Fair | First weekend of May | East City Park | Multiple stages and events |
| Farmers Market | Every Saturday May–October | Friendship Square | 8am - 1pm |
| Rendezvous in the Park | Third week of July | East City Park | |
| Light up the Night Parade | December 1 | Main Street |
Education (schools, colleges, and universities)
| Name | Type | Level | Affiliation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.B. McDonald | Public | Elementary Elementary school An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar... |
Moscow SD #281 | |
| Emmanuel Preschool | Private Religious | Pre-K | Emmanuel Lutheran Church (ELCA Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them... ) |
Christian |
| Festival Dance Academy | Dance | 3-Adult | Festival Dance and Performing Arts | Providing dance education for over 30 years |
| Lena Whitmore | Public | Elementary (K-6) | Moscow SD #281 | |
| Logos School Logos School Logos School is a private, Classical Christian school and is a member of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools . Logos provides a Classical Christian education . It is located in Moscow, Idaho... |
Private Christian | K-12 | Association of Classical and Christian Schools Association of Classical and Christian Schools The Association of Classical & Christian Schools is an organization founded in 1994 to encourage the formation of Christian schools using a model of classical education... |
Classical Education (Christian) |
| Montrose Academy | Private | K-12 | Design an education plan based on the student's ability, rather than their age | |
| Moscow Charter School | Public Charter Charter school Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter... |
Elementary (K-6) | Moscow SD #281 | Focuses on Arts and Technology with low Student-teacher ratio Student-teacher ratio Student-teacher ratio refers to the number of teachers in a school or university with respect to the number of students who attend the institution. For example, a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students for every one teacher... s |
| Moscow Day School | Private Non-Profit | Pre-K | Non-profit private school | NAEYC accredited |
| Moscow High School Moscow High School Moscow High School is a three-year public secondary school in Moscow, Idaho. A senior high school, it serves grades 10-12, and its principal is Bob Celebrezze.... |
Public | High School (10-12) | Moscow SD #281 | |
| Moscow Junior High School | Public | Junior High Middle school Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable... (7-9) |
Moscow SD #281 | |
| Mr. Leon's School Of Hair Design | Vocational school 2-year | Post secondary | Commercial | Cosmetology Cosmetology Cosmetology is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty including hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, and electrology.... |
| New Saint Andrews College New Saint Andrews College New Saint Andrews College is a classical Christian college located in Moscow, Idaho. It was founded in 1994 and modeled in part on the curriculum of Harvard College of the seventeenth century. The college offers no undergraduate majors, but follows a single, integrated classical liberal arts... |
Private Christian | College | Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools is a U.S. national educational accreditation agency for Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries... |
|
| Palouse Hills Seventh-day Adventist School | Private | Pre-K to 8 | Seventh-day Adventist Church Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ... |
|
| Palouse Prairie School | Public Charter Charter school Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter... |
Elementary (K-6) | Independent LEA #472 | Using the Expeditionary Learning model |
| Paradise Creek Regional High School | Public | High School (9-12) | Moscow SD #281 | Alternative high school serving students in Latah County; with a goal of earning a high school diploma |
| J. Russell Elementary | Public | Elementary (4-6) | Moscow SD #281 | First school in Moscow; established in 1884. |
| Saint Mary's and Saint Rose’s | Catholic Parochial School | Elementary (Pre-K-6) | National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) | Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise The Diocese of Boise is an ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Church in the northwestern U.S., encompassing the entire state of Idaho. It is led by a bishop who serves as pastor of the cathedral, the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise... |
| University of Idaho University of Idaho The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state... |
Public | University (Undergraduate and Graduate) | State of Idaho | Land-grant university Land-grant university Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.... |
| University of Idaho College of Law University of Idaho College of Law The University of Idaho College of Law is the law school of the University of Idaho, with its main campus in Moscow and a third-year program in Boise. The College of Law was established in 1909 and is the only law school located in the state of Idaho... |
Public | University (Graduate) | State of Idaho | Law School Law school A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :... |
| West Park | Public | Elementary (K-3) | Moscow SD #281 |
This list does not include private daycare facilities unless they are listed with the State of Idaho as schools.
Demographics
- 92.23% White
- 0.91% African American
- 0.80% Native American
- 3.13% Asian
- 0.14% Pacific Islander
- 0.97% from other racesRace (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...
- 1.82% from two or more races
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.47% of the population.
There were 7,724 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.9% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows:
- 16.1% under the age of 18
- 35.8% from 18 to 24
- 26.3% from 25 to 44
- 14.0% from 45 to 64
- 7.8% 65 years of age or older
The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,884, and the median income for a family was $46,331. Males had a median income of $35,494 versus $24,560 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,930. About 9.5% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
The Council elects a President and Vice-President from among its members at its first meeting in January each year. These two officers may stand in for the mayor as necessary. Council is the legislative and judicial arm of Moscow's City government; enacting ordinances and resolutions. This body confirms the Mayor's appointments of City officials and citizen advisory commission members. Council approves the City's annual budget and serves as the convening body for public hearings and appeals of other City Boards and Commissions. Meetings are generally scheduled for the first and third Monday of each month, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Moscow, in comparison to the rest of the state of Idaho tends to be more politically Liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
. In the 2004 Presidential Election
2004 presidential election
The 2004 presidential election may refer to:* Afghan presidential election, 2004* Algerian presidential election, 2004* Austrian presidential election, 2004* Dominican Republic presidential election, 2004* Georgia presidential election, 2004...
, John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
out-polled George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in Moscow 54%-46%. Latah County was 49.5%-48.0% for the Bush/Cheney ticket; the entire state of Idaho went 68%-30% for George W. Bush. In the 2008 Presidential Election, Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
won Moscow and Latah County 52%-45% while losing statewide 61%-36%. In 2000 Latah county went to Republican George W. Bush 53% to Democrat Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
's 36% and Independent Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
's 6%, The state of Idaho went to Bush 67%, to Gore 27%, with Nader at 2%
Sister cities
Moscow has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
: Villa Carlos Fonseca
Villa Carlos Fonseca
Villa Carlos Fonseca is a municipality in the Managua department of Nicaragua. Its sister city is Moscow, Idaho.Villa Carlos Fonseca A Google satellite maphttp://www.maplandia.com/nicaragua/managua/villa-carlos-fonseca-a...
, Nicaragua
Villa Carlos Fonseca is the former name of Villa El Carmen