Colfax (Washington)
| Colfax | |||
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 Colfax, looking southeast |
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| Location in Washington | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | November 29, 1873 ( incorporated , i.e. recognized as a local authority ) | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Washington | ||
| County : | Whitman County | ||
| Coordinates : | 46 ° 53 ′ N , 117 ° 22 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 ) | ||
| Residents : | 2,870 (as of 2015) | ||
| Population density : | 292.3 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 9.82 km 2 (approx. 4 mi 2 ) of which 9.82 km 2 (approx. 4 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 601 m | ||
| Postal code : | 99111 | ||
| Area code : | +1 509 | ||
| FIPS : | 53-13785 | ||
| GNIS ID : | [2] 1533329 | ||
| Website : | City of Colfax, WA | ||
| Mayor : | G Todd Vanek | ||
 Location of Colfax in Whitman County |
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Colfax is the county seat of Whitman County in the US state of Washington . As of the 2010 United States Census , Colfax had 2,805 residents. According to the 2015 population estimate by the Washington Office of Financial Management , Colfax is the second largest city in Whitman County with 2,826 residents after Pullman. It is set amidst wheat-covered hills in a valley at the confluence of the North and South Fork of the Palouse River . The US Highway 195 , which forms the main street of the city, crossing the 26 Washington State Route on the north end of the city; Colfax used to be at the intersection of three main railway lines. The city was named after Schuyler Colfax , the Vice President of the USA from 1869–1873.
history
Palouse Indians were the first known human inhabitants of the Colfax area. White settlers reached the area in the summer of 1870 and very soon built a sawmill. A mill and other businesses followed, and Colfax soon developed into a prosperous city. The pioneer James Perkin originally named the settlement "Belleville" in honor of his girlfriend; when he found a new sweetheart, he changed the name to Colfax after the then Vice President of the United States.
Colfax was officially recognized as a city on November 29, 1873. The city saw itself in 1889/90 among the finalists for the settlement of a new state agricultural college, today's Washington State University . The honor eventually went to the nearby Pullman , which is 15 mi (24 km) southeast.
Colfax's reputation was ruined by prominent lynchings in 1894 and 1898.
Until it was overtaken by Pullman in the 1930 United States Census , Colfax was the county's largest city.
geography
Colfax is located in southeast Washington at 46 ° 53 ' N , 117 ° 22' W , at an altitude of 1,962 ft (598 m). The closest cities are Spokane , Pullman , Moscow and Lewiston / Clarkston . The area is geologically interesting as it is located in the middle of the fertile Palouse in the center of the Columbia River Plateau , with the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Channeled Scablands to the west and the Snake River to the south.
According to the United States Census Bureau , the city occupies a total of 9.82 square kilometers, which does not include water. The Palouse River, forced into a concrete bed for flood protection, which shrinks it into a 45 cm wide river in the dry season, flows through the middle of the city parallel to the main street.
climate
Colfax has a humid continental climate with four seasons (according to the Köppen and Geiger climate classification , abbreviated as "Dsb"); the summers are hot and dry, the winters cold, and the rainfall period generally lasts from autumn to spring. The mean annual precipitation is less than 510 mm. This climate, together with the deep, fertile Palouse soil, provides almost ideal conditions for wheat cultivation.
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Monthly average temperatures and rainfall for Colfax, Washington
Source: NOAA (normal values, 1971-2000)
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Demographics
| Population development | |||
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| Census | Residents | ± in% | |
| 1880 | 444 | - | |
| 1890 | 1649 | 271.4% | |
| 1900 | 2121 | 28.6% | |
| 1910 | 2783 | 31.2% | |
| 1920 | 3027 | 8.8% | |
| 1930 | 2782 | -8.1% | |
| 1940 | 2853 | 2.6% | |
| 1950 | 3057 | 7.2% | |
| 1960 | 2860 | -6.4% | |
| 1970 | 2664 | -6.9% | |
| 1980 | 2780 | 4.4% | |
| 1990 | 2713 | -2.4% | |
| 2000 | 2844 | 4.8% | |
| 2010 | 2805 | -1.4% | |
| 2016 estimate | 2895 | 3.2% | |
| Sources: 2015 Estimate |
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The population has been close to the 3,000 mark since 1910.
2010 Census
As of the 2010 census , Colfax had 2,805 residents, 1,236 households and 718 families. The population density was 285.8 / km². There were 1,405 housing units at an average density of 143.1 / km².
The population consisted of 95.6% white , 0.5% African American , 0.4% Indian , 1.5% Asian , 0.1% Pacific islander , 0.5% from other "races" and 1.4% from two or more "races" . Hispanics or Latinos of "any race" made up 2.8% of the population.
Of the 1236 households, 47.1% had children under the age of 18, 46.4% were run by married couples living together , 8.3% by single mothers and 3.5% by single fathers; 41.9% were non-families. 37.5% of the households were singles and 18.2% were single people over 65 years of age. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.89 people.
The median age in the city was 42.7 years. 22.9% of the population were under 18, 6.7% between 18 and 24, 23.3% between 25 and 44, 25.7% between 45 and 64 and 21.2% 65 years or older. 49.7% of the population were men and 50.3% women.
Census 2000
As of the 2000 census , Colfax had 2,844 residents, 1,191 households and 740 families. The population density was 657.5 / km². There were 1,357 housing units at an average density of 313.7 / km².
The population was 94.16% white , 0.25% African American , 0.84% Native American , 2.07% Asian , 0.6% other "races" and 2.07 % % from two or more "races" . Hispanics or Latinos of "any race" made up 1.48% of the population.
Of the 1,191 households, 27.9% had children under the age of 18, 52.6% were run by married couples living together , 6.9% by single mothers; 37.8% were non-families. 35% of the households were singles and 18.1% were single people over 65 years of age. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.9 people.
The median age in the city was 41 years and thus well above the national average of 35.3 years - possibly because of the large number of retired people. 23.5% of the population were under 18, 6.2% between 18 and 24, 25.6% between 25 and 44, 22.6% between 45 and 64 and 22.1% 65 years or older. There were 93.6 men for every 100 women, and 89.6 men for every 100 women over the age of 18.
All information on median income relates to the median. The median household income was US $ 36,622 and that of families was US $ 47,589. Men had a median income of US $ 32,188 compared to US $ 26,349 for women. The per capita income was US $ 18,519. About 6.1% of families and 9.3% of the total population lived below the poverty line ; this affected 9.7% of those under 18 and 6.8% of those over 65.
Public life
Attractions
- The Codger Pole is a monumental wooden sculpture by wood sculptor Jonathan LaBenne. Located on Main Street / Rock Street , it is reminiscent of a 1988 second leg, 50 years after the 1938 first leg, between football arch-rivals Colfax High School and St. John . It is 65 ft (20 m) tall, making it the largest such sculpture in the world; it consists of the portraits of the 51 players involved, cut into five red cedar trunks stacked on top of each other . The players are shown in old age, but are wearing the football dresses of the thirties. The Codger Pole was renovated in May 2016.
- Downtown Colfax is a National Register of Historic Districts listed neighborhood that consists of a rich collection of historic buildings erected between the 1890s and 1930s. The Downtown District is bounded by Upton Street to the north, Stevens Street to the south, Mill Street to the east and the Palouse River to the west.
- Former St. Ignatius Hospital The former St. Ignatius Hospital (1009 S. Mill Street) from 1892 sits at the southern foot of a hill at the far south end of Mill Street. The building served as a hospital for northern Whitman County from 1892 to 1968. When the hospital was moved uphill, a maternity ward was operated on the lower floors from 1968 to 2002. The property has been abandoned since 2002 after water penetrated the upper floors in winter. The Colfax Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Association offered ghost tours between October and December 2015. The building is closed to the public.
- The Perkins House , located on Perkins Avenue, is a meticulously restored Victorian home built in 1886. The original owner was James Perkins, one of the area's foremost pioneers. The Perkins family lived in the house until 1968 when the house was in dire straits and was slated for demolition. The Whitman County Historical Society took ownership in 1970 and began restoring the home, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Behind the house is a log cabin , built in 1870 and where Perkins lived for 16 years; it is the oldest surviving building in Whitman County. The house is open for tours on Thursdays and Saturdays from May to September. It now houses the Colfax Chamber of Commerce and Colfax Downtown Association , which are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays.
- Jewelry Park This park is the most popular in the city. It is at the intersection of Sixth and Morton Streets. The park consists of a skate park, swimming pool, baseball field, paths, and picnic areas.
- Colfax Golf Course and Country Club is a nine-hole riverside course on North Palouse River Road.
- McDonald Park , just north of the golf course, consists of playgrounds surrounded by paved paths for walking and jogging. Regional basketball and softball tournaments are held here.
- The Colfax Trail is a three mile (5 km) trail that was created on a disused railroad track. It begins at a gravel pit off Highway 26, just beyond the western city limits, and follows the Palouse River westwards over cow pastures, through pine forests, wetlands and over basalt cliffs.
- George Barns, also known as Machine Gun Kelly , robbed First Savings & Trust Bank on N Main Street for $ 77,000 in 1932 (an equivalent of about $ 1.3 million in 2014). It was the first time in its history that the bank had been robbed. Barns was later arrested by the FBI (and coined the term " G-man " while in custody ) and admitted to the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on San Francisco Bay.
Public services, business and churches
The city's offerings and amenities for its citizens include Leonard Jennings Elementary School , Colfax High School , Whitman Community Hospital , a variety of retirement homes ( Hill-Ray Plaza , Whitman Nursing Home and The Courtyard ), Paul's Place Assisted Living , eleven city parks , a skateboard park, swimming pool, and public library that was recently named among the best in Washington State. As a county seat, Colfax is home to the Whitman County Courthouse and the Whitman County Jail. The city's government consists of a seven-member city council and a mayor (currently - 2018 - G. Todd Vanek in his second term).
There is a small selection of businesses and shops, including a hardware store, a shop for agricultural supplies, a medium-sized grocery store ( Rosauers ), a pharmacy, two hotels ( Best Western and Siesta Motel ), a bed and breakfast , a fitness center, a florist, a coffee stand, four souvenir shops, a pawn shop and ten restaurants. There are lawyers, dentists, auto mechanics, banks and retirement homes on site. Colfax has nine churches, including a Catholic Church , the Peace Lutheran Church , a congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also LDS or Mormons), the Colfax Assembly ( Assemblies of God ), the Colfax Nazarene Church , the First Baptist Church , a United Methodist Church, and the Community Bible Church .
The weekly Whitman County Gazette is published in Colfax. In addition, there is The Daily Bulletin , a one-page newspaper with daily news and announcements. The Moscow-Pullman Daily News also reports a little on local news.
Annual events in Colfax
- The Palouse Plowing Bee and the Palouse Empire Threshing Bee (“bee” means amusement in American English) - held on the third weekend in April and the first weekend after Labor Day . Farmers demonstrate traditional methods of plowing and harvesting in a 15 acre (6 hectare) field five miles (8 km) west of town.
- Perkins House Ice Cream Social - hosted on the last Sunday of June on the Perkins House lawn; Ice cream, cake, live music ( Dixieland ), exhibition and free guided tour
- Concrete River Days - a summer festival on the second weekend of July with a parade, street sales and lots of outdoor activities; named after the concrete bed of the Palouse River in downtown Colfax.
- Palouse Empire Fair - held five miles west of town in early September; Fairground, rodeo, live music and stables with animals and craftsmen
- Winter Festival - a night parade in Downtown Colfax (Main Street) on the first Thursday in December; Floats, free sweets, special programs in the library, Santa Claus
Personalities
- Dinsmore Age (1888–1968) - astronomer and meteorologist, born in Colfax
- Ida Lou Anderson (1900–1941) - radio pioneer and professor, grew up in Colfax
- Roland Bainton (1894–1984) - Protestant theologian, church historian, and professor at Yale University
- Willard Bond (1926–2012) - painter, born in Colfax
- Yakima Canutt (1895–1986) - rodeo rider, stunt performer and second unit director, born in Colfax
- John Crawford (1920–2010) - actor, born Cleve A. Richardson in Colfax
- Timothy Ely (* 1949) - contemporary painter, graphic artist and bookbinder
- William La Follette (1860–1934) - politician, Congressman for Washington, spent his old age in Colfax and died there
- Abe Goff (1899–1984) - politician, Republican Congressman for Idaho, born in Colfax
- John Kitzhaber (* 1947) - two-time Governor of Oregon (1995–2003; 2011–2015), born in Colfax
- Morten Lauridsen (* 1943) - composer, born in Colfax
- Virgil T. McCroskey (1876–1970) - conservationist and pharmacist, spent part of his life in Colfax
- Robert Osborne (1932–2017) - film journalist, historian and actor, born in Colfax
- Mimi LaFollette Summerskill (1917–2008) - author, educator, political activist and winemaker, grew up in Colfax
- Jay H. Upton (1879–1938) - Oregon attorney and politician, born in Colfax
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Population Estimates . United States Census Bureau . Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ↑ US Board on Geographic Names . United States Geological Survey . October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Find a County . National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ LaFollette, Taber, The History of Colfax , Colfax History Committee, 1956, 8 pp.
- ^ A b Harry M. Majors: Exploring Washington . Van Winkle Publishing Co, 1975, ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6 , p. 143.
- ^ Edmond S. Meany: Origin of Washington geographic names . University of Washington Press, Seattle 1923, p. 52.
- ↑ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990 . United States Census Bureau . February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ↑ US Gazetteer files 2010 . United States Census Bureau . Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. Retrieved on December 19, 2012.
- ↑ Climatography of the United States NO.81 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
- ^ Population and Housing Unit Estimates . Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western US Cities & Towns, 1850-1990 . Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow, 1996, 317 pp.
- ↑ United States Census Bureau : Census of Population and Housing . Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ↑ Erickson, Edith E. Colfax 100 Plus , 1981, 64 pp. (Self-published)
- ↑ American FactFinder . United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 19, 2012.
- ↑ Explore Colfax
Web links
- City of Colfax, Washington - Official Website
- Explore Colfax - Official Website of the Chamber of Commerce / Downtown Association
- History of Colfax in History Link (English)
- Curlie information - based on DMOZ (English)