Ephrata (Washington)
| Ephrata, Washington | |||
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 The Grant County Courthouse in Ephrata |
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| Location in Washington | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | June 21, 1909 ( incorporated , i.e. recognized as a local authority ) | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Washington | ||
| County : | Grant County | ||
| Coordinates : | 47 ° 19 ′ N , 119 ° 33 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 ) | ||
| Residents : | 8,047 (as of 2015) | ||
| Population density : | 308 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 26.13 km 2 (approx. 10 mi 2 ) of which 26.13 km 2 (approx. 10 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 389 m | ||
| Postal code : | 98823 | ||
| Area code : | +1 509 | ||
| FIPS : | 53-22080 | ||
| GNIS ID : | [2] 1512192 | ||
| Website : | City of Ephrata | ||
 Location of Ephrata in Grant County |
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Ephrata ( iːfreɪtə ) is a city ( City ) in Grant County in the State of Washington . As of the 2010 United States Census , Ephrata had 7,664 residents. It is the county seat of Grant County .
history
Ephrata was officially recognized as a local authority on June 21, 1909 and designated the county seat for the newly created Grant County.
Historically, the Ephrata settlement is fairly modern. There was no known settlement until 1886, just three years before Washington joined the United States. Horse breeder Frank Beezley was the first white man to settle near the natural springs, making the area known as Beezley Springs. Since the climate and topography were not promising for a settlement, the whole area remained sparsely populated until various actions by the federal congress such as the Northern Pacific Land Grant Act , the Homestead Act and the Desert Claims Act promoted the settlement of this semi-arid desert-like area. Douglas County originally spanned the entire area on the Great Loop of the Columbia River . The Washington State Legislature divided it in 1909, creating Grant County. When it came time to propose a county seat to the legislature, someone purposely got a rival parish representative drunk, so Ephrata was selected.
It is widely believed that Ephrata was named by an employee of the Great Northern Railway . The name Ephrata is derived from a biblical description of an oasis in the desert. It is also the historical name of the city of Bethlehem .
The region was known at the beginning of the 20th century for the great herds of wild horses that roamed the country. Horse trade was an important part of the local economy, and Ephrata served as a base for the horse round-up. The last "Grand Horse Round-up" was held in Ephrata in 1906. Ephrata later developed into the trading and service center for cattle and sheep farms in the region by the beginning of the Columbia Basin Project .
In 1939 one of the longest runways in the state was built in Ephrata, which served the US Army Air Corps until 1945 when the area was converted into a commercial airport. The airport and hangars were used in Steven Spielberg's 1989 film Always , the final with Audrey Hepburn . They were used for the airport scenes in the fictional Flat Rock (Colorado).
Ephrata was the focus of national attention when 60 Minutes II , a major US news magazine, covered the 2003 murder of Craig Sorger, a thirteen-year-old who was brutally murdered by then twelve-year-old Evan Savoie and Jake Eakin. The two defendants were the youngest in the state's history to be treated as adults.
In January 2011, Jim McCullar cashed his half-$ 380 million ticket at a Safeway supermarket in Ephrata. It was the second highest jackpot in US lottery history.
The Grant County Public Utility District , a non-profit organization for maintenance of public facilities and infrastructure, headquartered in Ephrata.
Columbia Basin Irrigation Project
From July 1918, several prominent residents of Ephrata began advertising a project to divert water from the Columbia River to irrigate the fertile but dry soils of the country on the river's Great Bend. Dubbed "The Dam University," the residents of Ephrata have consistently lobbied local, state, and national levels to raise support for their project. The initial financing of the Grand Coulee Dam was created in 1933 by the Public Works Administration under Franklin D. Roosevelt's hope for a " New Deal ". However, water for irrigation did not flow until the end of World War II, as the entire country was focused on it. During this period, the Grand Coulee Dam's main role was to generate electricity for the Hanford Reservation and for aluminum production, which was vital for aircraft production. When the war ended, the project returned to its original mission of irrigating the desert.
growth of population
The construction of the irrigation project and the military activities increased the population of Ephrata by a factor of eight between 1940 and 1960. When the federal projects came to an end, the city experienced a 22% population decline between 1960 and 1975. The number stabilized between 1975 and 1982, with a slight decrease between 1980 and 1990. Since 1990 the population has been growing steadily. There are currently 7,110 inhabitants.
geography
Ephrata is at 47 ° 19'1 "N / 119 ° 32'53" W. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city occupies a total of 26.13 square kilometers, which does not include water.
climate
Local weather information is available from the National Weather Service's Spokane office.
According to the Köppen & Geiger climate classification, Ephrata has a semi-arid climate (abbreviated "Bsk").
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Monthly average temperatures and rainfall for Ephrata, Washington
Source: Weather.com
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Demographics
| Population development | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Residents | ± in% | |
| 1910 | 323 | - | |
| 1920 | 628 | 94.4% | |
| 1930 | 516 | -17.8% | |
| 1940 | 951 | 84.3% | |
| 1950 | 4589 | 382.5% | |
| 1960 | 6548 | 42.7% | |
| 1970 | 5255 | -19.7% | |
| 1980 | 5359 | 2% | |
| 1990 | 5349 | -0.2% | |
| 2000 | 6808 | 27.3% | |
| 2010 | 7664 | 12.6% | |
| 2016 estimate | 8032 | 4.8% | |
| US Decennial Census estimate for 2015 |
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2010 Census
As of the 2010 census , Ephrata had 7,664 residents, 2,856 households and 1,915 families. The population density was 292.3 / km². There were 3,086 housing units at an average density of 118.1 / km².
The population consisted of 84.1% white , 0.8% African American , 1.1% Indian , 1.3% Asian , 0.1% Pacific islander , 9.5% from other "races" and 3.1% from two or more "races" . Hispanics or Latinos of "any race" made up 16.7% of the population.
Of the 2,856 households, 36.1% had children under the age of 18, 49.6% were run by married couples living together , 12.6% by single mothers and 4.8% by single fathers; 32.9% were non-families. 28.7% of the households were singles and 12.7% were single persons over 65 years of age. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.
The median age in the city was 34.7 years. 27.4% of the population were under 18, 9.4% between 18 and 24, 25% between 25 and 44, 23.6% between 45 and 64 and 14.6 65 years or older. 49.7% of the population were men and 50.3% women.
Census 2000
As of the 2000 census , Ephrata had 6,808 residents, 2,561 households and 1,776 families. The population density was 263.6 / km². There were 2,788 housing units at an average density of 108 / km².
The population was 90.64% white , 0.4% African-American , 0.71% Native American , 0.72% Asian , 0.12% Pacific islander , 5.32% from other "races" and 2.1% from two or more "races" . Hispanics or Latinos of "any race" made up 10.3% of the population.
Of the 2561 households, 35.8% had children under the age of 18, 54.5% were run by married couples living together, and 10.7% by single mothers; 30.7% were non-families. 27.1% of the households were singles and 13.7% were single persons over 65 years of age. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09.
The median age in the city was 36 years. 28.9% of the population were under 18, 8% between 18 and 24, 26.9% between 25 and 44, 20.1% between 45 and 64 and 16.1 65 years or older. There were 97.6 men for every 100 women, and 94.5 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 $ 35,060 and that of families was US $ 43,500. Men had a median income of US $ 38,571 compared to US $ 26,320 for women. The per capita income was US $ 17,929. About 8.7% of families and 12.9% of the total population lived below the poverty line ; this affected 16% of those under 18 and 10% of those over 65.
education
Elementary schools
- Columbia Ridge Elementary
- Grant Elementary
Middle schools
- Parkway Intermediate School
- Ephrata Middle School
Private schools
- New Life Christian School
- St. Rose Of Lima Catholic School
High schools
- Ephrata High School
- Sage Hills Alternative High School
traffic
- Ephrata has one station served by Amtrak , while the tracks are owned by the BNSF Railway .
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 June 29, 2016.
- ^ Ephrata in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
- ^ Find a County . National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ City of Ephrata website
- ↑ http://www.ephrata.org/217.html
- ↑ CBS News of July 22, 2005
- ↑ 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 January 24, 2012. Retrieved on December 19, 2012.
- ^ NWS Forecast Office Spokane, WA ( English ) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
- ^ The Weather Channel . 2009. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
- ^ Population and Housing Unit Estimates . Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ↑ United States Census Bureau : Census of Population and Housing . Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
- ↑ American FactFinder . United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 19, 2012.
Web links
- City of Ephrata - Official City Website
- History of Ephrata in History Link (English)