Goldendale
| Goldendale | |||
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| Location in Washington | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Washington | ||
| County : | Klickitat County | ||
| Coordinates : | 45 ° 49 ′ N , 120 ° 49 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 ) | ||
| Residents : | 3,760 (as of: 2000) | ||
| Height : | 499 m | ||
| Postal code : | 98620 | ||
| FIPS : | 53-27435 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1505168 | ||
| Website : | www.ci.goldendale.wa.us | ||
 Klickitat County Courthouse |
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Goldendale is the capital of Klickitat County in the southern US state of Washington . The place is 20 kilometers north of the Columbia River . In the 2000 census it had 3,760 inhabitants.
Location and climate
The area of the municipality is 6.1 km², the highest point is on the County Courthouse , the County Court (499 m above sea level).
Goldendale is located in an arid region of East Washington, as the cascade chain , which lies 60 km west, hardly allows rain clouds to pass. Therefore, the annual rainfall is 200 to 250 mm. In the dry grassy landscape, bushes and a few tree species grow, such as the ponderosa pine ( yellow pine ), but also oaks. The drinking water supply is provided by Bloodgood Creek , which joins the Little Klickitat River west of the city . The Highway 97 touches the eastern edge of the city and connects it to the streets at Columbia, or direction Toppenish and Yakima .
Demographics
Goldendale's 3,760 residents, identified in the 2000 census , lived in 1,515 households; including 963 families. The population density was 615 inhabitants per km². 1,690 residential units were recorded in the village. Among the population were 87.4% White, 0.2% African American , 4.6% American Indian , 0.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, and 4.1% from other races ; 2.7% said they belonged to several ethnic groups. 5.9% of the population said they were Hispanics or Latinos .
Of the 1,515 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18; 46.4% were married couples living together. 31.3% of the households were single households. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.02.
The population was divided into 28.4% under 18 years of age, 7.7% from 18 to 24 years of age, 26.1% from 25 to 44 years of age, 22.6% from 45 to 64 years of age and 15.2% from 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years.
The median household income was 26,030 $ , the median family income 33 866 $. The per capita income was $ 13,111. 25.4% of the population lived below the poverty line.
history
The Lewis and Clark expedition drove down the Columbia in 1805 and camped at the mouth of the White Salmon River in Columbia. The chief of the Klickitat who lived there , later called Old Jake Hunt Towetex , met the expedition as a child. The photo taken in 1909 in the Goldendale Museum shows the 107-year-old at the time.
Mortimer Thorp is considered to be the first settler in the region. When he ran cattle breeding here in the late 1850s, two or three other families settled there. Thorp left the area and went to the Yakima area because, in his opinion, the area was "overpopulated". His house was taken over by Lyonel J. Kimberland, who later sold 200 acres to John J. Golden. He was the namesake of the place. In 1871 the small community hired a Methodist pastor, and the place got its current name.
In the choice of county seat in 1872 Rockland, now Dallesport , won the bid, but in 1878 Goldendale became the seat of the government of Klickitat County , and in 1879 the place was registered as a city.
In May 1888, a fire broke out on the west end of Main Street when most of the residents were out for a Sunday picnic. The west wind fanned the fire so much that the entire city burned down. However, it was rebuilt over the next few years, this time with bricks fired on site. Main Street was widened by almost seven meters in the core area.
The wood industry was initially the most important branch of industry, but this was replaced by agriculture. In 1968 an aluminum company was established near the John Day Dam , employing up to 1,400 people. In 2003, however, it was closed, although a gas-fired power plant had been built to provide electricity. The economic consequences can still be felt today. Today Rabanco Regional Disposal is the largest employer in the region. The median income per inhabitant in 2004 was $ 24,809, compared to the US average of 35,041.
museum
Winthrop Bartlett Presby came to Goldendale in 1888 and studied law with Judge Ralph "Oregon" Dunbar. He was one of the fathers of the Washington State Constitution, served in the Washington Senate and was Mayor of Goldendale. In 1902 he had a 20-room house planned for $ 8,000. It now houses the Klickitat County Historical Museum . In addition to the early interiors of the house, it has a collection of coffee grinders , a scientific library, and is the seat of the Klickitat Historical Society , the county's historical society. The furniture consists mainly of donations from the pioneer families. There is also an extensive photo collection.
Remarks
- ↑ Goldendale City, Washington , data sheet with the results of the 2000 census at factfinder.census.gov .
- ↑ See website of the Rabanco Regional Disposal , archive.org, March 3, 2013.
