Ellensburg, Washington

Ellensburg, Washington
—  City  —
The historic Davidson Building, completed in 1890, Ellensburg, Washington.
Seal
Location of Ellensburg, Washington
Coordinates: 46°59′49″N 120°32′42″W
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Kittitas
Incorporated	November 26, 1883
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• City Manager	Ted Barkley
• Mayor	Bruce Tabb
Area
• Total	6.6 sq mi (17.2 km2)
• Land	6.6 sq mi (17.1 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	1,542 ft (470 m)
Population (2011)
• Total	18,250
• Density	2,338.9/sq mi (903.1/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	98926, 98950
Area code(s)	509
FIPS code	53-21240
GNIS feature ID	1519305

Barge Hall, Central Washington University

Ellensburg is a city in, and the county seat of, Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 18,174 at the 2010 census. The population was 18,250 at 2011 Estimate from Office of Financial Management. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on Interstate 90 and is known as the most centrally located city in the state. Ellensburg is the home of Central Washington University (CWU).

The surrounding Kittitas Valley is internationally known for the timothy-hay that it produces. There are several local hay brokering and processing operations that ship to Pacific Rim countries. Downtown Ellensburg has many historic buildings, many of which were constructed in the late 19th century. This is a legacy of its bid to be the state capital, which it lost to Olympia. CWU being placed there is another product of that legacy. The state legislature selected Ellensburg as the location for the then Normal School as a consolation prize. Eastern Washington has a much drier climate than Western Washington, and some Seattle-area residents have moved to the city and commute over Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90 to jobs located in the Puget Sound region.

History

Ellensburg was officially incorporated on November 26, 1883. John Alden Shoudy came to the Kittitas Valley in 1871, and purchased a small trading post from Andrew Jackson "A.J." Splawn, called "Robber's Roost." Robber's Roost was the first business in the valley, other than the early trading that occurred among American Indians, cattle drivers, trappers, and miners. Robber's Roost was located on the present-day 3rd Avenue, just west of Main Street near the alley. There is a placard on the wall commemorating the location, as well as a small stone monument against the wall on the sidewalk. Shoudy named the town after his wife, Mary Ellen Shoudy, and officially began the city of Ellensburgh around 1872. Shoudy was not the first settler in the Kittitas Valley, nor was he the first businessperson, but he was responsible for platting the city of Ellensburgh in the 1870s, and he was the person who named the streets in the downtown district.

The city was originally named Ellensburgh, until the final -h was dropped under standardization pressure from the United States Postal Service and Board of Geography Names in 1894. Ellensburg is one of the cities featured in the song, "I've Been Everywhere", which was recorded by various artists, including Hank Snow and Johnny Cash.

There were several early newspapers in Ellensburg. The Daily Record, however, began in 1909 and is the name of the local newspaper today.

Concerns over the state of Ellensburg's historic downtown led to the formation of the Ellensburg Downtown Association to work on revitalizing the area.

Events

• The Kittitas County Farmers Market is held every Saturday from May to October in the heart of downtown Ellensburg.
• Ellensburg hosts the annual Winterhop Brewfest in January. Over 21 micro breweries from around the Pacific Northwest serve their product at various venues in the historic downtown buildings.
• Every June, Ellensburg hosts Dachshunds on Parade, an event that draws Dachshund owners from all over the Northwest. Events include a parade, Dachshund races, stupid pet tricks, and a dog costume contest.
• Ellensburg hosts the annual Jazz in the Valley music festival on the last weekend in July.
• Ellensburg is a stop on the PRCA professional rodeo circuit, occurring each year on Labor Day weekend. The Ellensburg Rodeo has been a town tradition since 1923, and is the largest rodeo in Washington state. The rodeo arena is encompassed by the popular Kittitas County Fair, also held during Labor Day weekend. The Kittitas County Fair officially began in 1885, and has been held at its current location since 1923.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	150		—
1880	150		0%
1890	2,768		1,745.3%
1900	1,737		−37.2%
1910	4,209		142.3%
1920	3,967		−5.7%
1930	4,621		16.5%
1940	5,944		28.6%
1950	8,430		41.8%
1960	8,625		2.3%
1970	13,568		57.3%
1980	11,752		−13.4%
1990	12,361		5.2%
2000	15,414		24.7%
2010	18,174		17.9%
Est. 2011	18,250		18.4%
source:

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,414 people, 6,249 households, and 2,649 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,338.9 people per square mile (903.1/km²). There were 6,732 housing units at an average density of 1,021.5 per square mile (394.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.07% White, 1.17% Black or African American, 0.95% Native American, 4.09% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 2.86% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. 6.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,249 households out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.4% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.6% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city the population was spread out with 15.8% under the age of 18, 39.3% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 12.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,034, and the median income for a family was $37,625. Males had a median income of $31,022 versus $22,829 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,662. About 18.8% of families and 34.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Politics and government

The City of Ellensburg uses the Manager/Council form of government with a City Manager hired by the City Council. The seven member City Council is elected at large and serve 4-year terms. The City Council elects a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from the Council to serve 2-year terms. The Council meets the first and third Monday of each month, 7:00 pm, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.

• City Manager: Ted Barkley
• Position 1: Nancy Lillquist
• Position 2: Rich Elliot
• Position 3: David Miller
• Position 4: Bruce Tabb
• Position 5: Jill Arango
• Position 6: Mary Morgan
• Position 7: Anthony Aronica

On the state legislative level, Ellensburg is in the 13th district. As of 2011, its state senator is Republican Janéa Holmquist Newbry, and its two state representatives are Republicans Judy Warnick and Bill Hinkle. On the congressional level, Ellensburg is located in Washington's 4th congressional district and is represented by Republican Doc Hastings, but it is expected to be moved into Washington's 8th congressional district for the 2012 general election and beyond.

Higher education

• Central Washington University (est. 1891 as Washington State Normal School)

School district

Ellensburg School District 401 includes one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools.

Climate

Climate data for Ellensburg (1971–2000)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °F (°C)	33.7 (0.9)	41.3 (5.2)	52.3 (11.3)	60.4 (15.8)	68.3 (20.2)	75.0 (23.9)	82.7 (28.2)	82.9 (28.3)	74.5 (23.6)	61.5 (16.4)	44.1 (6.7)	33.7 (0.9)	59.20 (15.11)
Daily mean °F (°C)	26.2 (−3.2)	32.3 (0.2)	40.5 (4.7)	47.4 (8.6)	55.1 (12.8)	61.6 (16.4)	67.8 (19.9)	67.6 (19.8)	58.9 (14.9)	47.4 (8.6)	35.6 (2.0)	26.8 (−2.9)	47.27 (8.48)
Average low °F (°C)	18.6 (−7.4)	23.2 (−4.9)	28.7 (−1.8)	34.3 (1.3)	41.9 (5.5)	48.2 (9.0)	52.8 (11.6)	52.2 (11.2)	43.3 (6.3)	33.3 (0.7)	27.0 (−2.8)	19.8 (−6.8)	35.28 (1.82)
Precipitation inches (mm)	1.23 (31.2)	0.92 (23.4)	0.77 (19.6)	0.56 (14.2)	0.56 (14.2)	0.63 (16)	0.37 (9.4)	0.36 (9.1)	0.46 (11.7)	0.57 (14.5)	1.20 (30.5)	1.47 (37.3)	9.1 (231.1)
Source: NOAA (normals, 1971–2000)

See also

• Ellensburg High School

Notable current or former residents

• Michael Allen, Historian, Author
• Drew Bledsoe, football player
• John Clymer, Western Artist
• Brian Habib, football player
• Dave Heaverlo, Major-league pitcher
• Brian Thompson, Actor

Rock musicians

Ellensburg produced the grunge / alternative rock band Screaming Trees, which included members:

• Mark Lanegan
• Gary Lee Conner
• Van Conner
• Mark Pickerel

Further reading

• Kirk, Ruth, and Carmela Alexander, (1990, revised edition 1995), Exploring Washington's Past, University of Washington Press, Seattle. ISBN 0-295-97443-5
• Caveness, Andrew. "Images of America: Ellensburg," Arcadia Press, San Francisco, 2009. ISBN 0-7385-7154-7

External links

• Ellensburg official website
• Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce
• Ellensburg Downtown Association
• Ellensburg, Washington at the Open Directory Project