Kittitas, Washington
| Kittitas, Washington | |
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| City | |
Kittitas, Washington viewed from U.S. Highway 97
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 Location of Kittitas, Washington |
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| Coordinates: 46°59′2″N 120°25′6″W / 46.98389°N 120.41833°WCoordinates: 46°59′2″N 120°25′6″W / 46.98389°N 120.41833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Kittitas |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.76 sq mi (1.97 km2) |
| • Land | 0.76 sq mi (1.97 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,647 ft (502 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,381 |
| • Estimate (2015) | 1,430 |
| • Density | 1,817.1/sq mi (701.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP_Code | 98926 |
| Area code(s) | 509 |
| FIPS code | 53-36045 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1506003 |
| Website | City of Kittitas |
Kittitas is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2010 census. The population was 1,450 at 2012 Estimate from Office of Financial Management.
There are numerous interpretations of the name, which is from the language of the Kittitas American Indian language. According to one source, it "has been said to mean everything from 'white chalk' to 'shale rock' to 'shoal people' to 'land of beauty'. Most anthropologists and historians concede that each interpretation has some validity depending upon the particular dialect spoken."
Kittitas was established in 1883 it was officially incorporated on December 9, 1931. It was founded as part of the westward expansion of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad, the Kittitas Yard and Depot Became the center of the community of Kittitas: one of the many small, agricultural towns that sprang up along the railroad lines. The railroad linked Kittitas to other small communities and the rest of the country, providing farmers and business people a way to sell their products in other towns and cities.
A post office, general merchandise and drug store, a Baptist church, agricultural warehouses, and other small businesses were built around the small depot. Along with the depot, the Kittitas Yard included storage and maintenance buildings, a water tower, and other structures necessary for the maintenance of a major transcontinental railroad.
The depot is the only significant structure still intact at the Kittitas Yard. It is an excellent example of turn-of-the-century railroad architecture, and as such was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The depot is owned and managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
The Milwaukee Road, the popular name for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad, was founded in 1847 to serve the area from Mississippi to Wisconsin. Within 50 years, it became one of the most prosperous railroads in the country. In 1905, Milwaukee Road officials began expanding west, running lines from Chicago to Seattle. At the same time, they decided to electrify the lines through the western mountains, to increase operating efficiency.
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Wikipedia