Elbe, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elbe, Washington
CDP
The Little White Church of Elbe
Location of Elbe, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Pierce
Area
• Total	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
• Land	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,214 ft (370 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	39
• Density	1,000/sq mi (390/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98330
Area code(s)	360
FIPS code	53-20890
GNIS feature ID	1519220

Elbe is a small community in Pierce County, Washington, in the United States. It's known as a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means it's a special area defined by the government for counting people. In 2020, only 39 people lived there.

What's in a Name? The Story of Elbe

Elbe was first called Brown's Junction. This was after the Tacoma & Eastern Railway was built nearby. People wanted a shorter name for their new post office. So, they had a meeting and decided to honor Henry C. Lutkens. He was a pioneer settler who came from the Elbe River valley in Germany.

Another idea is that many early settlers came from the Elbe Valley. They thought the Nisqually River in Washington looked a lot like the Elbe River back home. So, they named their new town Elbe.

Elbe's Past: A Look Back

Early Settlers and Growth

The first settlers arrived in the forests along the Nisqually River in 1888. Among them were German immigrants like Karl Lütkens and Adam Sachs. Karl was only 19, but he loved his new home so much that he convinced his parents, Heinrich and Christina Lütkens, to join him. They came from Germany in 1891.

Other early settlers included Ferdinand Selle, Christian Fritz, and Louis Schuffenhauer. The small town began to grow. By June 4, 1892, Elbe even had its own post office!

A Growing Town

Elbe's economy did well in the years that followed. Many tourists visited nearby Mount Rainier. They often stopped in Elbe on their way. In 1894, Heinrich Lütkens and his son Karl built a large hotel with 48 rooms for these visitors. Another hotel, built by Ferdinand Selle, unfortunately burned down.

A local blacksmith named Levi Engel even worked as an editor for a newspaper called "Elbe Union" for a while. He used his camera to take many pictures of village life. In 1894, a town hall was also built. It was used for many events, including dances.

In 1895, Heinrich Lütkens had a special family reunion. His brother-in-law, Carl Böttcher, came from Germany with his family and settled in a town near Elbe.

Tourism and New Buildings

Elbe became even more popular for tourists after 1904. That's when it connected to the Tacoma Eastern Railroad. Then, in 1911, the "Road to Paradise" was finished. This road is now Washington State Route 706. More hotels and restaurants were built. Adam Sachs, one of the town's founders, opened a department store.

Two years later, the villagers built a church. Heinrich Lütkens donated the land and building materials. Before the church was built, people held services in their homes or at the town hall. By 1909, Elbe had 250 people. The population grew to 437 later in the 20th century.

Where is Elbe? Geography and Climate

Elbe is a very small place. It covers about 0.04 square miles (0.1 square kilometers) of land.

It's located about 47 miles (76 kilometers) south of Seattle. It's also about 87 miles (140 kilometers) north of Portland, Oregon. The famous Mount Rainier is only about 21 miles (34 kilometers) northeast of Elbe.

Elbe's Weather

Elbe has a type of weather called a "warm-summer Mediterranean climate." This means it has warm, dry summers. Winters are mild to chilly, with lots of rain and some snow. The nearby Pacific Ocean helps keep the temperatures from changing too much.

In December, the average high temperature is about 43.3°F (6.3°C). In August, it can reach about 76.7°F (24.8°C). Elbe gets a lot of rain in winter. Even in summer, there are usually a few rainy days. Snowfall is common in winter, with temperatures often above freezing.

Who Lives in Elbe? Demographics

The number of people living in Elbe has changed over the years.

In 2000, there were 21 people. By 2010, the population grew to 29. In the most recent count in 2020, there were 39 people living in Elbe.

Fun Things to See: Arts and Culture

Historical Buildings and Sites

Elbe has some interesting old buildings and places to visit.

Elbe Market Country Store

The Elbe Market Country Store was built in 1906. It was originally a meeting hall for a group called the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF). The building was moved when the "Road to Paradise" was built. It still looks a lot like buildings from the old Wild West! In 2024, a 14-foot (4.3-meter) statue of Bigfoot was put up at the store. Its official name is Mount Rainier Bigfoot, but people often call it Howard.

The Little White Church of Elbe

The Elbe Evangelical Lutheran Church is a small, historic church. It has a German message on it that says "Ev. Luth. KIRCHE." The people of Elbe built it in 1906, following plans by Reverend Karl Kilian. The church is about 24 feet (7.32 meters) long and 18 feet (5.49 meters) wide. It can fit 46 people inside. The church tower is about 46 feet (14.02 meters) tall.

This church has been fixed up and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Church services are held there once a month from March to December.

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

You can ride a special train from Elbe to a place called Mineral. This railway uses old steam locomotives and historic train cars. The train ride goes through forests and crosses the Nisqually River. It ends at the Mount Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum in Mineral.

Mt. Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park is a beautiful place to visit. You can get there from Elbe by taking the National Park Highway. It's about 14 miles (22 kilometers) away.

How Elbe Works: Infrastructure

Elbe is located along two main roads:

• Mountain Highway (State Route 7)
• State Route 706

The town also has a rest area for travelers.

Elbe is part of a project to add charging stations for electric cars. These stations will be along the White Pass Scenic Byway. The project started in 2023 and aims to help people with electric cars travel more easily in the area.

Images for kids

• 

  Downtown Elbe, early 20th century

• 

  Elbe train depot

See also

In Spanish: Elbe (Washington) para niños