Entiat, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Entiat, Washington
City
Nickname(s):  Gateway to Recreation
Location in the state of Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Chelan
Incorporated	April 25, 1944
Area
• Total	2.82 sq mi (7.29 km2)
• Land	2.18 sq mi (5.64 km2)
• Water	0.64 sq mi (1.65 km2)
Elevation	929 ft (283 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,326
• Density	587.43/sq mi (226.81/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98822
Area code	509
FIPS code	53-22010
GNIS feature ID	2410447
Website	City of Entiat

Entiat is a small city in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It's part of the larger Wenatchee area. In 2020, about 1,326 people lived there.

The name "Entiat" comes from the Entiat people, who are native to this area. Their name means "place of grassy water" in their language.

History of Entiat

Early Days and First Town

In the 1800s, Columbia River Chinook Indians settled in the Entiat Valley. Chief Shil-how-Saskt (also known as Silico Saska) chose the spot where the Columbia and Entiat rivers meet for his camp.

The first white settler, Lewis Detwiler, arrived in the Entiat Valley in 1877. Later, in 1896, Chief Silico Saska sold the land where the first town of Entiat would be built. He passed away in 1903.

This first town was located about half a mile west of the Columbia River, on the north side of the Entiat River. The first public school opened in Entiat in 1891. The first post office was set up in 1895. An important power plant started working in 1908, and a fruit company opened in 1910. In 1913, a local newspaper, the Entiat Times, began publishing. Railroad service came to Entiat in 1914. A fire in 1915 destroyed many businesses, but six survived. The Entiat school moved to its current spot in 1916.

Second and Third Towns

In 1921, another big fire destroyed the first town. So, a second town site for Entiat was chosen.

A fun tradition started in 1920: high school seniors would paint their graduation year on Numeral Mountain. This mountain is across the Entiat River from the school. Entiat officially became a city on April 25, 1944.

In 1960, the Rocky Reach Dam was built downriver from Entiat. Because of the rising water behind the dam, much of the town had to move to higher ground. Most of the old buildings were either torn down or moved north of the original town. This new, third town of Entiat officially opened in 1961.

Entiat Park, a popular spot for camping, reopened in May 2015 after being closed for over a year.

Albert Long Museum

The Albert Long Museum in Entiat opened in 1980. It's in one of only two buildings from 1895 that survived the dam's construction. The museum shows historical items from the local logging and fruit industries.

Notable People

• Charles Glen King (1896–1988) was a famous biochemist. He was a pioneer in studying nutrition.

Geography of Entiat

Entiat is located where the Entiat and Columbia rivers meet. This part of the Columbia River is called Lake Entiat. Lake Entiat is a reservoir, which is a large artificial lake, formed behind the Rocky Reach Dam. The city is nestled between the eastern hills of the Cascade Mountains, Lake Entiat, and the Entiat River.

The city covers about 2.74 square miles (7.09 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with about 0.63 square miles (1.63 square kilometers) being water.

Climate in Entiat

Entiat has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. The area gets some rain and snow, with more precipitation in the winter months. Summers are generally dry and sunny.

Population Information

In 2010, there were 1,112 people living in Entiat. There were 421 households, and 305 families. About 33.5% of households had children under 18. The average age of people in the city was about 40 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Entiat (Washington) para niños