Green Bluff, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Green Bluff, Washington
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Green Bluff Community Church and Beck's Harvest House
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 Green Bluff, Washington
Location in Washington (state)
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Spokane |
| Elevation | 2,310 ft (700 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
99005, 99021
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| Area code(s) | 509 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1512254 |
Green Bluff is a small farming community in Spokane County, Washington. It's known for its farms and beautiful natural setting. The community is named after a nearby cliff that looks very green. It sits at an elevation of about 2,310 feet (704 meters) above sea level.
In 2010, the population of Green Bluff was 761 people. This was the first time the U.S. Census Bureau officially recognized the community. Green Bluff has a grange hall, a church, a fire station, and a general store. It is also famous for its horse properties and small farms.
Green Bluff is only about a 15-minute drive north of Spokane. It's a popular spot for people to visit, especially for picking fresh fruits and vegetables. The community also hosts many fun festivals throughout the year. The biggest festival happens in the fall during the apple and pumpkin harvests.
Contents
History of Green Bluff
Long ago, Native Americans lived in this area. They would burn the underbrush on the bluff. This helped them see better when they hunted animals. A cool thing happened because of this: thick green grass grew around the evergreen trees. This made the area look like a park. Early pioneers saw this and named the bluff "Green Bluff."
Peone Prairie is a valley south of the bluff. It was a meeting place for Native American tribes. These tribes often visited Green Bluff. Baptiste Peone was a chief of a camp in the valley. A missionary named Ref. J.M. Cataldo baptized his family in 1864. Cataldo later became a missionary for the Spokane people in 1867. Soon, he baptized everyone in the camp.
Up to 500 Native Americans would gather in the valley for horse races. Green Bluff was a favorite spot for them to watch and hunt. Most trappers and hunters eventually moved away. Then, a lumber industry started in the area. Several sawmills were built. Some pioneers took logs to Newman Lake to trade for lumber. Many homes were built using wood from Green Bluff.
Around 1889, some families from Germany moved to Green Bluff. There were still many pine and fir tree roots on the bluff. The early settlers worked hard to remove these roots. It took a lot of effort and time. As time passed, the land was cleared for farming. There were few trails and no roads, so travel was hard. Because of all the roots, settlers needed a crop that could grow between tree stumps. Strawberries were the first choice, and people picked them for many years.
Green Bluff was a day's wagon ride northeast of Spokane. In 1909, it was officially named "Green Bluff Township #20." The community elected officers like a clerk, assessor, and treasurer. They held meetings every month and year. This continued until 1972, when the county decided to end the township. It was one of the last townships in the area.
The Green Bluff Grange is a group that supports farming and community life. Its goal is to create friendship, service, and activities for its members. Green Bluff Grange #300 started in 1909. They met twice a month. In March 1909, they decided to build a community hall. Many local people bought shares to help build it. Meetings were held in the hall. Sometimes, if they couldn't pay the $5 rent, they met in the schoolhouse. In 1916, the Hall burned down.
There was a long break in activities. Then, in 1929, people wanted to build a new Grange Hall. In 1934, an old boarding house in Elk, Washington was taken apart. Its wood was used to build the new Grange Hall. It was finished in May 1935.
Today, many farms are on Green Bluff. You can find them listed online. Green Bluff is known for its "dry land farming," which means farming without irrigation. It also has breweries, a winery, a cidery, a meadery, and catering companies. You can find lots of fresh produce there. This includes strawberries, rhubarb, lavender, cherries, raspberries, apricots, peaches, pears, blackberries, apples, nectarines, potatoes, carrots, cabbages, and christmas trees.
Geography of Green Bluff
Green Bluff is in the northeastern part of Spokane County. It sits on a bluff that rises about 500 feet (152 meters) above the Peone Prairie to the south. It's also above the Valley Prairie to the north. An intermittent stream (a stream that flows only sometimes) cuts a narrow valley through the middle of Green Bluff. Day Mount Spokane Road follows this valley into the community.
The farming areas in Green Bluff are on a fairly flat plateau. This plateau is surrounded by the bluffs. To the east of Green Bluff, you can see the foothills of Mount Spokane.
The community of Colbert is about two miles (3.2 km) west. Mead is about three miles (4.8 km) to the southwest. These areas are on the edge of the Spokane city area. The closest main roads are Washington State Route 206, two miles south, and U.S. 2, one and a half miles to the west.
Local Buildings and Community Life
Besides the farms and homes, Green Bluff has a few other important buildings.
Green Bluff School
The Green Bluff School District #101 started on February 18, 1891. Land was bought that year to build a school. Later, more land was added. By 1913, the school grounds covered 3.2 acres (1.3 hectares). In the early years, apple trees surrounded the school. Workers had to dig them out by hand.
The first school was a one-room log building. By 1901, a new one-room wooden school was built. In June 1906, a second room was added. A third room was added in 1910. In 1945, the old wooden school was taken down. A new building, sometimes called a "chicken-house," was built.
In 1952, this building was covered with brick. In 1969, a third classroom was added. The school closed its doors in 1970. It reopened in 1972 as the Green Bluff Learning Center. This was a special school for boys with special learning needs. It closed in 1976.
In 1977, due to crowded schools nearby, all first-graders from Colbert Elementary School came to Green Bluff's school. This continued until 1980, which was the last year students were taught there. Later, the local church bought the building. It now serves as a community center and a pre-school.
Green Bluff Church
The first Green Bluff United Methodist Church was built in 1909. The community worked together to build it. Before that, a visiting minister only came once a month for Sunday school. The community agreed to pay him $200 a year to come every Sunday. He held services in the schoolhouse until the church was built.
Many pastors served the church in its early years. They often came from nearby towns. On March 16, 1945, the church was completely destroyed by fire. People thought an overheated furnace caused the fire. Church services then took place in the grange hall. The new church was dedicated on May 4, 1947.
Green Bluff General Store
The Green Bluff General Store has been around for over a hundred years. It has been in two different locations and rebuilt after two fires. It's not a full-service store anymore. But its current location, at the corner of Green Bluff and Day-Mt. Spokane Rd., has been the same since 1910.
The first store was at a different corner and called "Abbott's Store." It closed after a year or two because of a land problem. In 1910, the first store at the current spot was built. It burned down around 1923 or 1924. Reverend Wellington ran the "Green Bluff Mercantile" for twenty years. He even married people in the store sometimes! In 1955, the store burned down again. A new store wasn't built until 1958. It is still standing today, though it has had many different owners.
Green Bluff Fire Station
The first Green Bluff Fire Station was built in the early 1960s. It was northeast of the Green Bluff store and church. It was a small red building with a large water tank underneath. The community realized they needed a fire station after the general store and a local barn burned in 1955.
People started raising money for the fire station in 1960. The first fire chief was chosen in November 1962. In January 1963, Green Bluff got its first fire truck. It was a 1963 GMC truck that used to deliver gasoline. A new fire station was built in the 1990s. It is located west of the school and church.
See also
In Spanish: Green Bluff (Washington) para niños
