Leavenworth, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leavenworth
City
Leavenworth's main street was modeled on a Bavarian village.
Location of Leavenworth, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Chelan
Established	1885
Incorporated	September 5, 1906
Area
• Total	1.47 sq mi (3.81 km2)
• Land	1.45 sq mi (3.76 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation	1,168 ft (356 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,263
• Density	1,396.42/sq mi (539.20/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98826
Area code	509
FIPS code	53-38845
GNIS feature ID	2410814
Website	City of Leavenworth

Leavenworth is a city in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee area. In 2020, about 2,263 people lived there. The most special thing about Leavenworth is that its whole downtown looks like a German Bavarian village! This unique style started in the 1960s.

History of Leavenworth

The land where Leavenworth is now was once home to the Wenatchi and Yakama Native American peoples. They had villages along the Icicle Creek and Wenatchee River. These tribes used the area for gathering plants like camas. In 1855, a treaty promised the Wenatchi people a special area for fishing. However, this land was never officially set aside for them. Most Wenatchi people later moved to other reservations.

Early Settlers and the Railway

The first non-Native settlers arrived in 1891. They started a community called Icicle Flats. The name "Icicle" came from a Native American word for a narrow canyon. In 1892, the Great Northern Railway bought land nearby. They built a railway station and yard there. This caused people to move across the river.

A new town was started in 1893. It was named Leavenworth after Charles Leavenworth. He was a land investor who helped plan the town's streets. The railway line, which connected Seattle to Wenatchee, was finished in 1893.

Growth and Challenges

In 1903, a large sawmill was built in Leavenworth. The town grew, but it also faced challenges. Several fires destroyed buildings in the early 1900s. Leavenworth officially became a city in 1906. It was an important place for the Great Northern Railway.

However, in 1925, the railway moved its main office to Wenatchee. This hurt Leavenworth's economy a lot. The population of the city went down. Many lumber mills closed, and stores moved away.

Becoming a Bavarian Village

To help the town, leaders started looking for new ideas. In 1962, a group called Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone) was formed. They worked with the University of Washington to find ways to make the town better.

Two businessmen, Ted Price and Bob Rodgers, had an idea. They thought of making Leavenworth look like a Bavarian village. Bob Rodgers had seen Bavarian villages when he was in Germany during World War II. They even visited Solvang, California, a town with a Danish theme, to get ideas.

The first building to be changed was the Chikamin Hotel. It was rebuilt in the Bavarian style and reopened in 1965 as the Edelweiss Hotel. Soon, more buildings were renovated. By 1970, Leavenworth was holding many yearly festivals. The town even created a special board to make sure all new buildings kept the Bavarian style.

Wildfires Near Leavenworth

In 1994, a large wildfire called the Rat Creek Fire started nearby. It burned thousands of acres and moved close to Leavenworth. The city was put on alert for evacuation, and a main road was closed. Luckily, the fire did not reach the town. Other fires also happened around Leavenworth in later years.

Geography

Bavarian Ritz Hotel

Downtown Leavenworth, about 1,500 feet (457 m) below, as seen from Icicle Ridge

Leavenworth is a city that covers about 1.25 square miles (3.24 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Climate in Leavenworth

Leavenworth has a special climate. Summers are usually hot and sunny during the day, but nights can be cool. Winters are cold and snowy.

During summer, the weather is often clear. It doesn't rain much from May to October. Sometimes, there are long periods with no rain at all. Temperatures can get very hot, even over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). But even in summer, nights can be chilly.

In fall, it gets cooler, and it starts to rain more often. Winter brings a lot of snow, with over 90 inches (2.3 meters) on average each year. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -36 degrees Fahrenheit (-38 degrees Celsius). Spring brings warmer weather and less rain, but it can still freeze until April.

People of Leavenworth

In 2010, about 1,965 people lived in Leavenworth. There were 908 households, which are groups of people living together. About 24% of these households had children under 18. Most people in the city were White. About 10% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Leavenworth was about 42 years old. About 20% of the people were under 18. About 20% were 65 years or older.

Fun Things to Do in Leavenworth

9th Street (Alpen Strasse) in Leavenworth

Leavenworth is famous for its unique Bavarian German theme. Most buildings look like they belong in a village in Bavaria, Germany. Even fast-food restaurants have to follow this style! A special board makes sure all new buildings keep the theme. This idea was inspired by Solvang, California, which has a Danish theme.

Festivals and Museums

Leavenworth hosts many fun events each year. One popular event is Oktoberfest, which celebrates German culture. There's also a big Christmas tree lighting celebration in December. Thousands of visitors come to see the town lit up for Christmas.

The city is also home to the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum. It opened in 1995 and has over 7,000 nutcrackers! These nutcrackers range from very old ones to modern designs. Other yearly events include a Maifest and an Autumn Leaf Festival.

In 2007, the TV show Good Morning America visited Leavenworth. They helped light up the town for Christmas. The city was even called the "Ultimate Holiday Town USA" by A&E Network.

Outdoor Adventures

Leavenworth is also a great place for outdoor activities. You can go skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. The Leavenworth Ski Hill is a historic spot for ski jumping. In 2023, a new adventure park opened. It has a climbing wall and an alpine coaster, which is like a roller coaster on a hill.

News and Library

Leavenworth has its own weekly newspaper called the Leavenworth Echo. It started in 1904. There's also a jazz radio station, KOHO-FM.

The city's public library is part of the NCW Libraries system. This system serves five counties in Central Washington. The library is currently inside the city hall building.

Schools in Leavenworth

Public schools in Leavenworth are part of the Cascade School District. This district has over 1,100 students. There is one high school in Leavenworth, which was rebuilt in 2019.

Leavenworth also has a private school called Upper Valley Christian School. It teaches students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

City Services

Getting Around Leavenworth

Link Transit provides transit service within Leavenworth

Leavenworth is located on U.S. Route 2. This highway goes west over Stevens Pass and east towards Wenatchee. The highway can get very busy during festivals. Another road, the Chumstick Highway, goes north from Leavenworth.

You can also travel by train! Amtrak's Empire Builder train stops daily at Icicle Station near downtown. Link Transit provides local bus services. These buses connect Leavenworth to Wenatchee. There are also private taxi companies and inter-city bus services.

City Utilities

The electricity in Leavenworth comes from the Chelan County Public Utility District. Most of their electricity is made from hydroelectric dams, which use water power.

The city government provides tap water to homes and businesses. The main source of water is Icicle Creek. Leavenworth also gets some water from wells near the Wenatchee River.

For trash and recycling, the city works with Waste Management. They collect garbage, recycling, and yard waste from the curbside.

Healthcare in Leavenworth

Leavenworth has a public hospital called Cascade Medical Center. It has 12 beds for patients who need acute care. It also has a clinic. The hospital was first started in 1923.

In 1997, a smaller hospital facility opened in Wenatchee. It had Bavarian-style artwork donated by Leavenworth residents. Later, the hospital decided to focus its services back in Leavenworth. Voters approved funding for a new hospital building in 2005. The new Cascade Medical Center opened in 2010.

Famous People from Leavenworth

• Cleo Baldon, an architect and furniture designer
• Dean Derby, a professional American football player
• Maria Newman, a composer and violinist
• Jack Parnell, who used to be a high-ranking official in the U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Belle Reeves, a state lawmaker and Washington Secretary of State

See also

In Spanish: Leavenworth (Washington) para niños