Lincoln County, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lincoln County
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Lincoln County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Washington
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 Washington's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Washington |
| Founded | November 24, 1883 |
| Named for | Abraham Lincoln |
| Seat | Davenport |
| Largest city | Davenport |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,339 sq mi (6,060 km2) |
| • Land | 2,310 sq mi (6,000 km2) |
| • Water | 29 sq mi (80 km2) 1.2%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,876 |
| • Estimate
(2022)
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11,601  |
| • Density | 4.4/sq mi (1.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,876, making it the fifth-least populous county in the state. The county seat and largest city is Davenport.
Lincoln County was created out of Whitman County in November 1883. It is named for Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.
Contents
History
In 1883, Lincoln County was created from a portion of Spokane County, and four days later a portion of its area was peeled off to create Douglas County. There have been no further alterations to its boundary since that time. Its 2,317 square miles make it #8 in size in the state.
Centuries ago, the area now covered by Lincoln County contained an east–west passageway used by indigenous peoples. A spring near the present-day Davenport created a large overnight camping place.
The early exploration of the Northwest Territory by Lewis and Clark did not reach as far north as the Lincoln County expanses. The first recorded entry by European explorers was of David Thompson, a scout for the North West Company, who traversed the area in 1811. He noted physical locations in present-day Lincoln County. He described Hell Gate Rapid (calling it 'Strong Rapid'). That stretch of the Columbia River is now tame, because of the presence of Grand Coulee Dam. After this, there was considerable exploration by fur trappers and others, including famed Scottish botanist David Douglas in 1826.
Possibly the first permanent non-indigenous resident of the area was R.M. Bacon, originally from Boston, who began raising cattle around Crab Creek in 1871. When the first post office was established in the county, Bacon was its postmaster.
Emigration into the area accelerated in the late 1870s. Completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883, and construction of Fort Spokane (1880-1882) hastened settlement.
Geography and climate
Lincoln County lies on the Channelled Scablands, known as the Big Bend Plateau. It lies 1,500-2,500 feet above sea level, with a system of channels eroded into bedrock by glacial rivers and streams, flowing from northeastern Washington.
Lincoln County climate is hot/dry in the summer, cold/moderately humid in the winter. Due to the relatively level terrain (about 1,200 feet difference from lowest to highest elevations), temperatures tend to vary little from east to west. Precipitation varies from an arid condition in the western part of the county to semi-arid in the northeast. The entire area lies in the dry intermontane basin between the Cascades and the Rocky Mountain System. Precipitation (10-20 inches annual rainfall) is a major controlling factor in agriculture. Precipitation in the Big Bend region is highly variable; from 8 inches in the west to 20 inches in the northeast.
Monthly temperature averages range from below freezing in mid-winter to highs of 65-71 °F in mid-summer.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,339 square miles (6,060 km2), of which 2,310 square miles (6,000 km2) is land and 29 square miles (75 km2) (1.2%) is water.
Geographic features
- Channeled Scablands
- Columbia River
- Crab Creek
- Lilienthal Mountain, county high point
Major highways
Interstate 90
U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 395
Adjacent counties
- Okanogan County – northwest
- Ferry County – north
- Stevens County – northeast
- Spokane County – east
- Whitman County – southeast
- Adams County – south
- Grant County – west
National protected area
- Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 9,312 | — | |
| 1900 | 11,969 | 28.5% | |
| 1910 | 17,539 | 46.5% | |
| 1920 | 15,141 | −13.7% | |
| 1930 | 11,876 | −21.6% | |
| 1940 | 11,361 | −4.3% | |
| 1950 | 10,970 | −3.4% | |
| 1960 | 10,919 | −0.5% | |
| 1970 | 9,572 | −12.3% | |
| 1980 | 9,604 | 0.3% | |
| 1990 | 8,864 | −7.7% | |
| 2000 | 10,184 | 14.9% | |
| 2010 | 10,570 | 3.8% | |
| 2020 | 10,876 | 2.9% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 11,601 | 9.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 10,570 people, 4,422 households, and 3,059 families residing in the county. The population density was 4.6 people per square mile (1.8 people/km2). There were 5,776 housing units at an average density of 2.5 units per square mile (0.97 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.0% white, 1.6% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 42.3% were German, 14.6% were Irish, 13.9% were English, 5.5% were Norwegian, 5.3% were Scotch-Irish, and 3.6% were American.
Of the 4,422 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.8% were non-families, and 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 47.6 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,582 and the median income for a family was $52,083. Males had a median income of $44,491 versus $30,617 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,757. About 7.1% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The county is dependent on agriculture, primarily wheat farming. Lincoln County is generally considered the second-largest producer of wheat in the United States (following Whitman County, Washington), sometimes producing 25 million bushels (680,000 t) per year. Only about 500,000 of 900,000 acres (2,000 of 3,600 km2 (1,390 sq mi)) of farmland in the county are planted in any given year due to the practice of typically harvesting one crop every two years ("summer-fallow"), a necessity in a region with only 12 inches (300 mm) of precipitation annually.
Livestock husbandry is also a significant county activity, although to a significantly lower degree. For example, in 1954 the county was #3 in the state for crop income, but was only #21 in the state for income from livestock and livestock products.
Communities
Cities
- Davenport (county seat)
- Harrington
- Sprague
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Ghost towns
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Lincoln (Washington) para niños
