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Mansfield
Town
Main Street in Mansfield
Main Street in Mansfield
Location of Mansfield, Washington
Location of Mansfield, Washington
Country United States
State Washington
County Douglas
Area
 • Total 0.32 sq mi (0.84 km2)
 • Land 0.32 sq mi (0.84 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
2,270 ft (692 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 326
 • Density 1,019/sq mi (388.1/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98830
Area code 509
FIPS code 53-42800
GNIS feature ID 1506452
Website http://www.mansfieldwashington.org/

Mansfield is a town in Douglas County, Washington, United States. It is part of the WenatcheeEast Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 326 at the 2020 census.

History

R.E. Darling named Mansfield in 1905 after his hometown of Mansfield, Ohio. Mansfield's land was purchased and first developed in 1909 by the Great Northern Railway. Mansfield was officially incorporated on February 23, 1911.

Fires

By 1914, the town had grown substantially, and had acquired two hotels, a bank, a doctor's office, and many more amenities. What had started as a town based on agriculture and the railroad had grown into a popular resort destination.

In June 1914, a fire broke out in Mansfield's Knox Store, known as "Mansfield's greatest store". The fire was pushed by the wind and spread over both sides of the first block of Mansfield's Main Street. The fire caused roughly $200,000 US in damage. In November of the same year, fire destroyed the second block of Main Street. After the fires, a town ordinance was passed requiring all new buildings within certain areas of the town to be built of fire-proof materials.

In 1922, the Cross Hotel, owned by contractor Robert Cross, burned to the ground. The hotel was one of Mansfield's greatest attractions, and was considered to be one of the best hotels in all of North Central Washington. Though his hotel was lost, many of the houses built by Cross are still in use today.

The Great Depression

Mansfield's economy continued to grow throughout the years leading up to the Great Depression. The town's enormous amount of wheat production proved very lucrative, and the town continued to grow.

In the mid-1920s, a terrible drought hit Mansfield and the surrounding area. That, along with the beginnings of the Great Depression, caused many people to leave Mansfield in search of work.

After the Depression and Mansfield Today

The town's crops and economy eventually recovered, but the damage had been done. Mansfield would never fully return to what it once was. The railroad eventually closed its service depot in Mansfield. In the 1950s, the train station was sold off and moved. Finally, in the 1980s, the railroad departed from Mansfield for the last time. The railroad was no longer able to serve the communities it passed through in Central Washington. The rails were dismantled, leaving Mansfield as "the town at the end of the rails".

Today, Mansfield is still a town based on agriculture. The town's grain elevators process around 1.7 million bushels of wheat annually.

Geography

Mansfield is located at 47°48′47″N 119°38′24″W / 47.81306°N 119.64000°W / 47.81306; -119.64000 (47.812967, -119.640096).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.31 square miles (0.80 km2), all of it land.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Mansfield has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1920 478
1930 230 −51.9%
1940 349 51.7%
1950 414 18.6%
1960 335 −19.1%
1970 273 −18.5%
1980 315 15.4%
1990 311 −1.3%
2000 319 2.6%
2010 320 0.3%
2020 326 1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
2015 Estimate

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 320 people, 144 households, and 99 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,032.3 inhabitants per square mile (398.6/km2). There were 169 housing units at an average density of 545.2 per square mile (210.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.5% White, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population.

There were 144 households, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.67.

The median age in the town was 46.4 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.4% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 24.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.8% male and 51.3% female.

Recreation

Mansfield is well known in hang gliding circles for its favorable summer weather. Manfield is also home to high-power rocketry launch events from spring to fall. Its close proximity to the Grand Coulee Dam and Lake Chelan allow for aquatic recreation. In Winter, Mansfield's surrounding land provides opportunities for cross country skiers and snowmobilers.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mansfield (Washington) para niños

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