Republic, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Republic, Washington
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
Location of Republic, Washington
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Ferry |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.42 sq mi (3.68 km2) |
| • Land | 1.42 sq mi (3.68 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,569 ft (783 m) |
| Population
(2010)
|
|
| • Total | 1,073 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
|
1,066 |
| • Density | 750.70/sq mi (289.87/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−08:00 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code |
99166
|
| Area code | 509 |
| FIPS code | 53-57850 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1525005 |
| Website | City of Republic |
Republic is a city in Ferry County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,073 at the 2010 census, a 12.5% increase over the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ferry County. It was the largest mining camp in the Republic Mining District, and home to the "Hot Air Line" railway.
History
Republic was founded by gold prospectors in the late 19th century. The Mining District of Eureka was established after gold was found on Eureka Creek. Philip Creasor platted a townsite to be named Eureka. Another strike was made nearby on Granite Creek. The Great Republic claim, found by Thomas Ryan and Philip Creasor on March 5, 1896, was the highest producer of gold. By 1900 the settlement was booming. A post office was established but postal authorities rejected the name Eureka because there was already a town by that name in Clark County, Washington. The citizens then decided to honor the Great Republic mining claim by proposing the name Republic. This name was accepted and the settlement was incorporated as a city on May 22, 1900.
Republic's prominence, initially brought on by the gold rush, started to fade as prospectors and those who supported the mining industry moved away. During the years between 1900 and 1910, the town lost over half its population. Despite this, mining has continued to be an important part of life in Republic, as gold is still mined for in the mountains surrounding the town. Mining is celebrated in the local Prospector's Days, held during the second weekend in June, where locals honor their prospector roots by competing in mining and logging competitions, panning for gold, and watching an old west gun fight. Today, the town of 1,100 is mainly sustained by those people in surrounding farms and ranches, miners who work at the local mine, and tourists looking for a quieter, slower pace of life.
Republic is also the site of the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Fossil Site, famous for the Eocene fossils found in a 49 mya lake bed at the north end of Republic. At the Ferry County Fairgrounds, located three miles (5 km) east of town on State Route 20, is the Ferry County Carousel originally built between 1895 and 1900. Republic has many businesses that line Clark Ave (the main street through town) including Anderson's Grocery, which is over a hundred years old. The Kinross Gold company and Ferry County Memorial Hospital are two of largest employers in the County.
Geography
Republic is located at 48°38′53″N 118°44′6″W / 48.64806°N 118.73500°W (48.648159, −118.734947).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.59 square miles (4.12 km2), all of it land.
Republic is located near the source of the Sanpoil River in a long valley bordered by the Okanagan Highlands to the west and the Kettle mountain range to the east. Curlew Lake, 7 miles (11 km) long (Elev: 2400 ft), provides fishing and boating to summer visitors northeast of Republic. Swan Lake is small mountain lake 14 miles (23 km) to the south of Republic and also serves to be a popular lake for local residents and tourists to visit. Republic is surrounded by the Colville National Forest and to the south is the Colville Indian Reservation.
Republic experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with cold winters, warm summers and fairly even precipitation year-round, with a drying trend in summer, though there is a secondary uptick in rainfall from April thru June, unlike in much of the rest of the state.
| Climate data for Republic, Washington (1981−2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 53 (11.7) |
58 (14.4) |
77 (25) |
89 (31.7) |
96 (35.6) |
104 (40) |
108 (42.2) |
105 (40.6) |
98 (36.7) |
87 (30.6) |
65 (18.3) |
64 (17.8) |
108 (42.2) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 30.5 (-0.83) |
38.0 (3.33) |
48.2 (9) |
57.8 (14.33) |
66.2 (19) |
72.9 (22.72) |
81.6 (27.56) |
82.0 (27.78) |
72.2 (22.33) |
56.3 (13.5) |
38.4 (3.56) |
28.3 (-2.06) |
56.03 (13.352) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 17.8 (-7.89) |
19.9 (-6.72) |
26.0 (-3.33) |
30.8 (-0.67) |
37.7 (3.17) |
43.8 (6.56) |
47.6 (8.67) |
46.5 (8.06) |
38.8 (3.78) |
30.7 (-0.72) |
24.6 (-4.11) |
16.1 (-8.83) |
31.69 (-0.171) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −33 (-36.1) |
−34 (-36.7) |
−19 (-28.3) |
3 (-16.1) |
11 (-11.7) |
25 (-3.9) |
29 (-1.7) |
27 (-2.8) |
14 (-10) |
−5 (-20.6) |
−20 (-28.9) |
−38 (-38.9) |
−38 (-38.9) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 1.48 (37.6) |
1.14 (29) |
1.36 (34.5) |
1.25 (31.8) |
1.96 (49.8) |
1.96 (49.8) |
1.28 (32.5) |
0.81 (20.6) |
0.83 (21.1) |
0.98 (24.9) |
1.75 (44.5) |
2.05 (52.1) |
16.85 (428) |
| Snowfall inches (cm) | 11.9 (30.2) |
5.0 (12.7) |
2.6 (6.6) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.1 (0.3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.4 (1) |
6.7 (17) |
16.1 (40.9) |
43.3 (110) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.2 | 7.0 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 10.4 | 10.8 | 92.4 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.3 | 3.3 | 2.0 | .3 | .1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .2 | 3.7 | 8.4 | 25.3 |
| Source: NOAA (extremes 1899–present) | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 2,050 | — | |
| 1910 | 999 | −51.3% | |
| 1920 | 781 | −21.8% | |
| 1930 | 710 | −9.1% | |
| 1940 | 922 | 29.9% | |
| 1950 | 895 | −2.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,064 | 18.9% | |
| 1970 | 862 | −19.0% | |
| 1980 | 1,018 | 18.1% | |
| 1990 | 940 | −7.7% | |
| 2000 | 954 | 1.5% | |
| 2010 | 1,073 | 12.5% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 1,066 | −0.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,073 people, 493 households, and 263 families living in the city, a 12.5% increase over the 2000 census. The population density was 674.8 inhabitants per square mile (260.5/km2). There were 536 housing units at an average density of 337.1 per square mile (130.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.6% White, 0.1% African American, 2.7% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population.
There were 493 households, of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.7% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.7% were non-families. 37.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.68.
The median age in the city was 45.3 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 20.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.
Economy
Republic has many businesses that line Clark Ave (the main street through town) including Anderson's Grocery, which was established over a hundred years ago. Ferry County Memorial Hospital is the largest employer in the county.
Images for kids
-
Schoepfia republicensis leaf fossil, Stonerose collections
-
Republic Mill
-
Eureka Gulch in 1910 with the Great Northern railbeds in the center and the "Hot Air Line" in the foreground
See also
- In Spanish: Republic (Washington)
