Kittitas County, WA

“We’ve got more houses platted, planned and under construction right now than what we’ve had in the last ten years combined,” was how Debbie Strand, Executive Director of the ED Group of Kittitas County, WA explained the explosive growth taking place in this central Washington community. Ellensburg (population (population 15,414) is the main town in this county of 35,721. It is the home of Central Washington University (8,500 students) and has both I-90 and I-82 adjacent to the town.

Kittitas County with 2297 square miles is over twice as big as the State of Rhode
Island with 1045 square miles. However, its density ratio of 11.6 people/sq. mi. is dwarfed by RI’s density of 960.3/sq.mi.

Its central location in the state was the impetus for a drive in the community to make Ellensburg the state capitol when the WA Admissions Convention met there in 1889 to petition Congress for statehood. The local citizens even built a mansion to house the state’s first governor. But, disaster struck on July 4, 1889 when a small fire, fanned by the areas notorious winds destroyed most of the downtown and many local homes. The citizens quickly rebuilt, mandating only brick and stone in the new downtown, but the state capitol was moved 110 miles west to Olympia. As a consolation prize Ellensburg was given the Normal School (now CWU).

Ellensburg is famous for their rodeo, one of the top 25 professional rodeos, held each year over the Labor Day weekend. Last year’s 82nd annual rodeo attracted 551 competing cowboys and over 35,000 fans. In 1998 the nonprofit Laughing Horse Arts Foundation started a Jazz Festival which ran on July 29, 30 and 31st this year, bringing in over 4,000 visitors to the community. A new 300 acre park on the city’s west side already has ball fields and will include a new 25 acre industrial park.

The city has begun a campaign with a local citizen dubbed Ellen (real name beautician Robin Hull), putting a face on a community which is a neat idea. I hope to be able to post this postcard here, but have been having some technical problems getting it done.

Near Ellensburg is Roslyn, WA, better known as Cicely in the TV series Northern Exposure. They hold an annual Moose Fest in honor of the series, although I’m guessing that the closest moose is probably at the Seattle Zoo.

Lying between Ellensburg and Roslyn is a new 6,000 acre planned community development of Lowe Enterprises which will include 3 championship golf courses nestled in the evergreens of the Cascade Mountains, adjacent to the Wenatchee National Forest. Suncadia (www.suncadia.com) will offer Seattleites an opportunity to escape from the city, although the 1 ½ hour drive each way as a commuter could become a bit of a grind. Are people that desperate to escape from the large cities?