Colville, Washington

Colville, Washington
City
Colville Post Office
Location of Colville, Washington
Coordinates: 48°32′35″N117°54′16″W / 48.54306°N 117.90444°W / 48.54306; -117.90444
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Stevens
Government
• Type	Mayor–council [1]
•  Mayor	Jack Smith [2]
Area [3]
•  City	3.08 sq mi (7.99 km2)
• Land	3.08 sq mi (7.99 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,614 ft (492 m)
Population  (2020) [4]
•  City	4,917
• Density	1,594.4/sq mi (615.6/km2)
•  Urban	4,966[ citation needed ]
•  CSA	757,146 (US: 70th)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code	99114
Area code	509
FIPS code	53-14170
GNIS feature ID	1517983 [5]
Website	City of Colville

Colville is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,917 at the 2020 census. ^[4] It is the county seat of Stevens County. ^[6]

History

John Work, an agent for The Hudson's Bay Company, established Fort Colvile near the Kettle Falls fur trading site in 1825. It replaced the Spokane House and the Flathead Post as the main trading center on the Upper Columbia River. ^[7] The area was named for Andrew Colvile, a Hudson's Bay Company governor. The fort continued to be used for some time as a center of mining and transportation/supply support associated with gold rushes in the 1850s, particularly the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. After it was abandoned in 1870, some buildings stood until as late as 1910. The site was flooded by Lake Roosevelt after construction of the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River.

Americans also wanted to operate in this territory. In the first half of the 19th century, the Oregon boundary dispute (or Oregon question) arose as a result of competing British and American claims to the Pacific Northwest. It was settled by the Oregon Treaty of 1846, which set the new boundary between Canada and the United States at the 49th Parallel, about Forty (40) miles to the north.

In 1859, the U.S. Army established a new Fort Colville at Pinkney City, Washington, about 3 miles NE of the current city of Colville. That fort was abandoned in 1882. In late 1871, with the resolution of Hudson's Bay Company land claims, Governor Edward Selig Salomon directed John Wynne to accept those lands which extended south to Orin-Rice Road, including some currently part of the City of Colville. ^[8] With the planned closure of Fort Colville, businesses and buildings moved to the present location in the Colville River Valley prior to 1882. In January 1883, W. F. Hooker filed the first plat in Stevens County with the name "Belmont" ^[9] or "Bellmond". ^[10] He was encouraged to change the plat name to Colville so that the county seat could be moved to this location. On December 28, 1883, the Stevens County Board of County Commissioners, including county commissioner John U. Hofstetter, held a special session regarding the removal of county records to Belmont from the county seat of Colville, formerly called Pinkney City. In that meeting, commissioners allowed moving the county seat and jail to the town with the name of Colville, if proprietors provided a block of land for them without cost. County officers were allowed to move into a building owned by John U. Hofstetter for two years. On January 1, 1884, the Stevens County courthouse moved to Colville. ^[11] City tradition says that Colville was founded by John U. Hofstetter. ^[12] It was officially incorporated as a city on June 7, 1890.

In the 1950s, the Colville Air Force Station was developed and operated 14.7 miles north and east of Colville as part of the Air Defense Command's network of radar stations. A few buildings remain at the site today. It is used largely by paint-ballers.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.93 square miles (7.59 km²), all of it land. ^{[13] [14]}

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Colville has a continental Mediterranean climate, abbreviated Dsb on climate maps.

Climate data for Colville, Washington (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1899–1952, 1993–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	57 (14)	63 (17)	76 (24)	92 (33)	96 (36)	112 (44)	109 (43)	106 (41)	102 (39)	91 (33)	75 (24)	58 (14)	112 (44)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	34.3 (1.3)	41.9 (5.5)	52.8 (11.6)	62.5 (16.9)	72.2 (22.3)	78.3 (25.7)	88.4 (31.3)	88.5 (31.4)	78.2 (25.7)	60.6 (15.9)	43.5 (6.4)	34.2 (1.2)	61.3 (16.3)
Daily mean °F (°C)	28.8 (−1.8)	32.9 (0.5)	41.1 (5.1)	48.9 (9.4)	57.6 (14.2)	63.4 (17.4)	70.5 (21.4)	69.7 (20.9)	61.0 (16.1)	47.5 (8.6)	36.2 (2.3)	28.8 (−1.8)	48.9 (9.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	23.2 (−4.9)	23.9 (−4.5)	29.5 (−1.4)	35.3 (1.8)	43.0 (6.1)	48.6 (9.2)	52.6 (11.4)	51.0 (10.6)	43.8 (6.6)	34.5 (1.4)	28.9 (−1.7)	23.5 (−4.7)	36.5 (2.5)
Record low °F (°C)	−29 (−34)	−29 (−34)	−15 (−26)	12 (−11)	24 (−4)	28 (−2)	31 (−1)	29 (−2)	20 (−7)	4 (−16)	−11 (−24)	−23 (−31)	−29 (−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.20 (56)	1.47 (37)	1.89 (48)	1.53 (39)	1.93 (49)	2.14 (54)	0.83 (21)	0.68 (17)	0.72 (18)	1.51 (38)	2.19 (56)	2.80 (71)	19.89 (505)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	14.5 (37)	5.4 (14)	2.7 (6.9)	0.2 (0.51)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	5.6 (14)	15.0 (38)	43.4 (110)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	11.9	9.5	11.4	9.5	10.3	8.9	4.7	3.6	4.9	9.1	12.2	11.9	107.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	7.6	4.3	2.0	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	3.0	7.7	24.9
Source: NOAA [15] [16]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	67		—
1890	539		704.5%
1900	594		10.2%
1910	1,533		158.1%
1920	1,718		12.1%
1930	1,803		4.9%
1940	2,418		34.1%
1950	3,033		25.4%
1960	3,806		25.5%
1970	3,742		−1.7%
1980	4,510		20.5%
1990	4,360		−3.3%
2000	4,988		14.4%
2010	4,673		−6.3%
2020	4,917		5.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [17]

As of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $32,168, and the median income for a family was $40,466. Males had a median income of $32,066 versus $21,782 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,031. About 10.4% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, ^[18] there were 4,673 people, 2,043 households, and 1,161 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,594.9 inhabitants per square mile (615.8/km²). There were 2,221 housing units at an average density of 758.0 per square mile (292.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.4% White, 0.1% African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population.

There were 2,043 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.2% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% 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 2.95.

The median age in the city was 40.4 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 18.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.8% male and 54.2% female.

Economy

The area's economy is based chiefly on agriculture and the timber and mining industry, manufacturing, and regional offices of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Forest Service, where the Colville National Forest is headquartered. Major private employers include Boise Cascade, Vaagen Brothers, Hewes Marine, Colmac Coil Manufacturing, Colmac Industries, and Delta Dental of Washington. Lesser industries are cattle, horse, and hay-farming. Tourism has increased to the nearby National Forest Land for hunting and fishing, and to local farms, orchards and corn mazes. A blossoming music, arts and crafts community has sprung up around the city's rejuvenated downtown.

Notable Person

Charles (Chuck) Day, ^[19] Gold medal Olympic rower (Berlin - 1936)

References

1. "Colville Municipal Code". codepublishing.com. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
2. "City Council and Mayor". City of Colville. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
3. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
4. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Colville city, Washington". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved March 20, 2024.
5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. National Association of Counties. "NACo County Explorer" . Retrieved March 20, 2024.
7. "John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company establishes Fort Spokane in 1812. - HistoryLink.org". www.historylink.org.
8. Washington State Archives AR1-J-1 · Governor Edward S. Salomon, Correspondence and Subject Files
9. "Colville's First Skyscraper Moved From Main Street". (June 3, 1920). Colville-Examiner, p. 3.
10. Hilgard, Eugene W. (Eugene Woldemar), 1833-1916, Preliminary agricultural map of Colville region, Washington Ter, 1883, viewed on Legacy Washington State, http://www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/maps_detail.aspx?m=124 September 11, 2014.
11. Stevens County Board of County Commissioner's Journal Book A 1860-1883
12. "RootsWeb.com Home Page". www.rootsweb.com.
13. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
14. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
15. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
16. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
17. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing" . Retrieved October 4, 2013.
18. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 19, 2012.
19. "PBS.org". PBS.org . Retrieved January 28, 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Colville Chamber of Commerce Archived 2007-04-26 at the Wayback Machine
• History of Colville at HistoryLink
• Colville, Washington at Curlie