Cowiche, Washington

Cowiche, Washington
CDP
Cowiche, Washington Location of Cowiche, Washington Show map of Yakima County Cowiche, Washington Cowiche, Washington (Washington (state)) Show map of Washington (state)
Coordinates: 46°40′19″N120°42′43″W / 46.67194°N 120.71194°W / 46.67194; -120.71194 [1]
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Yakima
Elevation [1]	1,749 ft (533 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	535
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98923
Area code	509
GNIS feature ID	2584963 [1]

Cowiche (pronounced Cow-witch-ee) is a census-designated place and unincorporated community northwest of Yakima, Washington, near the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountain range, in central Washington State (US). Cowiche, sometimes spelled Cowychee, is said to mean "footbridge between the valley and the mountains." According to the 2020 census, ^[2] the town had a population of 535, which is an increase from 428 at 2010. ^[3]

History

The first inhabitants of the area were the Tkai'waichash-hlama, a band or tribe of Native American people who lived along Cowiche Creek. The area was settled in the late nineteenth century by farmers who relied upon crops that did not require irrigation, such as wheat, barley, rye, and grazing cattle. Homesteading in Cowiche was difficult since fields had to be cleared of volcanic rock before they could be tilled and there was little rainfall in summer. In 1906, construction began on the Tieton Irrigation Project, a division of the broader Yakima Project. Irrigation water became available in 1907, and shortly thereafter, orchards began to replace wheatfields.^{[ citation needed ]}

Tate's Food Center, Cowiche, Wa, about 1968

Education

Cowiche, along with the neighboring town of Tieton, is served by the Highland School district homepage. The community takes great pride in its high school sports programs, and in 1988 their varsity men's basketball team won the Washington State A division championship. The boys soccer team also won the state championship in 2006, 2007 and 2015.^{[ citation needed ]}

Most people in the area are involved in agriculture. Cowiche, like much of the Yakima Valley, is known for its apple crops.

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cowiche, Washington
2. "Census Bureau profile: Cowiche, Washington". United States Census Bureau. May 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.

External links

• Cowiche local community website