Deep Creek, Washington

Deep Creek, Washington
Unincorporated community
Deep Creek, Washington
Coordinates: 47°38′35″N117°42′43″W / 47.643°N 117.712°W / 47.643; -117.712 Coordinates: 47°38′35″N117°42′43″W / 47.643°N 117.712°W / 47.643; -117.712
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Spokane
Elevation	2,313 ft (705 m)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	99022, 99029
Area code	509

Deep Creek is an unincorporated community in Spokane County, Washington. A creek of the same name flows through the community. Deep Creek is located along U.S. Route 2 in a rural area near the Lincoln County line.

Geography

Deep Creek is located 14 miles west of Downtown Spokane along U.S. Route 2 and two miles northwest of Fairchild Air Force Base. The city of Airway Heights, which forms the westernmost suburb of the Spokane urban area, is located five miles to the east along U.S. 2. The rural community of Espanola is located four miles to the south. ^[1]

Immediately to the east of the community is a hill that rises 180 feet above Deep Creek. The creek of the same name follows the hillside through the community in a northeasterly direction towards Riverside State Park where it empties into the Spokane River near the community of Nine Mile Falls. ^[2]

History

The community of Deep Creek was founded in 1883 and originally known as Deep Creek Falls. In 1894 the name was shortened to Deep Creek. The agricultural potential of the area was promoted to attract settlers. The community, which was incorporated as a town, saw its heyday during the first decades of its existence. At its peak, Deep Creek was home to multiple churches, businesses, a mill and a school which served more than 100 students. The historic Deep Creek school was constructed in 1905. The community faded through the 1910s and 1920s before ultimately facing disincorporation in 1939. The school continued operations for five more years before being shuttered in 1944. ^[3]

In 1960, ^[4] a Hutterite community was established in the Deep Creek area. Led by Paul S. Gross, who brought his family from Alberta, ^[5] the Hutterites purchased and leased more than 3,000 acres of farmland immediately north of the community. ^[4] It was the first Hutterite community west of the Rocky Mountains. The community remains active into the 21st century. ^[5]

In 2006, Deep Creek area wells were found to be tainted with three toxic chemicals which investigators suspected entered the groundwater supply from a nearby Nike missile site. The Environmental Protection Agency found trichloroethylene, perchlorate and N-nitrosodimethylamine in area wells. Concentrations of trichloroethylene were found to be 210 parts per billion, well above the maximum concentration level for human consumption of 5 parts per billion. Levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine were twice the maximum concentration level. ^[6]

References

1. "Deep Creek to Spokane". maps.google.com. Google. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
2. "Deep Creek Quadrangle" (Topographic Map). usgs.gov. U.S. Geological Survey. 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
3. Cebula, Larry. "Deep Creek School". spokanehistorical.org. Eastern Washington University. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
4. Youmans, Vance J. (Fall 2000). "THE PROMISED LAND Spokane's Hutterite Community—A Place Where History Lives" (PDF). Columbia The Magazine of Northwest History. Washington State Historical Society. 14 (3). Retrieved 14 October 2022.
5. Stucke, John (27 August 2006). "Hutterites, like other growers, learn importance of diversification". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
6. Graman, Kevin (1 June 2006). "Wells in Deep Creek area tainted". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 14 October 2022.