Ferry County is a county located on the northern border of the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,178, making it the fourth-least populous county in Washington. The county seat and largest city is

Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

. The county was created out of Stevens County in February 1899 and is named for Elisha P. Ferry, the state's first governor.

History

During the time of Washington Territory, the Territorial Legislature created Stevens County in 1863, containing all the land from the Columbia River to the Cascades north of the Wenatchee River from Walla Walla County. On January 20, 1864, the original Spokane County was dissolved and merged with the unorganized Stevens County. The western section of Stevens County was separated on February 18, 1899, and named Ferry County, in recognition of the Territory's last governor and the State's first governor, Elisha P. Ferry. The town of

is the county's seat of government, as well as the largest town. It was founded at the end of the nineteenth century by gold prospectors and was incorporated in 1900. The original election precinct of Republic was created on April 6, 1898. Following the 1922 primary elections, a group of citizens called for an investigation into possible election irregularities. The group claimed that two of that years voting precincts had been formed unlawfully in conjunction with misconduct in six precincts by election officers and the canvassing board. As a result of the actions, the validity of two candidates were called in question. Demands were made that Thomas F. Barker, seeking re-election as sheriff, and John W. McCool, seeking the County Treasurer seat, be barred from the ballot. Barker was notably facing charges at the federal level at that time from allegations of conspiring and abetting bootleggers. The original county courthouse, made of wood, burned in 1934. Its replacement, made of concrete and stucco, is presently being considered for historical preservation.

Economy

Ferry County reaches to Canada on the north, and to the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...

on the east. Its southern portion is in the boundary of the Colville Indian Reservation, controlled by the Colville Confederated Tribes, and its northern portion is largely occupied by Colville National Forest. As a result, only eighteen percent of the total county area is taxable-use ground. The county's economy is largely based on timber-extraction, and mining. Ferry County's topography and climate make it an ideal recreation destination, so tourism is becoming a significant portion of the county's economy. Washington State Highway 20, designated a National Scenic Highway, crosses the county east–west, and has the state's highest navigable pass (5,575 feet above sea level). The county seat, Republic, is the site of the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Fossil Site, which exhibits and explains Eocene-era fossils from an ancient lake bed north of Republic.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.4%) is water. Most of the county is covered by the rugged Kettle River Range, which extends from the Canada–US border to its southernmost perimeter bounded by the

and Lake Roosevelt. Only a narrow north–south strip running the length of the county on the west between the

San Poil River The Sanpoil River (also spelled San Poil) is a tributary of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Washington. The river is named for the Sanpoil, the Interior Salish people who live along the river course. The name is from the Okanagan term ...

and the Okanogan County line is covered by the

Okanogan Highland The Okanagan Highland is an elevated hilly plateau area in British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. state of Washington (where it is spelled Okanogan Highlands). Rounded mountains with elevations up to above sea level and deep, narrow valleys are ...

. Except for the town of Republic, the county is sparsely populated.

Geographic features

Major rivers and lakes

* Kettle River * Sanpoil River * Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, called Lake Roosevelt * Curlew Lake *Swan Lake *Ferry Lake *Fish Lake *Long Lake

Adjacent counties

* Kootenay Boundary Regional District, British Columbia, north * Stevens County, east * Lincoln County, southwest * Okanogan County, west

National protected areas

Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail The Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) is a 1200-mile hiking trail running from the Continental Divide in Montana to the Pacific Ocean on Washington's Olympic Coast. Along the way, the PNT crosses three national parks, seven national forests, and two ...

(part) * Colville National Forest (part) * Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (part)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,260 people, 2,823 households, and 1,987 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 3,775 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 75.48% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 18.28% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 3.46% from two or more races. 2.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.1% were of German, 9.5% United States or American, 9.1% Irish, and 7.6% English ancestry. 96.7% spoke English and 1.9% Spanish as their first language. There were 2,823 households, out of which 30.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.90% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 29.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 107.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,388, and the median income for a family was $35,691. Males had a median income of $32,103 versus $23,371 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,019. About 13.30% of families and 19.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.40% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 7,551 people, 3,190 households, and 2,070 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 4,403 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 76.3% white, 16.7% American Indian, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.2% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.0% were German, 18.0% were English, 12.3% were Irish, and 3.7% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. Of the 3,190 households, 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.1% were non-families, and 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age was 47.3 years. The median income for a household in the county was $35,485 and the median income for a family was $43,576. Males had a median income of $41,755 versus $30,972 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,021. About 13.6% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

County law enforcement

County-wide law enforcement is provided by the Ferry County Sheriff Office which is headquartered in Republic. Henry Waisman was the county's first sheriff, appointed by the county commissioners following the county's 1899 organization, with a mandate to serve until the first general election in 1900. The county's first elected sheriff was A.E. Stewart. The Sheriff's Office has had two line-of-duty deaths in its history, in 1981 and 2003. Both deaths were the result of aircraft crashes. During 2016 the sheriff was Ray Maycumber.

Communities

City

(county seat)

Census-designated places

* Barney's Junction * Barstow * Boyds * Curlew * Curlew Lake * Danville *

Inchelium Inchelium ( oka, N̓čaʔlíwm̓) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ferry County, Washington, United States on the Colville Indian Reservation. The population was 431 at the 2020 Census. Inchelium was relocated from an earlier site in the ear ...

* Keller *

Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier, ( ; ; November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadian prime minist ...

* Malo *

Orient The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...

* Pine Grove * Torboy * Twin Lakes

Other unincorporated communities

* Covada * Goldstake * Harter * Impach * Karamin * Kewa * Meteor *

* Toroda * West Fork

Notable people

* Alex N. Dragnich (1912-2009) - political scientist *

Stella Leach Stella Leach (June 12, 1918 – January 29, 2010) was a Colville-Oglala Lakota nurse and activist who was known for her work in establishing the first American Indian children's wellness center in the San Francisco Bay Area, setting up the heal ...

(1918-2010) - nurse and activist