Monitor, Washington
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Monitor is a small unincorporated community in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is situated along the Wenatchee River about 8 miles upstream from its junction with 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 ...
in the fertile Wenatchee Valley. Monitor is part of the WenatcheeEast Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The USPS ZIP Code for Monitor is 98836. According to data from the 2000 census, the total population in the Monitor ZIP code was 342 persons. Monitor itself is not incorporated, and is not tracked by the Census.


History

Before the existence of Monitor, the area was known by settlers as Brown's Flat, named after Reuben Brown who settled there in 1885. In these days, the Wenatchee River formed the boundary between old Kittitas and Okanogan counties. At the site of Monitor a school was built to serve school districts on both sides of the river. The Great Northern Railway passed through in 1892, causing little stir in the area but jump-starting the construction of the Peshastin irrigation ditch, which would bring water the area and make it a prime place for agriculture. Constructed piecemeal by local contractors and land-owners, the portion of the ditch dug through Monitor was by rancher James Weythman and the Brown Brothers. The ditch was completed in the early 1900s and local orchards thrived. Monitor emerged as an agricultural shipping point along the railroad and a small community grew around the warehouses.Hull, Lindley M. (editor)''A History of Central Washington: Including the Famous Wenatchee, Entiat, Chelan and the Columbia Valleys, with an Indexed Eighty Scenic Historical Illustrations''. Spokane, WA: Shaw & Borden Company, 1929. Print. A post office was established in 1902 and the citizens chose to rename the community in honor of the Ironclad warship ''
USS Monitor USS ''Monitor'' was an ironclad warship built for the Union Navy during the American Civil War and completed in early 1862, the first such ship commissioned by the Navy. ''Monitor'' played a central role in the Battle of Hampton Roads on 9 Mar ...
'' which fought for the Union navy in the
Battle of Hampton Roads The Battle of Hampton Roads, also referred to as the Battle of the ''Monitor'' and ''Virginia'' (rebuilt and renamed from the USS ''Merrimack'') or the Battle of Ironclads, was a naval battle during the American Civil War. It was fought over t ...
during the American Civil War. The town currently has a post office and several small businesses located along US 2, which bypasses Monitor on the north side of the Wenatchee River.


Geography

Monitor is located alongside the Wenatchee River in the lower reaches of the Wenatchee Valley, approximately 8 miles upstream from the river's mouth at 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 ...
. The city of Wenatchee, the largest in the region, is located at the confluence of the two rivers. The floor of the valley at Monitor is located at 715 feet above sea level, though rugged slopes rise immediately to the north of the community to a height of nearly 1,500 feet. Peaks over 2,400 feet are located within two miles to the south and west of the community. U.S. Route 2 and U.S. Route 97 pass concurrently through Monitor along the north side of the Wenatchee River. They connect the community with Wenatchee, 8 miles downstream, and to Cashmere about 4 miles upstream.


Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Monitor has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Monitor, Washington
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References

Unincorporated communities in Washington (state) Unincorporated communities in Chelan County, Washington Wenatchee–East Wenatchee metropolitan area {{ChelanCountyWA-geo-stub