Reardan is a town in
Lincoln County,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, United States. The population was 637 at the
2020 census.
History
Founded in 1882 and
platted
In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...
in 1889, Reardan was named for Central Washington Railroad engineer C.F. Reardan.
Reardan was incorporated on April 14, 1903.
The town is home to the elementary/middle/high school serving the Reardan-Edwall School District, covering over in Lincoln and Spokane counties. The slough north of town, known as Audubon Lake, is well known among birders as a busy stop on the
Pacific Flyway
The Pacific Flyway is a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in the Americas, extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Every year, migratory birds travel some or all of this distance both in spring and in fall, following food sources, heading ...
and features public facilities for viewers. A
Hutterite
Hutterites (german: link=no, Hutterer), also called Hutterian Brethren (German: ), are a communal ethnoreligious group, ethnoreligious branch of Anabaptism, Anabaptists, who, like the Amish and Mennonites, trace their roots to the Radical Refor ...
colony settled in the area in 1961.
Mule Days has been celebrated on the first Saturday in June for over 50, featuring a Kiddie Parade, Main Parade, entertainment and games for kids at the park, three on three basketball in front of the high school, food and craft fair at the park, Community BBQ pork luncheon, Beer Garden, and Mule Days Dance.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada. Unlike some routes, whi ...
runs through Reardan, where it is also known as Broadway Avenue and serves as the town's main street. The highway connects Reardan with
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
, the region's big city, 22 miles to the east, and
Davenport, the county seat, 13 miles to the west.
Washington State Route 231
State Route 231 (SR 231) is a long state highway in the U.S. state of Washington serving communities in Lincoln and Stevens counties. The highway, located entirely west of Spokane in the Inland Empire, serves Sprague, Edwall, Rea ...
, a north–south route, also runs through the town. The
Washington Eastern Railroad runs through town on its route from
Cheney to
Coulee City
Coulee City is a town in Grant County, Washington. The population was 549 at the 2020 census.
History
The town was named after nearby Grand Coulee. Coulee City was officially incorporated on May 10, 1907.
Geography
Coulee City is located at ...
.
Reardan is located on the divide between the
Columbia and
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
river drainage basins.
Audubon Lake, on the northern side of town, is the headwaters of
Crab Creek
Crab Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Washington. Named for the presence of crayfish, it is one of the few perennial streams in the Columbia Basin of central Washington, flowing from the northeastern Columbia River Plateau, roughly east o ...
,
which flows southwest for 163 miles before emptying into the Columbia. The lake and surrounding wetlands also drain into
Deep Creek,
which empties into the Spokane roughly 16 miles as the crow flies northeast of the lake. Spring Creek also rises from the Audubon Lake wetlands and flows north into the Spokane River just downstream from
Long Lake Dam
Long Lake Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Spokane River, between Lincoln County and Stevens County about northwest of Spokane in eastern Washington. It forms Long Lake (Washington), a long reservoir, and has a hydroelectric generating cap ...
. State Route 231 follows Spring Creek north from town.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 571 people, 240 households, and 160 families living in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 255 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.5%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 4.7%
Native American, 0.4%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, and 1.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.5% of the population.
There were 240 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% 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, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.88.
The median age in the town was 43.2 . 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 32.6% were from 45 to 64; and 15.8% were 65 of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 608 people, 227 households, and 174 families living in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,285.2 people per square mile (499.5/km
2). There were 242 housing units at an average density of 511.6 per square mile (198.8/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.91%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.16%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 2.30%
Native American, 0.66%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.16% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.80% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.32% of the population.
There were 227 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 of age or older. The median age was 37 . For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,750, and the median income for a family was $44,167. Males had a median income of $32,279 versus $21,429 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $18,610. About 7.3% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Famous connections
Famous Indigenous American writer
Sherman Alexie
Sherman Joseph Alexie Jr. (born October 7, 1966) is a Spokane- Coeur d'Alene-Native American novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and filmmaker. His writings draw on his experiences as an Indigenous American with ancestry from se ...
attended Reardan High School, which is featured in a few of his stories and in his 2007 novel for young adults, ''
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
''The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian'' is a first-person narrative novel by Sherman Alexie, from the perspective of a Native American teenager, Arnold Spirit Jr., also known as "Junior", a 14-year-old promising cartoonist. The book i ...
''.
World War II Medal of Honor recipient PFC
Joe E. Mann was born July 8, 1922, in Reardan and was
killed in action, September 19, 1944 in
Best, Netherlands
Best () is a municipality and a village in the southern Netherlands. It is situated northwest of the city Eindhoven, and is also part of the agglomeration of this city.
The headquarters of Europe's largest meat processor Vion NV are located in Be ...
. He was a soldier assigned to the 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne Division.
After
Colfax and
Ritzville
Ritzville () is a city in Adams County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,673 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Adams County. The city is part of the Othello, WA Micropolitan Area, which comprises all of Adams County, ...
, it is one of Washington's most infamous speed traps.
Education
Reardan is within the
Reardan-Edwall School District Reardan-Edwall School District is a school district in Washington, headquartered in Reardan. It serves Reardan and Edwall.
Its schools are Reardan Elementary School and Reardan Middle/High School.
Notable alumni
* Sherman Alexie - Reardan High S ...
.
The Inland Northwest Rail Museum opened in Reardan in 2016.
References
External links
Reardan Memorial Library.
{{Authority control
Towns in Lincoln County, Washington
Towns in Washington (state)