Ritzville () is a city in
Adams County, Washington
Adams County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 20,613. The county seat is at Ritzville, Washington, Ritzville, and its l ...
, United States. The population was 1,767 at the
2020 census. It is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Adams County.
The city is part of the
Othello, WA Micropolitan Area, which comprises all of Adams County, and is part of the larger
Moses Lake-Othello, WA Combined Statistical Area.
History

The first settler in what would become modern Ritzville was William McKay in 1880. The town was named, however, after
Phillip Ritz, who had settled south of modern Ritzville two years earlier. Ritz had come to
Walla Walla in 1861 and established a large orchard just outside of town known as Ritz, which consisted of over 100,000 trees of all types, including many fruit trees and shrubbery. Starting in 1866, he worked extensively to establish a second
transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous rail transport, railroad trackage that crosses a continent, continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks may be via the Ra ...
. His orchard business entailed many trips across the country by wagon, these trips gave him great political contact and influence.
By December 1880, Ritzville's townsite had been platted by
John W. Sprague on behalf of his company, The
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...
. In 1881, McKay built the first house on the townsite. The Northern Pacific grade was under construction in the vicinity, and McKay's home was used as a makeshift hotel for the workers and associated transients.
With the railroad came a new wave of settlers to the area. In the summer of 1881, McKay erected the first store, and the railroad built a depot nearby, which also served as a hotel, theater, and meeting hall. At that time, the fledgling village had a population of around 50, and the school consisted of a
lean-to
A lean-to is a type of simple structure originally added to an existing building with the rafters "leaning" against another wall. Free-standing structures open on one or more sides (colloquially referred to as lean-tos in spite of being unattac ...
against a house. The town's water supply was the railroad tank because it was not thought that water could be found in the ground. The first religious services in Adams County were held in Ritzville in April 1882 at the McKay Home, and the
First Congregational Church was soon organized. A church was built in 1885. The post office was established in 1883 by J.L. Johnson of Walla Walla. He also purchased McKay's store. Soon afterwards, many more businesses were founded. The town had begun to establish itself as a significant wheat shipping center within the
Big Bend Country, and its growth continued steadily throughout the decade.
As the town's reliance on the railroad water tank became unsustainable, efforts were undertaken to locate an underground water source. Initial attempts were unsuccessful; however, a viable well was eventually discovered approximately east of the original town site. In response, most property owners agreed to relocate closer to the new water source, except for a large hotel, which was not feasible to move. Subsequently, water was also located at the original site, allowing the town to remain in place. By 1887, Ritzville supported a growing commercial and civic infrastructure, including three general merchandise stores, one drugstore, one saloon, two blacksmith shops, two lumber yards, two
livery stable
A livery yard, livery stable or boarding stable, is a stable where horse owners pay a weekly or monthly fee to keep their horses. A livery or boarding yard is not usually a riding school and the horses are not normally for hire (unless on wor ...
s, one harness shop, two hotels, and a large two-story wooden schoolhouse serving approximately 100 students.
[''An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, Embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin Counties''. Spokane, Washington: Western Historical Publishing Company, 1904. Print.]
On June 6, 1888, a fire caused by a defective
flue
A flue is a duct, pipe, or opening in a chimney for conveying exhaust gases from a fireplace, furnace, water heater, boiler, or generator to the outdoors. Historically the term flue meant the chimney itself. In the United States, they a ...
wiped out nearly all of the business section of town.
Ritzville had no fire department at the time, and its citizens were unable to combat the flames effectively. Rebuilding got underway quickly, resulting in the town's first brick building in 1889, built by the town's first mayor, N.H. Greene. It still stands and is currently part of the
Ritzville Historic District.
Following the rebuilding from the fire, Ritzville was incorporated as a town in 1888 and was officially re-incorporated as a city on July 17, 1890, after Washington became a state. The first banking institution, The Adams County Bank (later First National Bank), would follow in April 1891. After another downtown fire in 1894, a waterworks system was installed at a cost of $20,000. The first permanent Adams County courthouse was also built in 1892.
After the
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States. It began in February 1893 and officially ended eight months later. The Panic of 1896 followed. It was the most serious economic depression in history until the Great Depression of ...
had subsided in 1898, Ritzville was experiencing another boom, with demand for property rising and scores of buildings being built. Telephone service was established in August 1899. By the turn of the century, the population had exceeded 1,200. The town finally received a volunteer fire department in 1901, with equipment funded by the citizens. Also in 1901, Ritzville received the title of the greatest wheat shipping point in the world. Between August of that year and August 1902, approximately 1,967,725 bushels of wheat were received in Ritzville warehouses for shipment, and 1,990 rail cars of
wheat
Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
and
flour
Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...
were billed out. These numbers would only be exceeded in 1902. On January 17, 1902, Ritzville was electrified for the first time, run by a
steam-powered
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tra ...
dynamo
"Dynamo Electric Machine" (end view, partly section, )
A dynamo is an electrical generator that creates direct current using a commutator. Dynamos employed electromagnets for self-starting by using residual magnetic field left in the iron cores ...
.
A
chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...
was formed in 1903, and the following year, the courthouse was doubled in size. The city received a
Carnegie library in 1907, the only one in Adams County. It still serves as the town's library today. By the time of
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank an ...
, growth had slowed, and Ritzville settled in as a small town.
In the 1960s,
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
was constructed around the south end of town, replacing
U.S. Route 10
U.S. Route 10 or U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the U.S. Despite the "0" as the last digit in the number, US 10 is no longer a cross- ...
and re-routing
U.S. Route 395 and its traffic away from downtown. The town's arrested development from then on preserved it and formed the core of the designated Ritzville Historic District in 1990.
Geography
Ritzville is located along Paha Creek at the northern end of the Paha Coulee, approximately southwest of
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...
on
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
/
U.S. Route 395. According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land.
Climate
Ritzville experiences a
semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''
BSk BSK is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:
Sports
* OFK Beograd, Serbian football club
* FK BSK Borča, Serbian football club
* FK BSK Batajnica, Serbian football club
* FK BSK Banja Luka, Bosnian-Herzegovinian football club
* FK BSK ...
''). Annual precipitation averages 11.9 in (30.2 cm). The average temperature in January is , and in July it is . Annual snowfall averages just under .
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
2010 census,
there were 1,673 people, 751 households, and 444 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...
was . There were 902 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.1%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.8%
Native American, 0.5%
Asian, 2.4% from
other races, and 1.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population.
There were 751 households, of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.9% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.75.
The median age in the city was 48.1 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 23.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census, there were 1,736 people, 777 households, and 470 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,347.8 people per square mile (198.4/km
2). There were 873 housing units at an average density of 677.8 per square mile (261.3/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.79%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.35%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.58%
Native American, 0.58%
Asian, 0.86% from
other races, and 1.84% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 2.36% of the population.
There were 777 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,560, and the median income for a family was $40,240. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $21,083 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $18,308. About 8.4% of families and 14.3% 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 ...
, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Places listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
include:
* The Burroughs (Dr. Frank R.) House
* The Northern Pacific Railroad Depot
* The Greene (Nelson H.) House
* Ritzville Carnegie Library
*
Ritzville High School
*
Ritzville Historic District
The Burroughs House and the National Pacific Depot have both been ceded to the city and maintained as museums by volunteers.
The New Ritz Theatre was opened in 1937, designed by Bjarne Moe. It maintains the original architecture and seating arrangement for 400 patrons.
Ritzville hosts the largest annual rodeo in eastern Washington.
[Kirk, pg. 98]
File:Ritzville, WA - Carnegie Library.JPG, Ritzville Carnegie Library
File:Ritzville, WA - Ritz Theatre 02.jpg, Ritz Theatre
File:Ritzville, WA - Northern Pacific Railway Depot 01.jpg, Northern Pacific Railway Depot
Notes
References
* ''An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, Embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin Counties''. Spokane, Washington: Western Historical Publishing Company, 1904. Print.
* Kirk, Ruth and Carmela Alexander (1990, revised 1995) ''Exploring Washington's Past: a road guide to history (Revised Edition)'', University of Washington Press, Seattle.
External links
City of Ritzville official websiteRitzville - Thumbnail History HistoryLink
Ritzville Heritage Local history collections from the Ritzville Public Library and Adams County Historical Society.
A.M. Kendrick Collectionat
Washington State Digital Archives
{{Authority control
*
Cities in Washington (state)
Cities in Adams County, Washington
County seats in Washington (state)