Uniontown is a town in Whitman County,

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, United States. The population was 389 at the 2020 census.

History

Uniontown was first settled in 1867 by Thomas Freeborn Montgomery, who had travelled west in order to escape the violence of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

in 1863. Montgomery filed for a homestead claim in 1874, and obtained a post office for Uniontown in 1878. Agreement could not be reached on a town name until the following year, when Joseph Cataldo, a

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

priest and missionary, suggested the name "Uniontown" after the similarly-named creek and flat nearby. Montgomery had a difficult personality, which led to numerous conflicts with Uniontown businessmen. As a result, several of these businesses relocated three miles north to the neighboring rival town of Colton. Despite this, Montgomery remained active in the real estate industry in Uniontown until his passing in 1883, which was allegedly the result of a dispute that turned deadly on December 8 of that year. Uniontown was incorporated in 1890.

Geography

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 town has a total area of , all of it land.

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 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 ...

, Uniontown has a

warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Uniontown, Washington
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Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 294 people, 130 households, and 85 families living in the town. 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 149 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.6%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.7% 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 1.4% of the population. There were 130 households, of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% 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, 4.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the town was 44.6 years. 18.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 32.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.4% male and 48.6% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 345 people, 133 households, and 96 families living in the town. The population density was 380.1 people per square mile (146.4/km²). There were 160 housing units at an average density of 176.3 per square mile (67.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.10%

, 0.58% Asian, 2.32% from other races.

or Latino of any race were 4.64% of the population. There were 133 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.06. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 29.6% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,042, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $31,607 versus $21,250 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 town was $16,390. About 2.1% of families and 2.3% 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 1.8% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Churches

Saint Boniface Catholic Church

The vast majority of the early settlers of Uniontown were primarily

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

immigrants who practiced

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. The first Catholic Church in Uniontown was built out of wood in 1879, the same year that Uniontown was officially founded. Father Anton Joehren, the local Catholic priest, played a constructive role in the early history of Uniontown, although like founder Thomas Montgomery, Joehren’s difficult nature often led to disputes. In 1888, he began plans to construct a grand brick and stone church, but construction ceased in 1893 when a dispute arose between the priest and some parishioners, resulting in only a foundation being laid. Friction with Fr. Joehren also led to the Benedictine Sisters relocating from Uniontown to Colton in 1894 and ultimately establishing the St. Gertrude Monastery in Cottonwood, Idaho in 1906. Following Fr. Joehren's removal, a new priest oversaw the congregation's construction of the current church, St. Boniface Church, which was completed in the spring of 1905, and consecrated in 1910, making it the first to be consecrated in the

state of Washington Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

. The church was designed by Herman Preusse and

Julius Zittel Julius Zittel (October 2, 1869 - May 7, 1939) was an architect in Washington State. He was a draftsman at Herman Preusse firm and then became a partner at their firm. He became Washington's state architect. Works Selected works include: *Washin ...

and is built out of bricks in the

Romanesque style Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

, with two towers flanking the façade, and a front gable topped by a seven-foot statue of the

Blessed Mother Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. ...

. The church retains much of its original pre-Vatican II appearance, including original stained-glass windows, altar rails, numerous statues, five altars, and numerous frescos. The church has resisted all attempts and proposals to modernize the interior and has insisted on keeping it as is, the only allowed noticeable change being the installment of an altar to celebrate the

Novus Ordo The Mass of Paul VI, also known as the Ordinary Form or , is the most commonly used liturgy in the Catholic Church. It was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 and its liturgical books were published in 1970; those books were then revised in 19 ...

facing the people.

Uniontown Community Church

There is also a small,

non-denominational Christian Non-denominational Christianity (or nondenominational Christianity) consists of churches, and individual Christians, which typically distance themselves from the confessionalism or creedalism of other Christian communities by not formally aligni ...

, protestant church that is maintained by its congregants.

References

External links

Town of Uniontown
- Official site
Uniontown Washington
- Uniontown Community Development Association {{Authority control Towns in Whitman County, Washington Towns in Washington (state) 1890 establishments in Washington (state)