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Columbia River Bridge, East Wenatchee, Washington

EAST WENATCHEE

Washington
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East Wenatchee is a city in Douglas County, Washington, United States. Landmarks include Senator George Sellar Bridge, Wenatchee Valley Mall and KYSP. East Wenatchee is the birthplace of Nick Hannah, football player.

The East Wenatchee Collection

Made for East Wenatchee. Printed to order.

East Wenatchee, Washington gifts and souvenirs: 36 designs made from East Wenatchee's own map, landmarks and history, from $10 to $99. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.

PopularPrice
East Wenatchee Hometown Ornament$23
East Wenatchee Landmarks Photo Posterfrom $40
East Wenatchee Vintage Travel Posterfrom $40
East Wenatchee Varsity Crewneckfrom $57
East Wenatchee Est. Teefrom $33
East Wenatchee Town Line Mugfrom $26
East Wenatchee Hometown Ornament

East Wenatchee Hometown Ornament

Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 4 styles

$23
East Wenatchee Landmarks Photo Poster

East Wenatchee Landmarks Photo Poster

Nine local landmarks, archival matte

from $40
East Wenatchee Vintage Travel Poster

East Wenatchee Vintage Travel Poster

Its landmark photo in a classic travel-poster layout

from $40
East Wenatchee Photo Art Print

East Wenatchee Photo Art Print

A local landmark photo as a gallery print

from $40
East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Poster

East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Poster

Classic large-letter postcard art, filled with local photos

from $40
East Wenatchee Snapshot Collage Poster

East Wenatchee Snapshot Collage Poster

Six local landmarks as instant photos on kraft paper

from $40
East Wenatchee History Timeline Poster

East Wenatchee History Timeline Poster

The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom

from $44
East Wenatchee Map Placemat

East Wenatchee Map Placemat

Map of local landmarks, washable fabric

$31
East Wenatchee Varsity Crewneck

East Wenatchee Varsity Crewneck

Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back

from $57
East Wenatchee Hometown Knit Sweater

East Wenatchee Hometown Knit Sweater

Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print

from $57
East Wenatchee Est. Tee

East Wenatchee Est. Tee

Soft Bella+Canvas jersey

from $33
East Wenatchee Est. Youth Tee

East Wenatchee Est. Youth Tee

Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes

$30
East Wenatchee Est. Toddler Tee

East Wenatchee Est. Toddler Tee

Bella+Canvas toddler jersey

$29
East Wenatchee Est. Baby One Piece

East Wenatchee Est. Baby One Piece

Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit

$30
East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Tee

East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Tee

Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos

from $35
East Wenatchee Town Line Mug

East Wenatchee Town Line Mug

Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe

from $26
East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Mug

East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Mug

Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos, 11 oz ceramic

from $29
East Wenatchee Garden Flag

East Wenatchee Garden Flag

Weatherproof, for the front walk

$31
East Wenatchee Welcome Doormat

East Wenatchee Welcome Doormat

24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back

$66
East Wenatchee Hometown Wood Sign

East Wenatchee Hometown Wood Sign

12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang

$48
East Wenatchee Map Throw Pillow

East Wenatchee Map Throw Pillow

Soft-touch, zip cover

$47
East Wenatchee Landmark Photo Pillow

East Wenatchee Landmark Photo Pillow

A local landmark photo with the town name, 18″×18″

$49
East Wenatchee Market Tote

East Wenatchee Market Tote

Sturdy all-over-print tote

$37
East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Tote

East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Tote

Large-letter postcard art on a sturdy tote

$37
East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Trucker Cap

East Wenatchee “Greetings From” Trucker Cap

Foam-front trucker, printed (not embroidered) with local photos

$33
East Wenatchee Cork Coaster

East Wenatchee Cork Coaster

Glossy top, cork back

$16
East Wenatchee Street Map Throw Blanket

East Wenatchee Street Map Throw Blanket

Soft fleece, 50″×60″

from $72
East Wenatchee Snapshot Collage Blanket

East Wenatchee Snapshot Collage Blanket

Six local landmarks as instant photos, soft fleece 50″×60″

from $76
East Wenatchee Est. Tumbler

East Wenatchee Est. Tumbler

20 oz, double-wall stainless

$51
East Wenatchee Columbia River Bridge Postcard

East Wenatchee Columbia River Bridge Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
East Wenatchee Senator George Sellar Bridge Postcard

East Wenatchee Senator George Sellar Bridge Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
East Wenatchee Wenatchee Valley Mall Postcard

East Wenatchee Wenatchee Valley Mall Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
East Wenatchee Kenroy Park Postcard

East Wenatchee Kenroy Park Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
East Wenatchee Riverfront Park Postcard

East Wenatchee Riverfront Park Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
East Wenatchee pipeline bridge between East Wenatchee, WA and Wenatchee, WA Postcard

East Wenatchee pipeline bridge between East Wenatchee, WA and Wenatchee, WA Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
East Wenatchee Badger Mountain Lookout, .125 mile northwest of Badger Mountain summit Archive Print

East Wenatchee Badger Mountain Lookout, .125 mile northwest of Badger Mountain summit Archive Print

From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town

from $44
On the National Register

Historic places

Population 2010: 13,190 → 2020: 14,158

From Wikidata (CC0).

A short history of East Wenatchee

Founding and early years

At the turn of the 20th century irrigation projects, including the Columbia Basin Project east of the region, fostered the development of intensive agriculture in the shrub-steppe native to the region. Fruit orchards become one of the area's leading industries.

In 1908, the first highway bridge to span the Columbia River opened. The privately owned bridge carried people, horses, wagons, and automobiles; it also supported two large water pipelines along its sides. It connected Chelan County on the west (Wenatchee) shore with Douglas County on the East Wenatchee shore. The bridge opened East Wenatchee and the rest of Douglas County to apple orchard development. Still standing today, the bridge is a 1,060-foot (320 m) pin-connected steel cantilever bridge and cost $177,000 to build. It once carried the Sunset Highway (State Highway 2) across the river.

The bridge was the brainchild of W. T. Clark, one of the builders of the Highline Canal, a major irrigation project to water the apple orchards in the valley. It was financed in part by James J. Hill (1838–1916), of the Great Northern Railway (which arrived in Wenatchee in 1892). In its second year of operation the canal firm that owned it decided to start charging tolls.

This prompted local leaders to hasten to the state legislature to persuade the state to purchase the bridge as part of the state highway system. The state purchased the bridge despite the state-employed consultant's opinion "that the ugliness of the structure is very apparent" (Dorpat), despite defects in the timber floor and concrete piers, and despite leaks in the waterpipes.

The structure remained in full use until 1950 when the Senator George Sellar Bridge was built. Today, it remains as a footbridge on the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail and still has the old pipeline running across it.

Read the full history

Incorporation and growth

On February 28, 1935, citizens voted, 48 in favor and 46 against, to incorporate the town of East Wenatchee. When the town was incorporated on March 11, 1935, the original town site was 50 acres (200,000 m2). Through subsequent annexations, the town has grown into a city. Today, East Wenatchee's boundaries encompass 3.67 square miles (9.5 km2). From its foundation in agriculture, the region's economy has diversified to include year-round tourism and a variety of other industries.

Landing of first trans-pacific airplane flight

On October 5, 1931, East Wenatchee became part of aviation history. Having taken off from Misawa, Japan, pilots Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon Jr. safely belly-landed their Bellanca airplane, Miss Veedol, on a nearby airstrip known then as Fancher Field. After take off, the pilots intentionally jettisoned the landing gear to conserve fuel. This flight was the first nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean. In honor of this pioneering flight, East Wenatchee's airport is called Pangborn Memorial Airport, the Pangborn-Herndon Memorial Site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is nearby, and Miss Veedol's propeller is displayed in the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center.

Clovis points discovery

On May 27, 1987, East Wenatchee became part of archaeological history. On that date, while digging in an orchard just east of the city, farmworkers accidentally discovered a cache of 11,000-year-old Clovis points and other artifacts, left there by Pleistocene hunters. The East Wenatchee Clovis Site, near Pangborn Airport, was explored in two subsequent archaeological digs in 1988 and 1990, was closed to science by the landowner after protests by local Native American tribes. The legal moratorium on new archaeological work at the site ended on June 1, 2007.

Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article East Wenatchee, Washington, revision 1378774397 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

For local organizations

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We share a part of every East Wenatchee sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.

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Custom orders

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A favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.

Free printables

Color East Wenatchee

10 free coloring pages of East Wenatchee, each traced from a photo of a local landmark. Print them at home, at school or for story hour.

Nearby

Neighboring towns

Sources

East Wenatchee's population was 14,158 in the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 13,190 in 2010.