-
- Town
1,823
66%
$46,500
22.3%
America/Los_Angeles
99169
Welcome:
The WikiXM 'Ritzville' platform is your gateway to becoming an active part of our vibrant community, regardless of your age or how long you've called 'Ritzville' home. It's more than just a news platform; it's a thriving hub where the collective wisdom of every 'Ritzville' resident converges to ignite discussions, foster learning, and empower one another with knowledge about our beloved town.
Here in 'Ritzville', we have a diverse tapestry of residents. Some have roots that run deep, their knowledge steeped in the rich history of our town. Others are students, dedicated to keeping us updated on school activities, while many are committed to sharing the ebb and flow of daily life.
What's more, from a civic and political perspective, there are countless opportunities for you to join in. Many in our community offer updates on policies and decisions, offering their unique insights. This platform is where all these local perspectives meld together, creating a better place for everyone to live, regardless of your age or how long you've been a part of 'Ritzville'.
So, whether you're a long-time resident or a newcomer, young or old, WikiXM is your invitation to dive into the heart of our community, to engage, and help us all create a more vibrant, inclusive, and connected 'Ritzville'. Join us and let's make a difference together!
Ritzville, WA - History
We would like to provide the residents of Ritzville a basic history overview.
Welcome to the Ritzville Home page. The Ritzville Home page provides as much information as possible on Ritzville. Knowing Ritzville’s history is essential to guiding its future. Within Ritzville’s Home page, you will also find Ritzville’s Founders, Holiday, and Birthday sections.
Ritzville has a population of 1823. 50.1% of Ritzville’s inhabitants are Male, and 49.9 are female. 37.8% of Ritzville is married and 66% own their own home. The Average Home price is $122,779, and the average rent is $735. Household median income in Ritzville is $46,500, and the individual median income is $25,286. Ritzville’s Ethnic is the following: White(86.1%), Hispanic(13.9%), Other(5.7%), Black(3.1%), Multiple(2.8%), Asian(1.6%), Pacific(0.4%), Native(0.3%).
The first settler in what would become modern Ritzville was William McKay in 1880. The town would be named after Phillip Ritz, who had settled nearby two years earlier. By December 1880, Ritzville's town-site had been platted by John W. Sprague on behalf of his company, The Northern Pacific Railway. 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 fledgeling village had a population of around 50 and the school consisted of a lean-to 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 were held in Adams County in Ritzville in April 1882 at the McKay Home and the First Congregational Church was soon organized, a church would be built in 1885.
The post office was established in 1883 by J.L. Johnson of Walla Walla who also purchased McKay's store. Soon afterwards, many more businesses would set up shop in town. As the 1880s wore on, the town was beginning to realize its position as a major wheat shipping point in the Big Bend Country and it continued to grow. When the town's water supply from the railroad tank began to stretch thin, a search for underground water was initiated.
At first, no water was found but a well was finally struck 1-mile (1.6 km) east of the town-site. Most of the land-owners in town agreed to move towards the well, with the exception of a large hotel which couldn't be moved. Water was eventually found at the site and the town was allowed to stay where it was.
By 1887, Ritzville had three general merchandise stores, one drug store, one saloon, two blacksmith shops, two lumber yards, two livery stables, one harness shop, two hotels and a large, two-story wooden schoolhouse with an attendance of 100.On June 6, 1888, a fire caused by a defective flue 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 went 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 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 and flour 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 dynamo.
The Chamber of Commerce 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, growth had slowed and Ritzville settled in as a small town.
In the 1960s Interstate 90 was constructed around the south-end of town, replacing U.S. Route 10 and re-routing US 395 (WA) and its traffic away from downtown. The town's arrested development from then on helped contribute to its charm, helping form The Ritzville Historic District in 1990. Much of the history of Ritzville and Adams County is visually documented in the A.M.
Kendrick collection. This archive of images, illustrating daily life in eastern Washington state, was originally maintained by the Adams County Rural Library District No. 2 (formerly Ritzville Public Library), and now is kept in digital form in the Washington State Digital Archives.
With various live chat features, you can engage with locals in a virtual conversation.
Create & post topics in "town" you love like Sports, Entertainment
Ask questions about local services, where to find local activies or get other local advice from those that live in your town.
Create a local group in an area of your interest like Mt. Bikiing, Hiking, a book group.
See what we've included about your town and how can get to know your towns history much better and participate in its future.
The Ritzville, WA founder's page is dedicated to those people in the Ritzville, WA area that initially made the Ritzville, WA WikiXM news a reality. Without their initiative, foresight and social fortitude the Ritzville, WA WikiXM news would not have happened.
No Founding Member in Ritzville, WA.
The Ritzville, WA founder's page is dedicated to those people in the Ritzville, WA area that initially made the Ritzville, WA WikiXM news a reality. Without their initiative, foresight and social fortitude the Ritzville, WA WikiXM news would not have happened.
No Articles in Ritzville, WA.
The Ritzville, WA's Reporters play an important role in keeping their communities informed. They investigate stories, write articles, and inform the public about what is happening in their area.
No Reporters in Ritzville, WA.
Start a discussion, not a fire. Post with kindness.
Sign in Now to take part in the Live Chat
No Live Chat in Ritzville, WA
KNOW YOUR TOWN REPRESENTATIVES
RITZVILLE Representatives
Mayor : Linda Kadlec
Council Member
Council Member
Council Member
Adams County REPRESENTATIVES
Adams County Commissioner
Adams County Auditor
Adams County Prosecuting Attorney/Coroner
HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES
SENATE REPRESENTATIVES
FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES
Access Denied
Introducing Your Local Garage where you can post and sell everything you have wanted to sell.
Post upto 5 items for free. After that it's just $20 a year to post up to 50 items in your own Garage.
Directly Communicate with buyers.
Get direct feedback from Buyers to improve your postings.
Receive updates and reminders on items posted but not sold to improve sales.
Selling analytics
Your Garage will come with more selling features to help you get your items sold fast!
The site is protected by reCAPTCHA
