Washington Trivia & Tidbits - Page 14

Looking for Washington trivia? Try our list Washington little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

Mount St. Helens—dormant for 123 years before the devastating eruption in May 1980—was known as Louwala-Clough, or “smoking mountain,” by American Indians of the Northwest. Eruptions between 3,300 and 4,000 years ago dammed the North Fork of the Toutle River to form Spirit Lake near the mountain’s base.

first appeared: 10/27/2002

The tasty Dungeness crab is named for a town northwest of Seattle from which it was first harvested commercially in the late 1800s. The crab can grow to 10 inches across and is found from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to northern California, usually in shallow water.

first appeared: 10/20/2002

Colville National Forest’s Salmo-Priest Wilderness, in the northeast corner of the state, is home to grizzly bears, woodland caribou, gray wolves, elk, black bears, cougars, bobcats, wolverines, lynx, and bighorn sheep.

first appeared: 10/13/2002

The Columbia National Wildlife Refuge near Othello (pop. 5,847) is a wintering area for more than 100,000 ducks and Canada geese. Mallards, redheads, and cinnamon teal nest on the refuge, which includes 23,000 acres in the Columbia River Basin. Hawks, owls, songbirds, along with various water, marsh, and shore birds, also inhabit the refuge.

first appeared: 10/6/2002

The historic Dayton Depot opened in 1881, the year the railroad was extended from Walla Walla to Dayton (pop. 2,655). Within a year, the community was the third largest in Washington Territory, after Seattle and Walla Walla.

first appeared: 9/29/2002

The discovery of petrified wood during highway construction in the 1930s led to the creation of Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park near Vantage (pop. 70). Petrified specimens from the ginkgo tree are rare, but petrified wood from other area trees is common.

first appeared: 9/22/2002

The Claquato Church, near Chehelis in southwest Washington, is the oldest remaining Protestant church in the Pacific Northwest. Built in 1858, it still stands in its original location and structural form and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

first appeared: 9/15/2002

The Mount Baker Ski Area near Glacier (pop. 900), known for its deep snow powder and exhilarating terrain, recorded the most snowfall ever measured in the United States. During the winter of 1998-99, a total of 1,140 inches fell—more than 90 feet. The ski area’s average snowfall is just over 600 inches—more than any ski area in the lower 48 states. Because it was one of the first ski areas to allow single-plank riders, Mount Baker also is known as one of the birthplaces of snowboarding.

first appeared: 9/8/2002

Deception Pass between Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Island earned its name in 1792 when Capt. George Vancouver’s first mate, Joseph Whidbey, discovered that a passage existed between the two islands. Turbulent waters running through the pass initially deceived Vancouver into thinking that the area was an enclosed bay and that a river inlet was generating the churning waters. Vancouver later named Whidbey Island in honor of his astute ship’s master.

first appeared: 9/1/2002

Bridgeport State Park on Rufus Woods Lake features “Haystacks,” unusually large volcanic formations resembling their name. The park honors Ralph Van Slyke, a retired employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who in the 1960s labored with common gardening tools to create the park in the valley above Chief Joseph Dam. The lake is abundant in trout and walleye.

first appeared: 8/25/2002

Crow Butte State Park is an island on the Columbia River along the historic Lewis and Clark Trail. A hike to the top of the butte affords views of Oregon, Mount Hood, Mount Adams, and the Columbia River valley. The park takes its name from the Crow family, who settled near the present-day park after homesteading began in the area in 1850.

first appeared: 8/18/2002

The state has four native rose species, each of which has relatively small five-petal flowers, ranging from white to deep pink. All are fragrant, and can be identified by their straight prickles (introduced wild roses have curved prickles).

first appeared: 8/11/2002

Sherman Pass National Forest Scenic Byway in the northeast part of the state offers spectacular views, pristine wilderness, and the remains of a 1920s logging camp. The byway is named for Civil War Gen. William Tecumsah Sherman, who crossed the Kettle River Range in the 1860s over what is now the scenic byway.

first appeared: 8/4/2002

The town of Pe Ell (pop. 657) in western Washington is said to be named for French Canadian Pierre Charles, who raised horses in the area in the 1850s. The name is likely the local Indians’ pronunciation of the name Pierre.

first appeared: 7/28/2002

Among the exhibits in the Washington State Capital Museum is a re-created Salish Tribal Winter House. Visitors learn about tribal life of the South Sound Indian culture and are permitted to touch artifacts created by local tribal members. A totem “Healing Pole” greets visitors entering the exhibit in the museum, located in the historic Lord mansion in Olympia.

first appeared: 7/21/2002

The Legislative Building in Olympia is built of sandstone quarried in Wilkeson (pop. 395), some 40 miles away.

first appeared: 7/21/2002

The statue of justice on top of the Garfield County Courthouse in Pomeroy (pop. 1,517) is one of only several Lady Justice statues not blindfolded.

first appeared: 7/14/2002

Winged Victory Monument in front of the state Capitol in Olympia shows a 12-foot bronze sculpture of a winged figure surrounded by a soldier, sailor, Marine, and Red Cross nurse. The monument, dedicated May 30, 1938, honors World War I veterans.

first appeared: 7/7/2002

Flaming Geyser State Park near Black Diamond (pop. 3,970) takes its name from methane gas seeping from an underlying coal seam. The gas makes a geyser of flame when ignited. At one time the attraction was featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Today, the park is popular for tubing on the Green River.

first appeared: 6/30/2002

The oldest log structure in Spokane County is in Riverside State Park. The 10,000-acre area, located along the Spokane and Little Spokane rivers, was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, from 1933 to 1936. Horseback riding, bicycling, and water sports are popular park activities.

first appeared: 6/23/2002

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