Washington Trivia & Tidbits - Page 17

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

Bluebunch wheatgrass, vital to eastern Washington’s agricultural picture today and especially important to pioneer farmers in the region long ago, was named the official state grass in 1989.

first appeared: 9/30/2001

The section of Mount Baker Highway, from above Glacier (pop. 90) to Artist Point, is a National Forest Scenic Byway, a distinction earned in 1989. The road offers travelers a look at outstanding scenery on the 10,778-foot volcano, which boasts old-growth stands of fir and cedar, waterfalls, and spectacular views of the North Cascade Range.

first appeared: 9/23/2001

The square dance became the state’s official dance in 1979, commemorating the amusement brought to the West by pioneers who danced the quadrille, which means “square” in French.

first appeared: 9/16/2001

The Executive Mansion, the oldest building on the Capitol campus in Olympia, was built for $35,000 in 1908 as a temporary structure to entertain visitors coming to the Alaskan Exhibition. After a restoration in the 1970s, the mansion, now the governor’s residence, was expanded to 26 rooms.

first appeared: 9/9/2001

The Dungeness Spit extends more than five miles into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and grows an average of 15 feet a year. The spit is created by the action of wind and water currents on eroding soil from the Olympic Mountains. The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge includes Dungeness Spit, Graveyard Spit, and part of Dungeness Bay and Harbor. More than 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals, and eight species of marine mammals have been recorded in the refuge.

first appeared: 9/2/2001

Washington is famous for its apples, but the Yakima Valley is also recognized for growing 75 percent of the hops grown in the United States. The vineyards of the Yakima, Columbia, and Walla Walla valleys also are gaining international acclaim.

first appeared: 8/26/2001

Olympic Game Farm Inc., in Sequim (pop. 4,334), is the home of many four-legged star entertainers—buffalo, tigers, bears, wolves, and zebras—some of which have had parts in TV shows and movies.

first appeared: 8/19/2001

Maryhill’s Stonehenge at the Maryhill Museum in Goldendale (pop. 3,760) is the first monument in the United States built to honor the dead of World War I. The memorial is a replica of England’s Stonehenge. The site also includes monuments to the soldiers of Klickitat County who died in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

first appeared: 8/12/2001

Lewis and Clark arrived within view of the Pacific Ocean at Long Beach in November 1805 after a 4,100-mile journey from Missouri.

first appeared: 8/5/2001

The last herd of wild caribou in the United States can be viewed in Washington’s Ponderosa Pine Country in the northeast corner of the state. The area also is home to wintering eagles and thousands of migrating waterfowl that stop off at nearby Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

first appeared: 7/29/2001

Snoqualmie Falls, east of Seattle, is almost 100 feet higher than Niagara Falls. The 268-foot plunge sends water into a gorge of rock and moss.

first appeared: 7/22/2001

A reader of The Chronicle newspaper in Omak correctly points out that in our June 17 issue we mention the Columbia River is in western Arizona. We’re happy to report that we meant the Colorado River, and the Columbia remains in Washington where it belongs.

first appeared: 7/22/2001

Washington’s wine country in the Yakima Valley enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year, but snow melt from the mountains and irrigation from the Columbia River ensure the health of the region’s orchards and vineyards.

first appeared: 7/15/2001

The University of Washington got its start in 1861, well before the territory became a state in 1889, starting up with a single, somewhat busy professor who taught Latin, Greek, English, history, algebra, and physiology.

first appeared: 7/8/2001

Long Beach (pop. 1,263) is home of the World Kite Museum, which showcases kites and those who fly them, while offering exhibits to educate enthusiasts on the role of kites in science, art, religion, and sport.

first appeared: 7/8/2001

The Tacoma Dome, site of events including the 1990 Goodwill Games, the Western Hockey League’s Tacoma Rockets, and numerous concerts, contains 1.6 million board feet of lumber—enough to build 150 homes. As high as a 15-story building, the dome opened in 1983 and hosts 1.3 million patrons annually.

first appeared: 7/1/2001

The 198-foot Palouse Falls in southeastern Washington cascade down layers of basalt lava deposited during the last ice age.

first appeared: 6/24/2001

The huge and beautiful tulip fields of Skagit Valley are a major enterprise in the region. Mary Brown Stewart started the area’s tulip industry in 1906 with a handful of bulbs from Holland.

first appeared: 6/24/2001

The Giant Pacific Octopus can top the scales at more than 600 pounds and can be found in waters off the coast of Washington.

first appeared: 6/17/2001

June and July are the months when harbor seals are “pupping” (giving birth) along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands. Pupping occurs from July through September in the southern Puget Sound and Hood Canal.

first appeared: 6/17/2001

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