The first bridge to transport cars across the Columbia River was built in 1908, bridging Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. This bridge has been known for many decades as the Pedestrian Bridge.

Wenatchee Wagon Bridge over Columbia River (1910) CREDIT: Washington State Historical Society
Wenatchee Wagon Bridge over Columbia River (1910) CREDIT: Washington State Historical Society
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Last year (2023), the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center announced that the 115-year-old bridge was named the W.T. Clark Pipeline Bridge. 

The new name of the Pedestrian Bridge honors Clark, who built the area’s irrigation system and the black steel bridge that carried the pipes across the Columbia River. 

Who was W.T. Clark?

Before we answer that - Let's go back to the year 1892.

Wenatchee town planners voiced a desire to bring water into the Wenatchee Valley from snow melt in the Enchantments. This idea didn’t become a reality until the early 1900s - when W.T. Clark was summoned to help make the dream of a 34-mile canal - a reality.

‘In the fall of 1901, local ranchers, merchants, and landowners contacted William T. (W.T.) Clark, builder of the Selah and Moxee canal near Yakima, to consider such a project. The ranchers, merchants, and landowners who would benefit from water from a canal system financed the study. Clark and engineer Marvin Chase studied the canal project and declared the project feasible.’ -Wenatchee Reclamation District

 

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The building of the 34-mile Highline Canal 

 

  • 1902: W.T. Clark was granted water rights and the right to divert water from the Wenatchee River.

 

  • 1903: Construction of the ditch between Dryden and Wenatchee completed.

 

  • September 1903: A pipeline took the canal water over the Wenatchee River to Wenatchee.

 

 

  • In 1915, W.T. Clark helped change from the Wenatchee Canal Company to the Wenatchee Reclamation District. The change included purchasing the water rights and any land used in the footprint of the irrigation canal. The WRD (the Wenatchee Reclamation District has maintained this vital waterway for over 100 years.
CREDIT: Keller Williams Realty North Central Washington via Facebook
CREDIT: Keller Williams Realty North Central Washington via Facebook
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INFO SOURCE: Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, Wenatchee Reclamation District

5 Weirdly Named and Strangely Famous Small Towns in Washington

Most towns and cities in Washington are named after Native American tribes. Others are named after families or local monuments. Here are five small Washington towns with strange or interesting names and the history behind them. These include the birthplace of United Airlines, murder, and mystery.

Gallery Credit: Paul Drake

 

 

 

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