City in Washington, United States
Davenport
is the
county seat
of and largest city in
Lincoln County
,
Washington
, United States. The population was 1,703 at the
2020 census
.
[2]
As the seat of government for the county and its largest population center, Davenport serves as an important hub for business, medical and educational services in Lincoln County.
[5]
History
[
edit
]
Prior to European settlement, the area around what would become Davenport was home to the Lower Band of the
Spokane
.
[6]
The location was also along a popular east-west trade route, and the spring at present day Davenport was seen as an oasis and place for rest and camping along the journey.
[7]
That trail would eventually bring white settlers to the area, with prospectors passing through on their way to goldfields in
Montana
. Like the Spokane before them, these settlers used the springs at the present site of Davenport to collect water, rest and camp. The setting of the springs in the otherwise semi-arid region attracted some of these new arrivals to settle at the location, and in 1880 Aloysius Harry Harker became the first non-native permanent settler at the location, with John and Emma Eads Nicholls arriving soon after. The settlement was located at the springs and known as Cottonwood Springs. John C. Davenport founded a separate settlement on higher ground nearby in 1883, which was destroyed by fire the following year. Davenport's settlement relocated to Cottonwood Springs, taking Davenport's name with it.
[5]
The city was made the
county seat
of Lincoln County on December 15, 1896, after an election that had chosen Davenport over then-seat
Sprague
, which had been destroyed in a fire, and Harrington.
[8]
Grain elevators along the railroad in Davenport
Davenport gained early prominence in the north central part of the
Columbia Basin
of eastern Washington with the arrival of the Washington Central branch of the transcontinental
Northern Pacific Railway
(NP) railroad line, which reached Davenport in February 1889. The
Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Railway
(SLS&E) arrived later that year. A branch line of the
Great Northern Railway
(GN) was built to Davenport from Bluestem in the 1920s. Davenport's train depot, built in 1889 with the arrival of the railroads, lasted almost 100 years before being demolished in 1988.
[5]
Primary State Highway #2
(a.k.a. "Sunset Highway") closely followed the CW railroad from
Coulee City
through Davenport to Spokane. The route is now known as
U.S. Route 2
, but does not follow the original Sunset Highway in many places.
Primary State Highway #7
also intersected with
PSH #2
in Davenport, and is now part of
State Route 28
.
PSH #22
ran north from Davenport to the Canada?US border near Northport. This is
State Route 25
now.
Geography
[
edit
]
Channeled Scabland terrain west of Davenport
Davenport is located at
47°39′4″N
118°9′6″W
/
47.65111°N 118.15167°W
/
47.65111; -118.15167
(47.651157, -118.151627).
[9]
Davenport itself is largely flat, lying in the shallow valley of Cottonwood Creek, but the surrounding region is characterized by the
Channeled Scablands
scoured by the Missoula Floods during the last ice age. Davenport lies on the northern edge of the scablands, with more familiar drainage patterns taking over the terrain a few miles to the north of the city. Cottonwood Creek is an example of those more typical drainage patterns, as it flows northwest into the
Columbia River
at Hawk Creek Bay. Crystal Spring, which helps feed the creek, is located near the center of town.
[10]
Davenport is served by
U.S. Route 2
, which runs through the heart of the city. U.S. Route 2 connects Davenport with the region's primary city,
Spokane
, which is located 35 miles to the east. Two state highways also serve Davenport.
State Route 28
has its eastern terminus in Davenport, connecting the city the rural areas to its southwest.
State Route 25
has its southern terminus in Davenport, from which it stretches north to the Canadian border.
[10]
Vintage Harvest Festival in Davenport
Davenport is centrally located in the northern wheat belt of the Columbia Basin, where
dryland wheat farming
on the hills not washed away in the great
Missoula Floods
some 14,000 years ago, is critical to the agricultural economy of the region. Davenport Union Warehouse and Odessa Union Warehouse operate multiple
elevators
of varying age and design on the southern part of the city. A few of these structures date to the early days of the city.
[5]
Davenport still serves as a central collection point for
wheat
, with most of it shipped out by truck or railcar. While most of the wheat goes to
export
, some of it does find its way to the
ADM
flour mills
in Spokane and
Cheney
. Locally grown
barley
also finds its way to various west coast
breweries
and other users.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.82 square miles (4.71 km
2
), all of it land.
[11]
Climate
[
edit
]
Davenport experiences a
dry-summer continental climate
(
Koppen
Dsb
).
Climate data for Davenport, Washington (1991?2020 normals, extremes 1893?1894, 1909?present)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °F (°C)
|
58
(14)
|
60
(16)
|
73
(23)
|
90
(32)
|
94
(34)
|
107
(42)
|
105
(41)
|
103
(39)
|
100
(38)
|
86
(30)
|
68
(20)
|
57
(14)
|
107
(42)
|
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)
|
31.7
(?0.2)
|
37.1
(2.8)
|
46.7
(8.2)
|
55.9
(13.3)
|
65.4
(18.6)
|
72.1
(22.3)
|
82.3
(27.9)
|
82.5
(28.1)
|
72.6
(22.6)
|
57.1
(13.9)
|
41.5
(5.3)
|
31.2
(?0.4)
|
56.3
(13.5)
|
Daily mean °F (°C)
|
25.5
(?3.6)
|
29.1
(?1.6)
|
36.8
(2.7)
|
43.6
(6.4)
|
52.0
(11.1)
|
57.7
(14.3)
|
65.1
(18.4)
|
65.1
(18.4)
|
56.5
(13.6)
|
44.0
(6.7)
|
33.2
(0.7)
|
25.2
(?3.8)
|
44.5
(6.9)
|
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)
|
19.3
(?7.1)
|
21.2
(?6.0)
|
26.9
(?2.8)
|
31.2
(?0.4)
|
38.5
(3.6)
|
43.4
(6.3)
|
47.9
(8.8)
|
47.7
(8.7)
|
40.3
(4.6)
|
30.9
(?0.6)
|
25.0
(?3.9)
|
19.2
(?7.1)
|
32.6
(0.3)
|
Record low °F (°C)
|
?28
(?33)
|
?27
(?33)
|
?9
(?23)
|
10
(?12)
|
16
(?9)
|
25
(?4)
|
29
(?2)
|
29
(?2)
|
17
(?8)
|
?1
(?18)
|
?18
(?28)
|
?23
(?31)
|
?28
(?33)
|
Average
precipitation
inches (mm)
|
1.73
(44)
|
0.99
(25)
|
1.53
(39)
|
1.11
(28)
|
1.37
(35)
|
1.15
(29)
|
0.42
(11)
|
0.30
(7.6)
|
0.49
(12)
|
1.26
(32)
|
1.72
(44)
|
1.90
(48)
|
13.97
(355)
|
Average snowfall inches (cm)
|
7.4
(19)
|
5.5
(14)
|
2.2
(5.6)
|
0.2
(0.51)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.3
(0.76)
|
4.1
(10)
|
10.6
(27)
|
30.3
(77)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 0.01 in)
|
8.2
|
6.2
|
8.3
|
6.2
|
6.6
|
6.2
|
2.6
|
2.1
|
3.2
|
6.0
|
9.2
|
9.1
|
73.9
|
Average snowy days
(≥ 0.1 in)
|
4.6
|
2.7
|
1.4
|
0.1
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.1
|
2.4
|
5.5
|
16.8
|
Source:
NOAA
[12]
[13]
|
Demographics
[
edit
]
Historical population
Census
| Pop.
| Note
| %±
|
1890
| 396
| | ?
|
---|
1900
| 1,000
| | 152.5%
|
---|
1910
| 1,229
| | 22.9%
|
---|
1920
| 1,112
| | ?9.5%
|
---|
1930
| 987
| | ?11.2%
|
---|
1940
| 1,337
| | 35.5%
|
---|
1950
| 1,417
| | 6.0%
|
---|
1960
| 1,494
| | 5.4%
|
---|
1970
| 1,363
| | ?8.8%
|
---|
1980
| 1,559
| | 14.4%
|
---|
1990
| 1,502
| | ?3.7%
|
---|
2000
| 1,730
| | 15.2%
|
---|
2010
| 1,734
| | 0.2%
|
---|
2020
| 1,703
| | ?1.8%
|
---|
2010 census
[
edit
]
As of the
2010 census
,
[3]
there were 1,734 people, 694 households, and 445 families residing in the city. The
population density
was 952.7 inhabitants per square mile (367.8/km
2
). There were 750 housing units at an average density of 412.1 per square mile (159.1/km
2
). The racial makeup of the city was 95.3%
White
, 0.1%
African American
, 1.2%
Native American
, 0.1%
Asian
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
, 0.6% from
other races
, and 2.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic
or
Latino
of any race were 2.7% of the population.
There were 694 households, of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were
married couples
living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.03.
The median age in the city was 40 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 19% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.
2000 census
[
edit
]
As of the
2000 census
,
[3]
there were 1,730 people, 707 households, and 436 families residing in the city. The
population density
was 1,143.3 people per square mile (442.4/km
2
). There were 763 housing units at an average density of 504.3 per square mile (195.1/km
2
). The racial makeup of the city was 97.17%
White
, 0.29%
African American
, 0.98%
Native American
, 0.29% from
other races
, and 1.27% from two or more races.
Hispanic
or
Latino
of any race were 2.25% of the population. 30.0% were of
German
, 12.1%
American
, 10.6%
English
and 6.2%
Irish
ancestry according to
Census 2000
. 98.4% spoke
English
and 1.6%
Spanish
as their first language.
There were 707 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were
married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,900, and the median income for a family was $47,708. Males had a median income of $34,531 versus $21,875 for females. The
per capita income
for the city was $20,090. About 8.5% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
Davenport Water Tower
The
Davenport School District
Archived
September 8, 2016, at the
Wayback Machine
Includes Davenport Elementary, Davenport Middle School, and Davenport Senior High School. The mascot is the Davenport Gorilla.
As of 2010, Davenport was served by 12 different churches and was home to a museum, library and city park with a pool.
[5]
Services in the community include a post office, courthouse, fire station and hospital.
[10]
The Lincoln County Fairgrounds are located in Davenport, with the annual Lincoln County Fair and Rodeo taking place each summer.
[15]
Transportation
[
edit
]
Davenport is served by the
Davenport Municipal Airport
. Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad,
U.S. Route 2
,
State Route 28
, and
State Route 25
.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
August 7,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
"2020 Census State Redistricting Data"
.
census.gov
. U.S. Census Bureau
. Retrieved
May 2,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
"U.S. Census website"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
January 31,
2008
.
- ^
"Davenport"
.
Geographic Names Information System
.
United States Geological Survey
,
United States Department of the Interior
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Becker, Paula.
"Davenport -- Thumbnail History"
.
historylink.org
. History Link
. Retrieved
May 1,
2022
.
- ^
"Spokane Tribal History"
.
spokanetribe.com
. Spokane Tribe of Indians
. Retrieved
May 1,
2022
.
- ^
"History ? Lincoln County, WA"
.
co.lincoln.wa.us
. Lincoln County, Washington
. Retrieved
May 1,
2022
.
- ^
Steele, Richard F.; Rose, Arthur P. (1904).
An Illustrated History of the Big Bend Country, Embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin Counties
. Spokane, Washington: Western Historical Publishing Company. pp.
106
?110.
OCLC
8990120
. Retrieved
February 2,
2017
– via Google Books.
- ^
"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990"
.
United States Census Bureau
. February 12, 2011
. Retrieved
April 23,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Davenport Quadrangle"
.
usgs.gov
. U.S. Geological Survey
. Retrieved
May 2,
2022
.
- ^
"US Gazetteer files 2010"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Archived from
the original
on January 12, 2012
. Retrieved
December 19,
2012
.
- ^
"NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data"
. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. Retrieved
December 11,
2023
.
- ^
"Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020"
. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. Retrieved
December 11,
2023
.
- ^
United States Census Bureau
.
"Census of Population and Housing"
. Retrieved
August 31,
2014
.
- ^
"Lincoln County Fairgrounds"
.
lincolncountywafair.com
. Lincoln County Fairgrounds
. Retrieved
May 2,
2022
.
External links
[
edit
]