Chewelah (icon ) is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States. Chewelah was labeled Chiel-Charle-Mous on the 1897 U. S. Land Office Map

General Land Office

The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...

. The population was 2,607 at the 2010 census which was a 19.3% increase over the 2000 census.

History

The name of the town comes from a Kalispel word, sč̓ewíleʔ, meaning "watersnake" or "gartersnake

Common Garter Snake

The Common Garter Snake is a snake indigenous to North America. Most garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a brown or green background and their average length is about , maximum about .-Subspecies:...

". Prior to colonization by European-Americans, Chewelah was home to a band

Band society

A band society is the simplest form of human society. A band generally consists of a small kin group, no larger than an extended family or clan; it has been defined as consisting of no more than 30 to 50 individuals.Bands have a loose organization...

 of the Kalispel people. The band was known as the slet̓éw̓si, meaning "valley people". Chewelah and the rest of the Colville River Valley

Colville River (Washington)

The Colville River is a 60 mile long tributary of the Columbia River in northeastern Washington in the United States.-Course:The Colville River begins in southern Stevens County, Washington at the confluence of Sheep Creek and Deer Creek. It flows northwest past Colville and into the Columbia...

 were part of the Colville Indian Reservation

Colville Indian Reservation

The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Washington, inhabited and managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which is recognized by the United States of America as an American Indian Tribe...

 from April 9, 1872, when the reservation was created, until July 2, 1872, when a subsequent executive order reduced the size of the reservation. The Chewelah Band of Indians is currently part of the Spokane Tribe.

In 1873 Thomas and Mary Brown founded the town of Chewelah. They continued using the Salish

Salishan languages

The Salishan languages are a group of languages of the Pacific Northwest...

 name for the area as a reference to the winding patterns of the rivers that flowed through the Chewelah Valley. Chewelah was officially incorporated on February 4, 1903.

Chewelah is a town of firsts in Stevens County. It had the first Protestant Congregational Church in 1891, the first school in 1869, the Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad arrived in 1889, a Catholic church was established in 1885, and the first county newspaper was founded in July 1885.

Initially Chewelah was a typical pioneer settlement, being an agricultural center as far back as the early 1870s and having its share of prospectors working the adjacent countryside as early as 1842. The town was platted in 1884 and became known for being a rough and tumble mining town; the first lead and silver mines were established around 1886, and others followed in Embry and surrounding areas.

By 1905 the population had reached 650 souls, and within a few years many prosperous copper, silver, lead and a few gold mines were flourishing in the area. However, the most successful ore to be mined in Chewelah was magnesite

Magnesite

Magnesite is magnesium carbonate, MgCO3. Iron substitutes for magnesium with a complete solution series with siderite, FeCO3. Calcium, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may also occur in small amounts...

. This mineral was used for making bricks and furnace linings that could withstand high temperatures and was an important ingredient for making high-quality steel, in high demand during World War I. Austria had been the main provider of magnesite for the country, but the War interrupted that source. By 1916 Chewelah's plant was said to be the largest producer of magnesite in the country, and at full production it was the largest producer in the world, shipping some 700 tons daily. During the war there were as many as 800 people working at the plant making refractory brick.

By 1920 Chewelah's population had grown to 1,600 people, and the town continued to prosper until 1968, when the magnesite plant closed down due to cheaper competition from Japan and changes in the steel industry. Despite this major change Chewelah survived the transition from being a "one-company town," and today Chewelah has several thousand residents and displays a pleasant blend of the past and future. With its moderate climate, dry land, and irrigated farming, ranching and dairy farming continue to be mainstays. Chewelah's diversified economy includes a ski hill, golf course, and other industries.

Geography

Chewelah is located at 48°16′50"N 117°43′23"W (48.280442, -117.722927).

According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,186 people, 911 households, and 562 families residing in the city. The population density was 743.0 people per square mile (287.1/km²). There were 1,004 housing units at an average density of 341.2 per square mile (131.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.96% White, 0.05% African American, 1.69% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 3.66% from two or more races (also .01% Kari). Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.70% of the population.

There were 911 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the age distribution of the population shows 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,238, and the median income for a family was $33,750. Males had a median income of $36,065 versus $18,938 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $13,843. About 13.9% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.

Events

• Chataqua (July 10–13, 2008) - Each year, on the second weekend in July, the town holds a festival known as Chataqua. It includes a parade, carnival, and craft fair.
• James Dean Days (Held on the first Saturday in August) - Car show and hot rod festival

Attractions

• Chewelah Casino run by the Spokane Indian Tribe
  Spokane (tribe)
  The Spokane are a Native American people in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Washington. The Spokane Indian Reservation, at , is located in eastern Washington, almost entirely in Stevens County, but includes two very small parcels of land and part of the Spokane River in...
  
  
• 49 degrees North Ski Resort
  49 Degrees North Ski Area
  49 Degrees North Mountain Resort is a ski resort located in Washington, United States, in the Northwest Rockies. The base elevation is with the peak at...
  
  
• Chewelah Museum
• Chewelah Golf and Country Club 27-hole course
• Melody Riders Saddle Club
• Northern Meadows 4-H Club

Notable residents

• Allen Stone - Vocalist, Singer, Songwriter, Soul Singer
• David P. Jenkins
  David P. Jenkins (Colonel)
  David P. Jenkins , was an American attorney, soldier, businessman and philanthropist who homesteaded Spokane, Washington.-Biography:...
  
  , American Civil War cavalry officer and postbellum philanthropist
  Philanthropist
  A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
  
  .
• Wade Carpenter, former baseball player for the San Francisco Giants
  San Francisco Giants all-time roster
  This is a list of players, both past and present, who appeared at least in one game for the New York Giants or the San Francisco Giants.Players in Bold are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame....
  
  .

External links

• City of Chewelah
• Chewelah Chamber of Commerce
• History of Chewelah at HistoryLink
  HistoryLink
  HistoryLink is a website that is an encyclopedia of Washington State history. The site has more than 4,500 stories. There are 500 biographies and more than 14,000 images....
  
  
• Chewelah: a community wiki page of the Stevens County Wiki Project