Marcus, Washington
Encyclopedia
Marcus is a town in Stevens County, Washington, United States. The population was 117 at the 2000 census and 183 at the 2010 census, a 56.4% increase over the 2000 census.
Marcus was a supply and transportation base for northward-bound travellers during the Big Bend Gold Rush
of the 1860s in the Colony of British Columbia
due to its location just above Kettle Falls
, a wall to river navigation. In 1865 the steamboat Forty-Nine
was built at Marcus to attempt the run to the goldrush boomtown of La Porte at the foot of the infamous Dalles des Morts
or "Death Rapids", which were located in the immediate vicinity of the rush and were the upper barrier to river navigation. Regular service from Marcus to La Porte did not begin until 1866 due to difficult winter conditions at the Narrows of the Arrow Lakes on the first attempt in 1865.
Marcus was officially incorporated on October 18, 1910. The original townsite was submerged beneath the waters of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake
when Grand Coulee Dam
was built.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²), all of it land.
, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population.
There were 48 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town the age distribution of the population shows 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 17.1% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $27,500, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $10,798. There were 25.0% of families and 28.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 41.2% of under eighteens and 5.3% of those over 64.
History
Marcus was named for Marcus Oppenheimer who settled in the area in 1863.Marcus was a supply and transportation base for northward-bound travellers during the Big Bend Gold Rush
Big Bend Gold Rush
The Big Bend Gold Rush was a gold rush on the upper Columbia River in the Colony of British Columbia in the mid-1860s....
of the 1860s in the Colony of British Columbia
Colony of British Columbia
The Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1866. At its creation, it physically constituted approximately half the present day Canadian province of British Columbia, since it did not include the Colony of Vancouver Island, the vast and still largely...
due to its location just above Kettle Falls
Kettle Falls
Kettle Falls was an ancient and important salmon fishing site on the upper reaches of the Columbia River, in what is today the U.S. state of Washington, near the Canadian border...
, a wall to river navigation. In 1865 the steamboat Forty-Nine
Forty-Nine (steamboat)
The Forty-Nine was a steamboat built in 1865 at Marcus, Washington Terr., just above Kettle Falls on the Columbia River to carry travellers and freight north up the Columbia River and the Arrow Lakes to the Big Bend Gold Rush in the Colony of British Columbia...
was built at Marcus to attempt the run to the goldrush boomtown of La Porte at the foot of the infamous Dalles des Morts
Dalles des Morts
Dalles des Morts, also known as Death Rapids in English, was a famously violent stretch of the Columbia River upstream from Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, now submerged beneath the waters of the Lake Revelstoke Reservoir.-1817:...
or "Death Rapids", which were located in the immediate vicinity of the rush and were the upper barrier to river navigation. Regular service from Marcus to La Porte did not begin until 1866 due to difficult winter conditions at the Narrows of the Arrow Lakes on the first attempt in 1865.
Marcus was officially incorporated on October 18, 1910. The original townsite was submerged beneath the waters of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake
Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake
Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake is the reservoir created in 1941 by the impoundment of the Columbia River by the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. It is named for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was President during the construction of the dam...
when Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants. A third power station was completed in 1974 to increase its energy...
was built.
Geography
Marcus is located at 48°39′51"N 118°3′51"W (48.664206, -118.064179).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 town has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 117 people, 48 households, and 33 families residing in the town. The population density was 495.3 people per square mile (188.2/km²). There were 52 housing units at an average density of 220.1 per square mile (83.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.73% White, 0.85% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.85% from other racesRace (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 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population.
There were 48 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town the age distribution of the population shows 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 17.1% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $27,500, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $22,500 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 town was $10,798. There were 25.0% of families and 28.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 41.2% of under eighteens and 5.3% of those over 64.