Name: Beaverton
Brand: Colleen Medlock
SKU: 9780738593302
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Beaverton

9780738593302

$24.99

From the first land claim in 1847 to the growing technology industry of the 21st century, the city of Beaverton, Oregon, has had an impressive history. The earliest inhabitants were the Atfalati, a Native American tribe who dubbed the area Chakeipi, or the "Place of the Beaver." When modern settlers began to arrive in the mid-1800s, they continued to refer to the area as "Beaverdam," often draining the dams to aid their farming of the rich soil that remained. Beaverton has been home to many interesting and lucrative businesses since its incorporation in 1893, including a silent film studio in the 1920s, an airplane manufacturing site in the 1930s, and a busy airport in the 1940s. Since the 1950s, a growing number of high-tech companies have operated here, earning Beaverton a spot on the roster of places that comprise Washington County's Silicon Forest.

Bellevue

9781467131599

$24.99

Bellevue has grown, in just a few generations, from a small farming town into an important urban center and economic hub, with the foundations for this success being laid in the two decades following World War II. The opening of the Mercer Island floating bridge, in 1940, promoted the settlement of the lands to the east of Lake Washington during the population and housing boom of the 1950s and 1960s, and Bellevue became the primary commercial center for these vibrant new communities. Families flocked to the shiny subdivisions, with new schools, shopping centers, churches, and parks springing up right behind. But it was strong political, business, and civic leadership that kept Bellevue from being just another sprawling suburb. As business began to push outward from Seattle, Bellevue was able to grow gracefully and preserve its sense of place. It remains a wonderful community for families from around the globe and a place that longtime residents are reluctant to leave.

Bellingham

9781467132756

$24.99

Bellingham is known as the city of subdued excitement, but it was not always this way. From its discovery by a British naval captain to its coal, lumber, and fish industries and to its riots and social movements, Bellingham has had quite a rich and sometimes controversial past. Starting out as four separate towns, it took the leadership of a few and the work of many to bring a community together and create one of Washington's secret masterpieces.

Bend

9780738571843

$24.99

Bend, astride the Deschutes River at the eastern foot of the Cascade Range, got its name from a place on the river that runs through it. Pioneer travelers called the place Farewell Bend because it was where they had their last view of the double bend in the river that afforded a good place to camp and to ford the waterway, otherwise flowing through deep canyons. When the U.S. Post Office Department approved a name for a post office established there in 1886, it settled on a shorter version-Bend-because there already was a Farewell Bend on the Snake River in eastern Oregon. Arrival of a railroad in 1911 connected Bend with a market for Central Oregon's vast timber resources. Large sawmills began operations in 1916 and Bend grew tenfold in 10 years. And it kept on growing into a favored place to live. By its centennial in 2005, some 75,000 people called Bend home.

Bend

9780738571997

$7.99

Bend boasts a rich history.

Bend Beer:

9781626194670

$21.99

With more breweries per capita than any other Oregon city, Bend is a beer mecca. Prior to Prohibition, the state had a burgeoning brewing industry and plenty of saloons to cater to the needs of the hardy frontiersmen who settled Central Oregon. The teetotaling '20s brought all that to a screeching halt. Fifty years later, the arrival of pioneers like Deschutes Brewery and Bend Brewing Company breathed new life into Bend's beer and brought about the booming industry for which the area is known today. Author and The Brew Site" creator Jon Abernathy traces Bend and Central Oregon's hoppy history from early settlement to the present day, sharing the stories behind its most famous breweries and the communities that have fostered the industry."

Bend Food

9781467139007

$21.99

The views surrounding Bend don't exactly conjure notions of traditional farmland. Snowy mountains frame open vistas dotted with gnarled juniper trees and sagebrush. By day, the landscape is blanketed under a blazing sun, while cold nights bring relief beneath bright stars. Despite these extremes, agriculture thrives, thanks to the hard work of dedicated farmers and ranchers. Irrigated fields support bountiful crops at Fields Farm and Mahonia Gardens. Farmers' markets, most notably at NorthWest Crossing, bustle with people buying local produce, dairy, eggs, meat and honey. Visit places like the Great American Egg to learn about the business of raising chickens and Jackson's Corner for a delicious sample of what eating local tastes like. Author Sara Rishforth goes behind the scenes to present the story of the local farm-to-table movement.

Big Bend Railroads

9781467132534

$24.99

The Big Bend area had its start with a land grant given by President Lincoln to the Northern Pacific Railway. As such, the railway company heavily promoted the area to encourage settlement and populate the station sites along the way. Towns began to develop in the late 1880s; prior to that time, the few settlers had a difficult time getting around. Despite snow, floods, fires, wrecks, human error, sabotage, and government regulation, the railroads continued and were able to serve the communities and help them survive. The earliest lines were built largely by man and beast with few large machines. The last transcontinental line in the Big Bend, the Milwaukee Road, featured groundbreaking technology in the form of electrically operated locomotives. The building of Grand Coulee Dam brought more railroad lines, with tracks that featured grades and locomotives normally seen on logging railroads, to bring in construction materials to the largest concrete structure in the world at the time.

Big Lake Valley

9781467116343

$24.99

A beautiful lake surrounded by virgin timber was enough for Dr. Hyacinthe P. Montborne to homestead here in 1884. He set up a shingle mill at Montborne in 1887, at the same time Hugh Walker was setting up a shingle mill in Walker Valley. With the establishment of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad along the shoreline of Big Lake, the valley began to boom. The Day Lumber Company at Big Lake and the Nelson Neal Lumber Company at Montborne each established lumber mills. Their operations were far-reaching into the vast timberlands. With families homesteading near and far, the Finn Settlement, Ehrlich, Big Lake, Big Rock, and Baker Heights joined Walker Valley and the town of Montborne as communities. The mills are now gone, but the communities in the Big Lake Valley have survived, and generations of families, both old and new, continue to call it home.

Black Civil War Veterans in Washington State

9781467156134

$24.99

Men of Valor

In the late 1800s, the new state of Washington promised peace and prosperity to new settlers. At least thirty-three African American men who had served during the Civil War answered the call. Paul Barrows, a former legislator from Mississippi, established the Calvery Baptist Church of Spokane. Gideon H. Stump Bailey became the first African American Justice of the Peace in Franklin. Allin Alfred Hawkins, born into slavery, became one of the wealthiest African American farmers in the Yakima Valley.

Author Cynthia A. Wilson uncovers the stories of these courageous men.

Black Civil War Veterans in Washington State

Boeing Field

9780738556154

$24.99

Even before there were runways, the area south of the city of Seattle was Washington's aviation hub. Charles Hamilton, a daredevil dubbed "Crazy Man of the Air," became the first flyer in the state when he coaxed his Curtiss biplane into the sky over Meadows Racetrack in 1910. He promptly crashed. With the help of William Boeing and his growing aviation company, Boeing Field opened in 1928. In those early days, brave air travelers could hitch a ride along with bags of mail in cold, noisy biplanes. Bigger, better aircraft soon followed, but wartime intervened. Thousands of Flying Fortress bombers emerged from Boeing's Plant 2 at the edge of the airfield and winged off to war. In the years after, Boeing Field served a dazzling array of winged machines--from the smallest Piper Cub to Air Force One.

Bonney Lake's Plateau

9780738582085

$24.99

The story of Bonney Lake and the plateau is not about towns and their storefronts, but of the enduring people who settled there before and after Washington achieved statehood. In spite of their brief presence, Michael Connell and Reuben Finnell are names credited for many of the area's key landmarks. In 1864, pioneer William B. Kelley arrived at the plateau. His public service as a territorial legislator and county auditor made him one of the most respected individuals of eastern Pierce County. Other pioneers, such as the Moriarty and Vandermark families, engaged in logging and farming on the plateau, which continued to be considered a wilderness. Oscar "Doc" Bowen, one of the settlers who arrived from the 1930s dustbowl, had a spiritual impact when he called for construction of the area's first church. Less than two decades later, Kenneth Simmons saw potential for further growth and pressed to incorporate the plateau's west end--forming the town of Bonney Lake.

Boring

9781467132107

$24.99

Bob Boring, great-grandson of the Civil War veteran who lent his name to the community, says, "Boring is a name, not a condition." The recent pairing of Dull, Scotland, and Boring, Oregon, has created worldwide multimedia reports, including articles in Time magazine and the Wall Street Journal that published the same week. Never incorporated as an official entity, Boring has been a thriving farm, logging, and sawmill community since Joseph and Sarah Boring traveled the Oregon Trail in an ox-drawn covered wagon and settled here in 1853. The "downtown" area of Boring is only four blocks long, but the farming area serviced by the Boring Post Office is 13 miles long and contains a population of 8,000.

Bothell

9781467126205

$29.99

The river community of Bothell began with the arrival of Columbus Greenleaf and George Wilson in 1870. They staked claims along the Sammamish River after navigating from Seattle across Lake Washington and then east along the meandering Sammamish. Bothell was first a logging community, with several mills producing boards and shingles. After the forests were harvested, it became a farming community, connected to other settlements by the river and, after 1887, the railroad. In 1909, Bothell incorporated as a city after a contentious campaign. The vote was 79 to 70 in favor of becoming a city. The population of Bothell in 1910 was 599, but many lived outside the two-thirds square mile original city limits. This book tells the story of Bothell as a central hub, with distinct neighborhoods having their own personalities. Bothell's population today is almost 43,000, divided between two counties: King and Snohomish.

Brewing in Seattle

9780738595238

$24.99

Brewing beer in Seattle can be traced back to 1864, when in the small, unincorporated town of under 1,000 people the first brewery opened and began manufacturing porter and cream ales. Over the next 50 years, innovation and entrepreneurship would take Seattle brewed beer to extraordinary heights. By the eve of Prohibition, powered by its popular Rainier Beer, the Seattle Brewing and Malting Company was the largest industrial institution in the state of Washington and the sixth-largest brewery in the world. Prohibition would wipe out the industry in 1916, but by 1933, new faces such as Emil Sick would emerge and bring Seattle back to the forefront of the brewing world. Images of America: Brewing in Seattle is the first book completely dedicated to the rich history of beer in Seattle and showcases just about every single brewery of this great city, from the mid-1800s to the recent craft-brewery boom. It offers a rare glimpse of photographs, advertisements, and interviews from some of the innovators who helped shape Seattle into the beer lover's paradise it is today.

Bridges of Portland

9780738548760

$24.99

Portland is an inland port city that rose to importance in the mid-19th century as a major shipping point for the Pacific Northwest's wheat, lumber, and other commodities. The Columbia and Willamette Rivers enabled seagoing vessels to reach the port, but they also presented obstacles to local travel and commerce. Willamette River ferry service was available by 1853, but Portlanders had to wait until 1887 for a bridge. The first was the Morrison Bridge, followed by the Steel Bridge in 1888, the Madison Bridge was in 1891, and the Burnside Bridge in 1894. These bridges helped Portland grow from 17,600 residents in 1880 to 90,000 in 1900. Many more bridges were added as Portland grew during the 20th century, and well-known bridge engineers Ralph Modjeski, J.A.L. Waddell, Gustav Lindenthal, David Steinman, and Joseph Strauss each contributed to Portland's world-class collection of bridges.

Bridges of Spokane

9780738596358

$24.99

Spokane's history begins with the arrival of explorer David Thompson, who established the trading post Spokane House in 1810. From that period forward, the area teemed with Euro-American settlers who often mingled with the Native American population. Spokan Falls, officially incorporated in 1881, and by 1891 known simply as Spokane, became ground zero for the extractive industries of mining and logging and later a vast hub for the railroads. These factors led to the greatest boom in the city's history between the years 1900 and 1915. Spokane's growth came on the heels of an increase in the built environment that included the creation of parks, subdivisions, an expanded downtown business district, and an almost feverish movement to create some of Washington's most beautifully designed bridges. Because of this, Spokane has often been referred to as the "City of Bridges."

Bridges of the Oregon Coast

9780738548609

$24.99

In the 1920s and 1930s, Oregon's legendary bridge engineer Conde B. McCullough designed a first-rate collection of aesthetic bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway to enhance an already dramatic and beautiful landscape. The six largest of these, at Gold Beach, Newport, Waldport, Florence, Reedsport, and Coos Bay, eliminated the last ferries on the Oregon Coast Highway between the Columbia River and California. McCullough planned to build one bridge each year after completion of the Rogue River Bridge at Gold Beach in 1932, but the tightening grip of the Depression threatened his plans. In 1933, McCullough and his staff worked day and night to finish plans for the remaining five bridges, and in early 1934, the Public Works Administration funded simultaneous construction of them. The combined projects provided approximately 630 jobs, but at least six workers perished during construction. After the bridges were complete, Oregon coast tourism increased by a dramatic 72 percent in the first year.

Building the Columbia River Highway

9781626192713

$21.99

When nine-hundred-foot ice age floods carved the Columbia River Gorge through the Cascade Mountains to the sea, little space was left for man to form a highway of his own. It took an artist-poet-engineer extraordinaire to conquer this reluctant piece of real estate and produce the nation's first scenic highway. Meet Sam Hill, the mover and shaker, and Samuel Lancaster, the polio survivor, who turned modern engineering on its ear to create a "poem in stone." Today, Oregon's historic Columbia River Highway is hidden among the trees, where it meanders past spectacular waterfalls and dramatic views. Ride along with Peg Willis as she explores the beginnings of this miracle highway and the men who created it.

Burien

9781467132657

$24.99

Given the beauty of the landscape and its ideal location just south of Seattle, it's easy to understand why Gottlieb Burian set down his 19th-century roots in the land that eventually became the city of Burien. Incorporated in 1993, this gem of a small city sits perched on the edge of Puget Sound, just 15 minutes from SeaTac Airport. With a wealth of arts and cultural groups, an ethnically diverse community of shops and restaurants, a robust medical and wellness community, and city-sponsored public festivals and events throughout the year, Burien offers a wide range of experiences and opportunities for visitors and residents.

Camano Island

9780738531359

$24.99

Camano Island is one of dozens of islands in Puget Sound once covered with immense stands of Douglas fir and Western red cedar. Beginning in 1858, and while the Civil War raged half a continent away, a large mill operated at the northern end of the island where the tall ships anchored to take away spars, pilings, and lumber for export abroad. The mill closed in 1891, and small logging companies took the rest of the big trees over the years. Once a bridge was built in 1909, Camano became the "island you can drive to" for a fishing trip, hunting outing, or a vacation cabin within a few hours of Seattle. In the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, Camano has become home to thousands of newcomers who enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the
Cascade and Olympic Mountain Ranges from Mount Baker to Mount Rainier.

Camas

9780738530925

$24.99

When Henry Pittock, the owner of the Oregonian, wanted a new paper mill to supply his newspaper, he chose a site 16 miles upriver from Vancouver. There he founded the LaCamas Colony in 1883, named after the Camas lily, a basic foodstuff of the Chinook tribes that inhabited the river. Agriculture was also a vibrant part of Camas, and today Prune Hill is a desirable part of town. Incorporated in 1906 as one means of controlling the sale of alcohol, Camas was the most active town in Prohibition in Clark County. During the middle of the last century, the flavor of the town began to change, as hightech companies of the "Silicon Forest" came to share the landscape with the paper mill and Douglas firs. Today's visitors stroll through charming cafes and antique shops at the Port of Camas, where a rough landing was once carved out of the thick forests above the Columbia River.

Camas Prairie Railroad

9781467107709

$23.99

Incorporated in 1909, the Camas Prairie Railroad (CPRR) was a successful joint venture between two major competing companies, the Union Pacific and Northern Pacific Railroads.

Despite covering less than 300 miles total, the Camas Prairie Railroad connected the region's largest exporters of wheat and lumber and was the last vital section of rail to directly connect the eastern United States with the Pacific Northwest. In addition to freight, the CPRR was the most reliable method of transportation for people and the postal service in this rural area, even allowing for the creation of new towns along the line. The Camas Prairie itself ranged from desert to mountainous forests, with rugged river canyons in between. Infamously known as the "Railroad on Stilts," one subdivision alone boasts 44 bridges, many of them made from heavy timber. No longer in business, portions of the track have been removed while some remain active, carrying freight to larger markets. Trestles and tunnels still dot the landscape, giving a peek into the not-so-distant past.

Special collections librarian Robert Perret and archives manager Amy Thompson work in the Special Collections and Archives at the University of Idaho, where they are immersed in the history of the Inland Northwest.

Camp Abbot

9781467128612

$24.99

Today, Sunriver is an idyllic community in Central Oregon, but during World War II, it was the site of Camp Abbot, the westernmost engineer replacement training center of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Under the leadership of Col. Frank Besson, the US Army trained 90,000 men at the camp from 1943 through 1944. Mimicking the European landscape, the surrounding terrain and the swift-flowing Deschutes River were deemed perfect for training young soldiers how to build and demolish bridges. Located about 15 miles south of Bend, the quickly built installation included administration buildings, a hospital, over 50 barracks, mess halls, training grounds, recreation facilities, and a chapel. There, among pine trees and sagebrush, soldiers endured subfreezing winters and 100-degree summers.

Camp Rilea

9781467132305

$24.99

Camp Rilea, originally named Camp Clatsop, was founded in 1927 and soon became the Oregon National Guard's preferred training site--a claim that still holds true today. Located on the picturesque Oregon coast in the town of Warrenton, near Astoria, Camp Rilea covers 1,800 acres and includes three miles of Pacific coast beachfront. The historical photographs in this book tell a fascinating story of the important role Camp Rilea has played over time to all who have passed its gates for generations. Since the early days, Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center sealed its reputation as the premier regional location offering maneuver areas, facilities, and ranges supporting myriad military units, law enforcement agencies, and public safety and utility-related organizations. A valued community partner, Camp Rilea also hosts many civic and social events, including sports camps, track and field competitions, and Boy Scout gatherings. Come see what really happens "behind the dune" at Camp Rilea.

Canby

9781467117043

$24.99

The town of Canby is located in the North Willamette Valley, in Clackamas County, Oregon. By 1838, James Baker, one of the earliest European settlers in Oregon, came to Canby with a cattle drive from California. Soon, he and other settlers were farming on the rich soil. Joseph Knight and four sons moved to the area in 1868. They were active in early Canby development, starting many local businesses and setting the framework for a future town. Maj. Gen. Edward R.S. Canby, hero of the Civil and Indian Wars, had arrived in Oregon in February 1893 to take up command of the US Army's Department of the Columbia. The new town was given this brave man's name by his good friend Ben Holladay, chief of the Oregon & California Railroad. Canby was incorporated on February 15, 1893, making it the second-oldest city in Clackamas County.

Cannon Beach

9781467134347

$29.99

Cannon Beach is a small town nestled off Highway 101 along the Oregon coast. It has been called one of the "World's 100 Most Beautiful Places" by National Geographic and one of "The 100 Best Art Towns in America" by author John Villani. Located 80 miles west of Portland and 25 miles south of Astoria, the town is surrounded by the Oregon Coast Range, ocean beaches, and rivers. Only four miles in length, and with a population of less than 2,000 residents, Cannon Beach is a popular and picturesque town catering to almost 1 million visitors annually. Life seems simpler, more beautiful, and quieter here. People stroll along holding hands, enjoying an ice cream cone or a latte, and daydreaming of building a fire later that evening on the beach. The salty air frizzes their hair, and sand is found in every shoe. But no one is bothered by this, because they are at Cannon Beach, with the legendary Haystack Rock.

Cascade Locks and Canal

9781467108164

$23.99

A stretch of tumbling white water five miles long, the Cascades of the Columbia River were the single greatest barrier to inland river trade and travel in the Pacific Northwest. One solution, the Cascade Locks and Canal, took nearly 18 painstaking years to construct. From 1878 to 1896, hundreds of laborers blasted, chipped, and hauled over 800,000 cubic yards of rock and debris from the riverbed, carved and laid masonry, and welded steel to create the locks. After their completion, thousands of trips, millions of dollars in freight, and hundreds of thousands of passengers made their way through the locks. Made redundant in 1938 by the completion of the Bonneville Dam, the remnants of the structure are still visible today in Cascade Locks, Oregon.

Cashmere

9781467103664

$24.99

Cashmere, in the exact center of Washington State, has centuries of settler and Indian history. The Wenatchi called the area Nt'wt'c'kum, and it was later renamed Mission in honor of the work of Catholic priests Charles Marie Pandosy, Urban Grassi, and Stephen de Rougé. Mission then welcomed its first settler, Alexander Bartholomäus Brender; the future commander of the Civil War's Army of the Potomac, George McClellan; and the Great Northern Railway. In 1904, Judge James H. Chase led the town's rechristening as Cashmere. It grew from a frontier train stop into an established community with lush orchards and prominent enterprises like the Cashmere Valley Record, the Cashmere Valley Bank, and the Cashmere Museum. Today, its world-class goods and produce, like Aplets & Cotlets and Crunch Pak sliced apples, sit on store shelves internationally. Come explore this global community and still
fiercely independent piece of the Pacific Northwest.

Cemeteries of Seattle

9780738548135

$24.99

A fascinating story exists just below Seattle's surface, buried in the city's many historic cemeteries. Founded in 1872 on land acquired from Doc Maynard, Lake View Cemetery holds the remains of one of Seattle's favorite sons, Bruce Lee, whose son Brandon Lee is buried beside him. Maynard is also buried here, along with most of the Seattle pioneers, including the Dennys, Borens, Maynards, Yeslers, and Morans. Princess Angeline, Chief Sealth's daughter, was buried here in a canoe-shaped coffin, and Madame Damnable's remains supposedly turned to stone. Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery, founded in 1884 by the Denny family, contains Judge Thomas Burke, known as "the man who built Seattle"; a Veterans' Memorial Cemetery dating from the Civil War; and two cannons from the USS Constitution, famously nicknamed "Old Ironsides." Mount Pleasant Cemetery, founded in 1883 in Queen Anne, is the final resting place of the labor martyrs of the Everett Massacre and William Bell, of Belltown fame. Remembrance benches for Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix's memorial are also local landmarks.

Cemeteries of Tacoma

9780738575315

$24.99

During the mid-19th century, coffins were built with a drawstring bell to serve as an alarm in case one had the misfortune of being buried alive. It is believed that several such coffins reside in Tacoma's cemeteries. Fortunately, there are no reports of bells ringing in the middle of the night. Tacoma has numerous Victorian cemeteries that house renowned pioneers, like Thea Foss, Angelo Fawcett, and Brig. Gen. John W. Sprague, a hero of the Civil War who cofounded Tacoma and served as the city's first mayor. Several cemeteries are dying to tell their story and have not seen a visitor in over a century. Some have been abandoned completely, while others have been relocated numerous times. A number of graves that should have been moved are still in their original places. Tacoma residents will be astonished to learn the whereabouts of several unmarked graves, including some located along a very familiar piece of highway.

Central Oregon Aviation

9781467106870

$23.99

This book will take readers back in time to the pioneering days of Central Oregon, when birdmen and barnstormers crisscrossed the skies in their Wright Flyers, Curtiss Jennys, and Ford Trimotors. In the early days, the dusty high desert airfields were home to flimsy airplanes. As air travel evolved from utilizing seat-of-the-pants construction to becoming a new mode of mass transportation, the Central Oregon region developed along with the technology. Over the next century, a dedicated group of visionaries--aviators and city officials--built a thriving economy around Redmond Municipal Airport. Today, this transportation hub, also known as Roberts Field, sees an average of 1 million passengers each year. It is complemented by smaller general aviation airports that are home to private and corporate pilots, as well as a flourishing aviation industry.

Chehalis

9780738576039

$24.99

After Schuyler and Eliza Saunders staked out property in 1851, early pioneers referred to the soggy Chehalis River bottomland as "Saunders Bottom." The community of Claquato on a nearby hillside became a busy way station for travelers but only until enterprising businessmen like William West repeatedly flagged down passing trains, prompting railroad officials to establish a depot at Chehalis. Following an economic boom in the 1880s, fires in 1892 destroyed much of the business district. Chehalis thrived in the 1920s, suffered during the Depression, and built parts for B-17 bombers in a Boeing Company plant during World War II. An early-1950s Adventure in Cooperation forged even stronger community bonds, leading to the formation of the Chehalis Industrial Commission. Today, Chehalis has thriving retail and industrial areas and a renovated downtown promoted by members of the Chehalis Community Renaissance Team.

Cheney

9781467133487

$24.99

Established as a railroad section station on the Northern Pacific Railroad, Cheney boomed into existence as the Spokane County seat in 1880. The City of Cheney incorporated in 1883, and though its role as county seat was short-lived, Cheney long served as an agricultural and mercantile hub for the surrounding Palouse and scabland towns and farms. The rotary rod weeder was invented here and manufactured by the Cheney Weeder Company to be shipped all over the country and the world. The most enduring legacy of the pioneers was Eastern Washington University, beginning as the Benjamin P. Cheney Academy in 1882 with a donation from the town's namesake. In 1891, it became Washington's first normal school for the training of teachers. Growing and diversifying, the university now has a student body of over 10,000.