Adams County, Washington is a rural county located in the southeastern corner of the state. It was created in 1883 and covers an area of 1,965 square miles. The county is bordered by Grant County to the north, Columbia County to the east, and Whitman County to the south. As of 2019, Adams County had a population of 19,506 people.
The county seat is Ritzville and other cities include Othello and Washtucna. The county is named after John Quincy Adams, who served as President of the United States from 1825 to 1829.
The landscape of Adams County is diverse and includes rolling hills, flat plains, and canyons carved by rivers like Crab Creek that flow through its valleys. Much of the land in Adams County is devoted to agriculture with wheat being one of its main crops. Other crops grown here include alfalfa hay, potatoes, onions, corn, peas, beans and apples. Livestock production such as beef cattle and sheep are also important contributors to the local economy.
Tourism has become increasingly important for Adams County in recent years with many visitors coming to enjoy its natural beauty or partake in recreational activities such as hunting or fishing on nearby lakes like Silver Lake or Moses Lake. There are also many historic sites located here such as Fort Spokane which was built during World War II as a defense against possible Japanese attacks on North America’s west coast.
Adams County offers many opportunities for businesses seeking growth due to its central location within Washington State’s agricultural region combined with access to major highways like I-90 that run through it connecting it with other parts of the state and beyond. There are also many educational opportunities available here with several colleges offering degree programs including Big Bend Community College located in Moses Lake which offers Associate’s degrees in a variety of subjects from business administration to engineering technology.
History of Adams County, Washington
Adams County, Washington is a county located in the eastern part of the state. It was named after President John Adams, the second president of the United States. The county was first established in 1883 and is bordered by Grant, Franklin, Columbia, Whitman and Spokane counties. The county seat is located in Ritzville and its population as of 2020 was estimated to be 19,945 people.
The early history of Adams County dates back to the mid-1800s when settlers began arriving in search of land and opportunities for farming and ranching. The first recorded settler in what is now Adams County was George W. Ritz who arrived in 1869. He quickly established a farm along the banks of what would later become Ritzville Creek. Other settlers soon followed and by 1880 there were over 5000 people living in Adams County.
As more settlers arrived and homesteads were established throughout the area, Adams County quickly grew into an agricultural center for wheat production. By 1900 it was one of Washington’s top producing counties for wheat with more than 5 million bushels being shipped from its ports each year.
The arrival of railroads also helped to spur growth during this time as it allowed farmers to ship their produce further distances thus increasing their profits significantly. In addition to wheat production, other industries such as logging began to take root in Adams County as well as other businesses related to agriculture such as grain elevators and flour mills sprang up around the county seat of Ritzville during this time period.
In addition to its agricultural roots, Adams County has also had a long history with military service dating back to World War I when many young men from the area enlisted in the armed forces or served on local draft boards during that conflict.. During World War II many local residents again served either directly or indirectly while at home supporting those on active duty abroad or helping with war related industries such as shipbuilding or aircraft manufacturing locally here at home..
Today, Adams County is still largely an agricultural area with much of its economy based on farming wheat along with other crops such as lentils, barley and hay.. The county has also seen an increase in tourism over recent years due to its close proximity to popular outdoor recreation areas like Moses Lake State Park which draws visitors from all over Washington State seeking outdoor activities such as camping fishing boating or just enjoying nature. Overall, today Adams County is still largely rural but has seen modest growth over recent years due mostly due to its proximity popular outdoor recreation areas like Moses Lake State Park which draws visitors from all over Washington State seeking outdoor activities such as camping fishing boating or just enjoying nature.