Between the Coulees

In order to create a county, there needed to be at least one town established in the area. In 1884, Okanogan City was created for the purpose of carving a new county out of Lincoln County. There were no roads to this new town and the stages just crossed over the barren scrublands to get there. By 1885 a wagon road had been built to Coulee City. At the bottom of Moses Coulee a road was also built to the Moses Coulee Ferry. This was the connection to the Colockum Road. Now there was a link to Ellensburg from Coulee City and Okanogan City.

In 1902, a telephone line between Waterville and Coulee City was constructed. The line followed the old wagon road. Today, most of the telephone poles along the old road are still standing. 

In 1908, the wagon road between the coulees became a section of State Road No. 7 and in 1915 the road became the Sunset Highway. In the 1920's a new highway was built to the south and the old wagon road was abandoned.