The Historic Sunset Highway

Description of the Route

When travelers reached Wenatchee, they would cross over the Columbia again on the Old Wenatchee Bridge that was built in 1908. This bridge and still stands today and is used as a pedestrian bridge. After crossing the bridge the route continues in a northern direction to the town of Orondo.

Wenatchee

The name Wenatchee applies to a river and its valley, a tribe (Wenatchi), and a town. The county seat of Chelan County, Wenatchee is a thriving town at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers and the center of the nation’s major apple-producing area.

Corbaley Canyon

Corbaley Canyon is located between Orondo and Waterville and has been used as a passage to the top of the plateau for a long time. In 1883, Platt M. Corbaley settled at the head of the canyon on top of the hill. In 1884.

Pine Canyon

The completion of the Sunset Highway up Pine Canyon in 1918, split off from the old stage road before you come to the Black Rock Rd turnoff. The older road continued up McGinnis Canyon before climbing the hill to Waterville. The Sunset Highway up Pine Canyon was completed in 1918 and had a switchback that climbed the hill. Today this old road is blocked near the top due to the fallen rocks and debris.

Waterville

The town of Waterville began in 1883, when Stephen Boise took a squatter’s claim on the plateau above Orondo. Boise built a cabin and then dug a well where he struck an abundance of water. In the summer of 1885, Albert T. Greene bought out Boise and along with Joseph M. Snow, started a settlement on Boise’s homestead near the present town of Waterville. It was then known as “Jumpers’ Flats.” The available water in the well Boise drilled was so great, the locals began to call the place Waterville. In 1886, Greene and Snow thought up a plan to capitalize on the water and start a town to take the county seat away from Okanogan. After Snow was finished surveying the new town, They announced their intention to steal the county seat.

Douglas

Douglas is one of the oldest towns in the county. The town was platted in 1886 and entered the race for the county seat. In 1891 the general store burned down and it was by luck the fire didn't destroy the whole town.

Farmer

The town of Farmer began about 1895 and lasted until 1961. There is very little information in the historical registers describing this once agricultural community. Farmer once consisted of a post office, general store, community hall, and a service station. The first Postmaster of Farmer was John Morgan. Today the community hall, a grain storage facility, the old cemetery and some buildings in ruins are all that remain of the town.

Moses Coulee

At the top of the west side of the Moses Coulee, the 1922 Sunset Highway spilt from the 1885 wagon road and 1908 State Road No. 7 and a new highway was built down the hill ans across the Moses Coulee bottom. You can drive to the top of the west side but there is now a gate so you are not able to drive down the old 1922 road. There are some great views of Moses Coulee from this spot.

Between the Coulees

In order to create a county, there needed to be at least one town established. In 1884, Okanogan City was created for the purpose of carving a new county out of Lincoln County. There were no roads to the 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 and at the Moses Coulee another new road was built to the Moses Coulee Ferry. This was the connection to the Colockum Road. Now there was a link to Ellensburg from Coulee City.

The Wall

The west hillside of the Grand Coulee was known as "The Wall" by the early residents of Coulee City. The wagon road from Waterville came down this hill into and during the summer, you could see the large clouds of dust that was kicked up by the galloping horses of the stagecoaches as they came roaring down the grade into town.

Dry Falls

In the heart of the Grand Coulee lies one of the natural wonders of North America the Dry Falls cataract. This 3.5-mile-wide chasm of basalt, with a drop of 400 feet, was left high and dry thousands of years ago as the last of several Ice Age floods swept through the Grand Coulee. This is one of the most extraordinary landscapes to be found along the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail.

Coulee City

Before the settlers came to Coulee City, this was part of a major Indian Trail across the state. In the 1820's, the Hudson's Bay Company used this crossing to get supplies and furs between Fort Walla Walla and Fort Okanogan. In 1880, Lt. Symon's built a Military Road between Ritzville and Camp Chelan that came through here.