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.

The town of Wenatchee was once the council meeting ground for the war chiefs of the Chelans, Okanogans, Umatillas, Sinkiuses, Spokanes, Yakimas, Walla Wallas, Malheurs and even some of the eastern tribes, such as the Bannocks and Nez Perces. In the mid 1850’s the Chief’s of these tribes would assemble there for council with Chief Moses, who was the great chief of the Sinkiuse-Columbia. 

One of the first European settlers in the Wenatchee Valley was in 1872, when a Norwegian named Tolefson, made his home where he lived the life of a hermit. Tolefson was running from the law as he was accused of poisoning his family. For 20 years he was able to evade the authorities and raised grapes and made wine. Then during 1890, Tolefson found out that the real murderer confessed, which exonerated him. Tolefson then packed his bags and sailed back to Norway. 

During the 1880’s a few more settlers had trickled in and by 1889, the new town of Wenatchee had a store, blacksmith shop and a few cabins. Although the new town was at the junction of rail and river transportation, its development was hampered by a dry climate and a lack of enough arable land to grow grain profitably. Irrigation, beginning on a large scale in 1904, provided the means by which the Wenatchee area could irrigate the narrow benches along the river and develop its apple empire.

In 1908 a bridge was completed to carry the Highline Canal water across the Columbia River. The bridge also served as State Route No. 7 and was purchased by the state that same year. This bridge was the first of such across the Columbia River within the United States. Today it is now part of the Apple Capital Loop Trail for hikers and cyclists. Prior to this bridge, ferries crossed the Columbia at Wenatchee.