Douglas County County


The county was created out of Lincoln County on November 28, 1883 and is named for American statesman Stephen A. Douglas.

Mapped Location

Douglas County: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.

 

Information

General information on Douglas County

  • Feature Type: County
  • County Seat: Town of Waterville
  • Established: Wednesday, November 28, 1883

 

Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Douglas County

A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named

Name Description
Douglas County Official

 

Origin Notes and History of Douglas County

References to Douglas County that document the origin of its place name

Title Cover Image: Origin of Washington geographic names

DOUGLAS COUNTY, created on November 28, 1883, and named in honor of Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln County had been created and named four days earlier showing how impartial were the pioneer legislators when bestowing such honors. In the western part of the county is a town which was named Douglas in 1884 by Ole Rudd in honor of the new county's name. (M. E. Hatcher, in Names MSS, Letter 526.)

Edmond S. Meany in Origin of Washington Geographic Names

 

A Selected Bibliography of Douglas County, County

A compilation of essential readings detailing the history, geography, and culture of the region.

Rufus Woods, the Columbia River & the building of modern Washington by Robert E. Ficken

Rufus Woods, for more than forty years the publisher of the Wenatchee Daily World, has often been called the "High Priest of the Columbia River." No person deserves the title more. From the editorial platform of the World, Woods tirelessly promoted Wenatchee and north central Washington. For decades he pegged his brightest hopes for the region's future on a huge Columbia River dam in the isolated Grand Coulee region. From 1918 through Grand Coulee's completion in 1941, Woods enthusiastically promoted the largest dam-building project in American history

xvi, 312 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map portraits ; 24 cm

Non-circulating [ 1 ]

 


An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington by Richard F. Steele , Arthur P. Rose

Published in 1904, this comprehensive volume documents the pioneer settlement, agricultural development, and civic formation of the Columbia River's Big Bend region in eastern Washington. A keen insight drawn from the text is how the seemingly barren, arid landscape was rapidly transformed into a highly lucrative wheat-producing powerhouse through the advent of dry farming techniques and the critical expansion of railroad infrastructure. The authors chronicle this dramatic economic and cultural shift across Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, detailing their transition from harsh frontier to thriving agricultural communities. Furthermore, the book serves as an invaluable genealogical archive by providing extensive biographical sketches of the resilient early settlers who drove this remarkable regional transformation.

xxiv, 1024 pages : plates, portraits ; 31 cm

ONLINE Circulation [ 2 ]

 


 

Last updated: 2017-06-30