Early Days In Ephrata - Ephrata, Washington - Washington Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

This historical marker provided by the Grant County Historical Society provides a brief history of the Ephrata area.

It began as a summer Indian camp where they gathered camas roots. Indians, military expeditions and wagons crossed through here between Fort Walla Walla and Fort Okanogan.

The first settlers, Tom and Bill Eddens, arrived in 1880. They built a cabin near the local springs.

The Great Northern Railway line came through in 1892. A rail station was built here. It was first called Station 11. In 1893 it was named Ephrata because one of the railroad workers said it reminded him of the Holy Lands he had visited. Ephratah is the biblical name for Bethlehem meaning fruitful.

The Last Grand Roundup of wild horses took place in Ephrata in 1906. (The sign says 1909.) Over 5,000 horses were rounded up by hundreds of cowboys and were shipped east by rail.

Grant County was created by the Washington State Legislature in 1909. The land was divided off from the existing Douglas County. It is said that someone intentionally intoxicated the representative from a rival community before he could present his argument to the Legislature and Ephrata was chosen as the county seat. The Grant County Courthouse was built here in 1917.

Marker Name: Early Days In Ephrata Marker Type: City Town name: Ephrata, Washington Date marker was placed: Unknown Placer: Grant County Historical Society Related website: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   05/01/2016 Go-pher-It visited it