Winchester

History

Winchester is within the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, and similar to the opening of lands in Oklahoma, the U.S. government opened the reservation for white settlement in November 1895. The proclamation had been signed less than two weeks earlier by President Cleveland. The city was named in 1900 during a meeting to establish a school district. While considering the possibilities, an individual looked at the stack of Winchester rifles at the door and suggested the name, which was approved. The sawmill closed in May 1965 after the mature timber in the area had been cut. The mill was operated by Boise Cascade for its final five years; its closure followed a fire which destroyed much of downtown Winchester in November 1964. A half-mile (0.8 km) south of town is Winchester Lake State Park, planned in 1966, and established in 1969. Originally it was a mill pond, created in 1910 by damming Lapwai Creek. Water quality issues at the lake were addressed with the installation of aeration units in 2002.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Winchester is located on the northern shore of Lapwai Lake at the location where Lapwai Creek emerges from the lake. U.S. Route 95 passes about a mile to the northeast of Winchester, but the town is connected to the highway by a business route of U.S. 95. It is located in the broader Camas Prairie region.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  947
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  816
• Killdeer

  Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  704
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  623
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  549
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  545
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  506
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  505

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2021-12-15
  1 km NW of Lewiston Orchards, Idaho
• M 2.9 — 2021-10-16
  8 km SSW of Culdesac, Idaho
• M 4.1 — 2018-11-20
  21 km SE of Stites, Idaho
• M 2.7 — 2018-07-29
  49 km NNE of Enterprise, Oregon
• M 2.51 — 2017-06-21
  29 km WNW of White Bird, Idaho
• M 2.65 — 2017-04-17
  5 km ENE of Lewiston Orchards, Idaho