Kahlotus

History

The first organized settlement of Kahlotus was by German immigrants, imported by the railroads, in around 1880. Harder's platting of the town coincided with the reinstatement of service on the Oregon & Washington Railroad & Navigation line between LaCrosse and Palouse Junction (now Connell), crossing the north end of town parallel to present-day Highway 260. Soon after, the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway began construction on a second railroad on the south shore of nearby Kahlotus Lake, including tunnels through the basalt cliffs near the southeast corner of town. Kahlotus was officially incorporated on May 31, 1907. The town boomed during construction of the railroad, local legend claims that nearly 20 saloons, a bank, newspaper, brothels, and other businesses appeared to serve the rail crews. Dryland farming has historically constituted the majority of the local economy. Relatively little irrigated agriculture occurs in the area, supported by local wells. The Columbia Basin Irrigation Project does not deliver water to Kahlotus. In 1969, the initial phase of the Lower Monumental Dam was completed nearby, bringing more electricity and water for irrigation, but inundating the nearby Marmes Rockshelter. The dam also made the Snake River navigable, allowing grain to be barged downriver rather than being carried by train. Within a few years, the railroad through the north end of the valley was abandoned and removed. The Burlington Northern Railroad tracks along the south end of the lake bed and Devils Canyon were abandoned and removed in the late 1980s, and the right of way became part of the Columbia Plateau Trail State Park.

Geography

Kahlotus lies on the floor of Washtucna Coulee at the junction of three state highways. State Route 21 has its southern terminus in Kahlotus, from which it runs north all the way to the Canadian border. State Route 260 passes through Kahlotus as it follows the path of the coulee from Connell in the west to Washtucna in the east. State Route 263 has its northern terminus in Kahlotus, from which it extends through the Devils Canyon to the Lower Monumental Dam on the Snake River six miles south of the city. The Columbia Plateau Trail passes through Kahlotus, entering the city from the east along Washtucna Coulee before turning south into the Devils Canyon. Being located on the floor of a coulee puts Kahlotus at relatively lower elevation than the surrounding terrain. The steep walls of the coulee rise hundreds of feet dramatically to the north and south of the city center.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  970
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  898
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  858
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  788
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  739
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  709
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  696
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  692

Largest nearby schools

• Kahlotus Elem & High
  Other · KAHLOTUS · 56 students · 6.2:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.8000000000000003 — 2026-02-02
  5 km ESE of Benton City, Washington
• M 2.94 — 2024-09-23
  12 km SE of Desert Aire, Washington
• M 2.84 — 2024-04-20
  4 km S of Richland, Washington
• M 2.51 — 2020-03-31
  12 km NE of Sprague, Washington
• M 2.53 — 2019-09-29
  9 km SE of Desert Aire, Washington
• M 2.51 — 2019-07-12
  11 km SW of Royal City, Washington