Ritzville

History

The first settler in what would become modern Ritzville was William McKay in 1880. The town was named, however, after Phillip Ritz, who had settled south of modern Ritzville two years earlier. Ritz had come to Walla Walla in 1861 and established a large orchard just outside of town known as Ritz, which consisted of over 100,000 trees of all types, including many fruit trees and shrubbery. Starting in 1866, he worked extensively to establish a second transcontinental railroad. His orchard business entailed many trips across the country by wagon, these trips gave him great political contact and influence. By December 1880, Ritzville's townsite had been platted by John W. Sprague on behalf of his company, The Northern Pacific Railway. In 1881, McKay built the first house on the townsite. The Northern Pacific grade was under construction in the vicinity, and McKay's home was used as a makeshift hotel for the workers and associated transients. With the railroad came a new wave of settlers to the area. In the summer of 1881, McKay erected the first store, and the railroad built a depot nearby, which also served as a hotel, theater, and meeting hall. At that time, the fledgling village had a population of around 50, and the school consisted of a lean-to against a house. The town's water supply was the railroad tank because it was not thought that water could be found in the ground. The first religious services in Adams County were held in Ritzville in April 1882 at the McKay Home, and the First Congregational Church was soon organized. A church was built in 1885. The post office was established in 1883 by J.L. Johnson of Walla Walla. He also purchased McKay's store. Soon afterwards, many more businesses were founded. The town had begun to establish itself as a significant…

Geography

Ritzville is located along Paha Creek at the northern end of the Paha Coulee, approximately southwest of Spokane on Interstate 90 / U.S. Route 395. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Ritzville experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). Annual precipitation averages 11.9 in (30.2 cm). The average temperature in January is , and in July it is . Annual snowfall averages just under .

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Ritzville Grade School
  Elementary · Ritzville · 154 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• Ritzville High School
  High · Ritzville · 114 students · 11.4:1 ratio
• Lind-Ritzville High School
  High · Ritzville · 50 students · 25:1 ratio