Fun Facts!

To put a twist on my usual "what I've been up do lately" blog, I thought I would throw in some fun facts about the area we now call home. We live in Ferry County, located in northeastern Washington. The closest "big" town to us is Republic.

FERRY COUNTY FACTS:
-With a population of only 7700 residents Ferry Co. has approximately 3.3 residents per square mile, making it the least densely populated county in the state
-Bordered by Canada (British Columbia) to the north and the Columbia River on the east.
-Was created in 1899 and named for Gov. Elisha P. Ferry, the last territorial governor and 1st official governor of the state
-Hwy. 20 bisects the county from east to west and is designated a national scenic byway
-Hwy. 20 in Ferry County is also home to the highest navigable pass in the state (Sherman Pass) at 5,575 feet
-Ferry Co.'s primary industries are mining and timber
-Home to primarily National Forest areas chock full of natural resources and wildlife, Ferry Co. has a mere 18% of taxable property within its boundaries.
-Summer recreation includes: fishing one of the local lakes or rivers, boating, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, hiking, camping, horseback riding, biking, and more
-Winter recreation included: ice fishing on Curlew Lake (which is 7 miles long), hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails in the Nat. Forest, skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, and more

REPUBLIC FACTS:
-Republic is the county seat and largest town in the county
-Was founded in the late 19th century by gold prospectors (gold is still mined in the area today with the last remaining operational gold mine in the state)
-Originally named Eureka Gulch, the town name was later changed to Republic after the highest gold mining producer...the Great Republic Mining Claim
-Current population is just under 1,000 residents
-Republic sits in a valley near the source of the San Poil River between the Okanogan Highlands to the west and the Kettle Mountain Range to the east

For more information, maps, photos, etc. check out this link:
Ferry County, Washington