|
Leavenworth’s history does
not begin with the alpine tradition it knows today, but with the proud
heritage of the Yakima, Chinook, and Wenatchi tribes. The Native American
tribes lived by hunting the land for deer and elk, as well as fishing
Icicle Creek for salmon. Surrounded by some of the most beautiful and
bountiful lands in North America, the three tribes co-existed from Lake
Wenatchee to the Icicle and beyond.
The area was eventually
settled by pioneers in search of gold, furs, and fertile farmland. Stakes
were claimed, land was tracked, and the Leavenworth area was soon
bustling with settlers. By 1890, the original town was built on the
Icicle Flats.
It wasn't until the end of
the century that the town began to blossom with the arrival of the rail
line. The Great Northern Railway Company’s
 tracks
through Leavenworth brought with them opportunities for work, commerce,
and a new economy.
A sawmill and a healthy
logging industry eventually fell apart when the Great Northern
Railway Company pulled out of Leavenworth. The re-routing of the
railroad and the subsequent closure of the sawmill sadly converted the
town from a bustling, thriving hub of commerce into a hollow, empty
community. For more than thirty years, Leavenworth lived on the brink of
extinction.
But in the early 1960’s,
everything changed.
 In
a last-chance effort to turn their precarious situation around, the
leaders of the community decided to change Leavenworth’s appearance,
hoping to bring tourism into the area. Using the beautiful backdrop of
the surrounding Alpine hills to their advantage, the town agreed to
remodel their hamlet in the form of a Bavarian village.
Hoping to create more than a
mere facelift, the entire community rallied to create the illusion of
Bavaria in the middle of Washington State. Besides the complete
renovation of the downtown area, community members worked to begin a
series of festivals. The Autumn Leaf Festival, Maifest, and the extremely
popular Christmas Lighting Ceremony were the first of many attractions
Leavenworth offered to passers-by.
The new plan worked. Ever since the change
to a Bavarian motif,
Leavenworth has become a pillar of the tourism industry in the Pacific
Northwest. Today, close to two million tourists
come to Leavenworth each year, each visitor finding their own individual
love affair with the community. The story is a landmark case of human spirit:
The people of Leavenworth not only survived their most
critical hour, they endured.
Above photo courtesy of Bob Smith
|
