Elbe () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 39 at the 2020 census.

Etymology

Known as Brown's Junction after the Tacoma & Eastern Railway was built in the region, there are similar but competing theories on the change of the community's name to Elbe. When a post office was requested, a shorter name was demanded and a meeting of settlers decided to honor the pioneer settler Henry C. Lutkens who had come from the valley of the Elbe in Germany. Another hypothesis suggests the settlers of the area, whom hailed as a group from the Elbe Valley, derived the moniker based on the similarities of the Elbe and the Nisqually Rivers.

History

thumb|left|Downtown Elbe, early 20th century

In 1888 the first settlers came to the forests on the Nisqually River. Some of them were the German emigrants Karl Lütkens and Adam Sachs. Karl Lütkens, who was only 19 at the time, was so enthusiastic about his new home that he persuaded his parents Heinrich and Christina Lütkens to come to America as well. These left their previous home in Todendorf in the district Stormarn in Schleswig-Holstein and arrived in America in 1891. The first settlers in this area also included Ferdinand Selle, Christian Fritz, Louis Schuffenhauer, Christian Kruse, Max Ogans, Hans Bartels, Fred Duke, W. Lawrence, Levi Engel, Vincent Rotter, R. Schmidt, Frank Salzer, Gus Stoll and Christian Weilandt. The small town grew, and on June 4, 1892, a post office was already established here.

The economic development of the place in the following years was good. Nearby Mount Rainier was the destination of many tourists who took a break on their way to Elbe. In 1894 Heinrich Lütkens and his son Karl built a tourist hotel with 48 rooms. Ferdinand Selle had previously built a hotel, but it burned down after a short time. At that time, the village blacksmith Levi Engel was temporarily the editor of a newspaper called "Elbe Union". With his plate camera, Engel accompanied village life for many years. In 1894 a town hall was also built, in which various events, including dance events, took place.

In 1895 Heinrich Lütkens and his family had a special reunion. From Hamfelde in the district Herzogtum Lauenburg in Schleswig-Holstein was Carl Böttcher, the brother-in-law of Lütkens, emigrated with his family and settled in a neighboring town of Elbe.

The town began to experience an increase in tourism after Elbe was connected to the Tacoma Eastern Railroad rail network in 1904 and the Road to Paradise, which became Washington State Route 706, was completed in 1911.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.

Elbe is located approximately south of Seattle and approximately north of Portland, Oregon. Mount Rainier is approximately northeast.

Climate

Elbe has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) typical for the North Coast, characterized by warm (occasionally hot) dry summers, and mild to chilly, rainy and snowy winters. In Elbe's case the climate is moderated by the proximity to the Pacific Ocean with small temperature variations on average throughout the year, resulting in mild year-round temperatures, although winter can get cool with freezing and snow. Average high temperatures range from in December to in August.

Elbe on average has very wet winters and summers with a few days of rainfall, also representative for the region. Temperatures of above are common with measurable snowfall.

Demographics

The estimated population of Elbe is 54 as of 2018, almost double the 29 residents counted in the 2010 U.S. census. At the 2020 census, the population was reported to be 39 people.

As of the census Church services take place once a month from March to December.

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

A railway line that runs from Elbe to the settlement of Mineral is operated with steam locomotives and historic cars. The route leads through forests, crosses the Nisqually River and ends at the Mt. Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum in Mineral.

Mt. Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park can be reached from Elbe via the National Park Highway after about .

Infrastructure

  • Mountain Highway (State Route 7)
  • State Route 706

The town has a rest area (no water), which cost over $3 million.

The community is among 8 locations that are part of an EV installation project on the White Pass Scenic Byway. The program will stretch from the White Pass Ski Area to Chehalis and is run in partnership with Lewis County PUD, Twin Transit, state government agencies, and local community efforts. The venture began in 2023 from two grants totaling over $1.8 million.

References

  • The Dispatch Newspaper:Serving Eatonville, Ashford, Elbe, Roy and Graham.
  • Mt. Rainier Visitor Center