Goldendale is a city in and the county seat of Klickitat County, Washington, United States, near the Columbia River Gorge. As of the 2020 census, Goldendale had a population of 3,453. It is situated in a primarily agricultural area and is also near Goldendale Observatory State Park. The valley in which Goldendale is located offers views of the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Simcoe Mountains to the north.
History
In 1859 the town was given its name by the early homesteader John Golden, a Pennsylvania-born farmer who settled with his wife from Oregon. His daughter's home at Columbus Street and Collins Street remains standing in downtown Goldendale. The town was designated as the county seat of Klickitat County in 1878. Goldendale was officially incorporated on November 14, 1879. Much of the young town, including the county courthouse, was destroyed in a devastating fire on May 13, 1888.
On June 9, 1918, William Wallace Campbell, director of the Lick Observatory, and astronomer Heber Curtis journeyed to Goldendale to view a total solar eclipse. The purpose of the observation was to photograph the Sun's corona and the apparent distorted placement of stars due to the Sun's gravitational pull on those star's rays while passing by the Sun. Lacking proper equipment and instead only using multiple cameras Campbell and Curtis were unable to confirm stars' deflection. However, by November 1919, their efforts would be vindicated by British astronomers and Einstein's Theory of Relativity was confirmed. Goldendale was also under the path of totality for another total eclipse on February 26, 1979, which drew thousands of visitors to the Goldendale Observatory.
Goldendale has remained the employment, business, commercial and banking center for the valley and, as the county seat, is the location for Klickitat County's courts and government offices. In recent years this small community has suffered from severe economic decline. After a local aluminum plant that once employed many residents closed, the small community struggled economically. The loss of tax base has taken its toll on the funds available for maintaining the city's infrastructure. In recent years there has been an interest in installing wind turbines that would generate power. While it has provided some jobs, this industry has not been the economic solution for which many residents hoped.
Geography
thumb|Main Street, Goldendale
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.
Goldendale's elevation at the County Courthouse is .
The Little Klickitat River flows roughly east-to-west across the northern portion of the city. Bloodgood Creek, an entirely spring-fed year-round water source, runs through the northwest part of town and intersects with the Little Klickitat just west of the city. Both are sources of rainbow trout as well as being home to waterfowl such as the great blue heron and several species of duck. Bloodgood Creek provides a portion of Goldendale's drinking water and is capped at the source for that purpose.
U.S. Route 97 runs along the eastern boundary of the city and connects Goldendale with Interstate 84, south in the state of Oregon and State Route 14, which is south and runs along the Washington side of the Columbia River. State Route 142 creates a major east–west route through Goldendale, beginning at US 97 on the north end of town.
Climate
Goldendale has a continental Mediterranean climate (Köppen Dsb). The rain shadow of the Cascades creates distinct and visible difference between the arid and dry areas south of the community, and the more lush treed areas to the north. This produces a landscape of open bunch-grass prairies dotted with sagebrush and rabbit brush containing the occasional juniper tree, while the more sheltered areas consist of ponderosa pine and oak savannahs.
Overcast days are rare, occurring mostly in late fall and throughout winter. Summer temperatures can reach well over , while winter, when most of the annual precipitation of around occurs, can see temperatures below , particularly in January. Summer thunderstorms occur intermittently, particularly in July and August, but due to high cloud bases, rain seldom reaches the ground in any appreciable amount. Lightning-caused range and forest fires are a common occurrence during this time of year. Spring flowers and green meadows and prairies make Goldendale a particularly beautiful site. Spring and summer can be very blustery since the Chinook winds off the Pacific Ocean are funneled through the Columbia Gorge. Fall tends to be almost windless, and the autumnal oak leaves add a lovely touch of golden rust red to Observatory Hill on the north side of town.
Demographics
thumb|A house converted to office space.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Goldendale had a population of 3,453. The median age was 42.5 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.8 males age 18 and over.
There were 1,536 households in Goldendale, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.7% were married-couple households, 22.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 2,899 || 84.0%
|-
| Black or African American || 14 || 0.4%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 92 || 2.7%
|-
| Asian || 27 || 0.8%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 6 || 0.2%
|-
| Some other race || 153 || 4.4%
|-
| Two or more races || 262 || 7.6%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 334 || 9.7%
|}
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 3,407 people, 1,462 households, and 858 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,635 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.3% white, 0.4% African American, 4.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.1% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.4% of the population.
There were 1,462 households, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.3% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the city was 40.4 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, with a collection of 87 works by Auguste Rodin & a contemporary architectural construction by Portland-based firm Allied Works Architecture, and the Maryhill Stonehenge, a life-size cement replica of the original Stonehenge, situated ten minutes south of Goldendale. The replica, completed in 1930, is a memorial of those who died in World War I.
In downtown Goldendale, the Presby Mansion, now the Presby Museum, is also a tourist attraction featuring a newly restored 1898 Russel Steam Tractor and housing the Klickitat County Historical Society.
Media
The town has a weekly newspaper, the Goldendale Sentinel, which is published on Wednesdays and has a readership of approximately 3,200 subscribers across Klickitat County. It was established in 1879 as the Klickitat Sentinel and absorbed several rival newspapers in Goldendale and the county by the mid-1910s. The newspaper remains locally owned by its publisher.
Notable people
- Bryan Caraway, UFC fighter, top 10 ranked and Goldendale local
- Margo Cilker, country singer, lives on a ranch in Goldendale
- Alan W. Jones, US Army major general
- Porter Lainhart, American football player
- Colston Loveland, NFL Tight End
- Lavina Washines, an elder of the Rock Creek band who became a Yakima Nation chairwoman
References
External links
- City of Goldendale