Marlin—officially the Town of Krupp—is a town in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 49 at the 2020 census, the lowest of any incorporated municipality in Washington. Although legally incorporated as Krupp, the town is more commonly known as Marlin, which is the name of its post office. Elections are held there under the name of Marlin, Washington, and they are the same locale.
History
First settled in 1871 by Henry Marlin, the townsite was originally a cattle ranch that was later surrounded by wheat farms. The Great Northern Railway was built through the area in 1892 and placed a station, which was named Krupp—allegedly for a local German family. The name was associated with Krupp, a well-known munitions plant in Germany. From then on, the town was primarily known by the name of its post office, but officially remains Krupp; both names are also used on some signs.
In the summer of 1971, a three-day rock festival, "Sunrise '71," was scheduled to take place immediately south of town but was shut down by county authorities. It was to be on the scale of Woodstock, with an estimated attendance of 50,000 people.
Krupp/Marlin lost its lone school in 1970 and would eventually lack a filling station, grocery store, or restaurant. By 1983, it had 27 total homes and no formal municipal services. It is the smallest incorporated place in Washington, with only 60 residents in 2000. The community was noted for its Hutterites, who resided in colonies in the surrounding farmland.
Geography
Krupp is located along Crab Creek in eastern Grant County, approximately northeast of Moses Lake. It is on the north side of State Route 28.
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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<br>2020 Census