East Wenatchee dates to 1935, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 21% of U.S. towns · #179 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Most of East Wenatchee was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. Its Register listing is the Pangborn-Herndon Memorial Site. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1913 on, and the census since 1940.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, East Wenatchee is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #179 of 285 in Washington. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of East Wenatchee’s overall grade.
Few Washington towns list much on the Register (a typical Washington town has 0.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so East Wenatchee’s 0.7 sits near the middle of its state (59% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±2.1 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1935.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about East Wenatchee’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of East Wenatchee. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1913Wenatchee sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of East Wenatchee.
At the turn of the 20th century irrigation projects, including the Columbia Basin Project east of the region, fostered the development of intensive agriculture in the shrub-steppe native to the region. Fruit orchards become one of the area's leading industries.
In 1935, according to Wikidata. the census of 1940 counted 268 people here.
How does East Wenatchee rank for history?
East Wenatchee is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #179 of 285 in Washington. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in East Wenatchee?
One place: the Pangborn-Herndon Memorial Site (listed 1972).
How old are the homes in East Wenatchee?
4% of East Wenatchee’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.1 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1977.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (8), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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