Ellensburg was first counted by the census in 1870, and 10% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 66% of U.S. towns · #34 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
8 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 118 buildings between them. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1870.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ellensburg is more historic than 66% of U.S. towns, #34 of 285 in Washington. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ellensburg’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 Ellensburg’s 58.9 sits above most of its state (95% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 123 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.4 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: the first census (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 Ellensburg’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
John Alden Shoudy arrived in the Kittitas Valley in 1871 and purchased a small trading post from Andrew Jackson "A.J." Splawn, called "Robber's Roost". Robber's Roost was the first business in the valley, aside from the early trading that occurred among Native Americans, cattle drivers, trappers, and miners. A small stone monument to Robber's Roost with a placard can be found at its original location, present-day 3rd Avenue, just west of Main Street near the alley.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ellensburg. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1958Ellensburg South sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ellensburg.
Every building
Ellensburg, building by building, 1888–1909
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Ellensburg’s post office has been open since 1894. Another post office, Ellensburgh, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Ellensburgh
1873–1894
Ellensburg
1894–today
18701950today
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Ellensburg
Holy CrossIndependent Order of Odd Fellows
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Ellensburg’s history
What year was Ellensburg founded?
The Ellensburg post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1883.
How does Ellensburg rank for history?
Ellensburg is more historic than 66% of U.S. towns, #34 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 Ellensburg?
8 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Washington State Normal School Building (listed 1976, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Downtown Ellensburg Historic District, the First Railroad Addition Historic District and the Kittitas County Fairgrounds, with 118 contributing buildings. 123 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Ellensburg?
10% of Ellensburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.4 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1991.
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 (4), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1890
c. 1890
