Misplaced Pages

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75-836: Current operations are limited to 30 trains per day due to ventilation capacity with the Cascade Tunnel . Traveling east from the King Street Station in Seattle , the main line of the BNSF heads north through the Great Northern Tunnel under downtown Seattle. After exiting the tunnel, the main line continues north through the Interbay neighborhood and the Balmer Railyard . The line then crosses

150-572: A Catholic priest, began his missionary work with local Native Americans. He was followed some 20 years later by Father De Grassi, who built a log cabin on the Wenatchee River near the present town of Cashmere . Throughout the 19th century, other white settlers came to homestead the land. Wenatchee was platted in September 1888 and officially incorporated as a city on January 7, 1893. Frank and Belle Reeves founded The Wenatchee Advance ,

225-612: A large cross above Fancher airfield in East Wenatchee. The Wenatchee chapter hosted the 1926 state Klan convention and marched in the Apple Blossom Parade . In the wave of anti-Filipino sentiment , Filipino immigrant workers were targeted by violence and deportation through the late 1920s. On October 5, 1931, Clyde Pangborn and his copilot Hugh Herndon landed their airplane , named the Miss Veedol , in

300-791: A large wildfire spreading over 31 miles (50 km) south of Wenatchee occurred, affecting over 40 nearby homes. The Riverfront Park Ice Arena closed its doors in July 2008, and Awaken Church was later opened at the site. The Wenatchee Valley also boasts one of only two aluminum smelters remaining in the Northwestern United States , at the Alcoa plant in Malaga. The plant announced in November 2015 that it would be shutting down operations on January 5, 2016. Other growing areas of

375-515: Is a quarter-mile-long banked asphalt oval used for local racing. In the fall of 2008, the Town Toyota Center was completed, and hosts some professional and junior professional sporting events, in addition to touring events and expositions, and the 2010 NAHL Pepsi Robertson Cup. The Wenatchee Valley and the surrounding areas provide an abundance of sports and recreational activities for any season. There are several facilities including

450-501: Is a straight-line tunnel running between Berne and Scenic Hot Springs. It is currently part of the BNSF Scenic Subdivision between Seattle and Wenatchee , and Amtrak 's Empire Builder runs through it. Because of safety and ventilation issues, this tunnel is a limiting factor on how many trains the railroad can operate over this route from Seattle to Spokane. The current limit is 28 trains per day. Speed through

525-655: Is home to Mariachi Huenachi , a much-celebrated mariachi program in the Wenatchee School District which performed at the US Capitol for National Hispanic Heritage Month in 2017. The group was featured in a 2018 TVW documentary. The Town Toyota Center has featured high school mariachi ensembles from across the region. Mariachi Sol De Mexico gives clinics to high school musicians and gives an evening concert sometimes featuring famous musical artists. The Wenatchee Valley Super Oval in East Wenatchee

600-498: Is land and 0.27 square miles (0.70 km ) is water. Wenatchee experiences a semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSk ) with cold winters and hot, dry summers. The 2020 U.S. census counted 35,508 people, 13,793 households, and 8,445 families in Wenatchee. The population density was 3,357.4 per square mile (1,296.3/km ). There were 14,594 housing units at an average density of 1,379.9 per square mile (532.8/km ). The racial makeup

675-558: Is no longer in common use elsewhere. Archeological digs in nearby East Wenatchee have uncovered Clovis stone and bone tools dating back more than 11,000 years, indicating that people migrating during the last Ice Age spent time in the Wenatchee area. The Columbia River and nearby mountains and sagebrush steppes provided an ample supply of food. Clovis points are on display at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center and research findings are available through

750-495: Is provided by three law enforcement agencies (Wenatchee Police Department, Chelan County Sheriff's Office, and the Washington State Patrol ), one fire department (Chelan County Fire District No. 1), and two private ambulance companies (Ballard Ambulance and Lifeline Ambulance). East Wenatchee Police and Douglas County Fire District No. 2 (East Wenatchee) also assist with police and fire protection services within

825-703: Is referred to as the "Apple Capital of the World" due to the valley's many orchards. The city is also sometimes referred to as the "Buckle of the Power Belt of the Great Northwest" which is a metaphor for the series of hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River. Rock Island Dam is located nearest to the middle of this "belt", and so was labeled the "Buckle". This saying is printed at the top of every issue of Wenatchee's newspaper, The Wenatchee World , but

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900-569: Is the principal city of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Chelan and Douglas counties (total population around 110,884). However, the "Wenatchee Valley Area" generally refers to the land between Rocky Reach and Rock Island Dam on both banks of the Columbia, which includes East Wenatchee, Rock Island , and Malaga , as well as the surrounding towns of Monitor and Cashmere to

975-401: Is used to ensure that the air inside remains breathable and reduce problems with excess fumes . As a train enters the west portal of the tunnel, a red-and-white-checkered door closes on the east portal and high-power fans blow in cool air through a second portal to help the diesel engines. As long as the train is within the tunnel, the fans work with reduced power to avoid pressure problems. When

1050-705: The Lake Washington Ship Canal on the Salmon Bay Bridge and passes through the Ballard neighborhood. The line passes through Golden Gardens Park in Ballard, which has been the site of several incidents involving pedestrians crossing the tracks. Several accidents proved fatal. The main line then continues north along the shore of Puget Sound through the cities of Edmonds and Mukilteo , past Rucker Hill , near downtown Everett , to

1125-591: The Richard Odabashian Bridge . It passes through Wenatchee Confluence State Park . Much of the hillside areas surrounding the city of Wenatchee have been purchased by or have their rights held by the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust which protects them as a natural resource and as a site for hiking in the foothills. Wenatchee has a non-partisan mayor–council form of government, with five council members elected in districts and

1200-551: The Wenatchee River valley to the city of Wenatchee and the Columbia River . This area has a historic past, and is known for fruit production, particularly apples, pears and cherries. The railroad follows the river through countless fruit groves and passes the communities of Peshastin , Dryden , Cashmere , and Monitor , before arriving in the Wenatchee area. At Wenatchee, there is a small industrial base served by

1275-530: The Wenatchee World . Several indigenous villages existed in the area prior to and during Anglo American exploration. The village Nikwikwi'estku was a fishing and gathering camp located in present-day downtown Wenatchee. In 1811, North West Company surveyor David Thompson encountered a group of Native American horsemen at Wenatchee and was invited into a village with huts, the largest measuring 209 feet long. Fur traders document friendly relations through

1350-578: The northwest United States , east of the Seattle metropolitan area in the Cascade Range of Washington , at Stevens Pass . It is approximately 65 miles (105 km) east of Everett , with both portals adjacent to U.S. Route 2 . Both single-track tunnels were constructed by the Great Northern Railway . The first was 2.63 miles (4.23 km) in length and opened in 1900 to avoid problems caused by heavy winter snowfalls on

1425-416: The 13,793 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18; 42.8% were married couples living together; 30.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 31.7% of households consisted of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.2. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher

1500-488: The Columbia. Whitewater rafting and inner-tubing is frequent on the Wenatchee River. In the winter, the mountains near Wenatchee provide great snowmobiling, sledding at Squilchuck State Park , as well as skiing and snowboarding at Mission Ridge (30 minutes drive) and Stevens Pass (1 hour and a half drive). Nordic skiing is available at the Stevens Pass Nordic Center, Leavenworth (25 minute drive), and

1575-627: The Methow Valley (1 hour and 45 minute drive). The city also offers a large system of parks and paved trails known as the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail . The 10-mile (16 km) loop along both banks of the Columbia River is used by cyclists, walkers, joggers, and skaters. A project to extend the eastern segment of the trail 5 miles (8.0 km) north to Lincoln Rock State Park was completed on July 9, 2015. An additional 3.2-mile (5.1 km) extension on

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1650-844: The United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture , later called the Section of Fine Arts , of the Treasury Department . The WPA was the largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency , employing individuals to carry out public works projects. Wenatchee is home to many performing arts groups including the Wenatchee Valley Symphony, Wenatchee Big Band, Columbia Chorale, Wenatchee Valley Appleaires and The Apollo Club. Music Theater of Wenatchee, Stage Kids, and several other theatre companies offer stage productions year-round. Wenatchee also

1725-629: The WRAC tennis club, an Olympic size swimming pool, an ice arena, several 18-hole and 9-hole golf courses, a 9-hole disc golf course, and countless baseball diamonds and soccer fields as well as two skateboard parks. As of 2023, Pickleball is also becoming extremely popular with multiple parks providing outside play in the Valley as well as indoor play. There are many places to hike, fish and hunt for both birds and larger game. Boating and water recreation are also quite common. Many kayak, windsurf and water-ski on

1800-657: The Winton and Swede Tunnels, crossing the Wenatchee River and then passing through the Chumstick Tunnel. Up until the building of the Chumstick Cutoff and the current Cascade Tunnel, and the electrification of a majority of the subdivision in 1927–1929, Leavenworth was the division point. This was moved to its current location in Wenatchee in 1928–1929. Starting near Leavenworth, the current line follows

1875-625: The World (IWW) were arrested for speaking in the street in front of the local hall of the Socialist Party of America . The town had freed imprisoned IWW members by June; however, tensions resumed in September 1911 when police raided a house rented by six IWW men and arrested twenty-five migrant workers found carrying IWW literature. Again, the men were all quickly released. In 1922, a Ku Klux Klan chapter of nearly 100 men demanded that black residents leave on threat of violence. By 1923 they hosted meetings of up to 400 members and burned

1950-405: The air through the seven miles (11 km) of tunnel within 20 minutes. Present-day train crews carry portable respirators for use in the event of a fan failure or a train stalling inside the tunnel. In addition, there are emergency/safety stations spaced 1,500–2,500 feet (460–760 m) apart, depending on the location within the tunnel, that provide additional air tanks and equipment to be used in

2025-404: The average family size was 3.17. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 27.4% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males. The median income for a household in

2100-420: The bore. The tunnel was electrified , with the project completed on July 10, 1909, eliminating the problem. The unusual system used was three-phase AC , 6.6 kilovolts at 25 Hz, from a 5 MW (6,700 hp) hydroelectric plant on the Wenatchee River just west of Leavenworth. The tunnel section only was electrified; 4.0 route miles (6.4 km) or 6.0 track miles (9.7 km) and 1.7 percent grade through

2175-475: The city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and has increased to 35,508 as of 2020. Located in the north-central part of the state, at the confluence of the Columbia and Wenatchee rivers near the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range , Wenatchee lies on the western side of the Columbia River, across from the city of East Wenatchee . The Columbia River forms the boundary between Chelan and Douglas County . Wenatchee

2250-962: The city through mutual aid agreements. On September 30, 2022, The Chelan County Fire District #1 and the Douglas County Fire District #2 joined together to form one agency known as the Wenatchee Valley Fire Department with Regional Fire Authority in the Wenatchee Valley. Public K-12 education in Wenatchee is provided by the Wenatchee School District , which also serves the communities of Malaga, Olds Station, South Wenatchee, Sunnyslope, and Wenatchee Heights. The city has seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school ( Wenatchee High School ). The Wenatchee School District voted to close Columbia Elementary at

2325-506: The city was $ 34,897, and the median income for a family was $ 45,982. Males had a median income of $ 35,245 versus $ 26,062 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,498. About 10.6% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over. The Wenatchee post office contains an oil on canvas mural, The Saga of Wenatchee , painted in 1940 by Peggy Strong . Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in

Scenic Subdivision - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-470: The city's first newspaper, in 1891. The 1900 U.S. Census counted 451 residents. The Great Northern Railway completed its railroad line between St. Paul, Minnesota , and Seattle in 1893. Its route through the Wenatchee Valley was significant to the development of this region. The railroad not only provided passenger travel to and from Wenatchee, but it provided for freight service for shipments of wheat, apples, and other products to out-of-state markets. By

2475-435: The city. The population density was 4,108.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,586.4/km ). There were 13,175 housing units at an average density of 1,695.6 per square mile (654.7/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 76.7% White , 0.4% African American , 1.2% Native American , 1.1% Asian , 0.2% Pacific Islander , 17.3% from other races , and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 29.4% of

2550-429: The city. The population density was 4,049.6 people per square mile (1,563.3/km ). There were 11,486 housing units at an average density of 1,669.8 per square mile (644.6/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 80.93% White , 0.39% African American , 1.13% Native American , 0.95% Asian , 0.13% Pacific Islander , 13.99% from other races , and 2.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.52% of

2625-490: The early 1990s Wenatchee had a reputation as the "happy pill town" and "Happy Valley", with psychologist James Goodwin, "the Pied Piper of Prozac". According to CNN 's Money Magazine , Wenatchee had the second fastest forecast real estate value growth in the country for June 2006–June 2007. In November 2018, USA Today listed Wenatchee as experiencing the 22nd highest employment growth in the country. On July 29, 2013,

2700-628: The early 20th century, the Wenatchee Commercial Club, now the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce , was advertising the region as the "Home of the World's Best Apples." The tree fruit industry provided the economic backbone for the region for a century and still is an important source of revenue. On May 22, 1910, the Wenatchee free speech fight occurred when members of the Industrial Workers of

2775-536: The east of Winton was the junction with the original right of way, and a 1928 line relocation project called the Chumstick Cutoff. This project included the construction of the Winton , Swede and Chumstick Tunnels . U.S. Route 2 is now located on the original right of way between this point and Leavenworth . Utilizing the Chumstick Cutoff, the line now goes down the Chumstick Valley , after going through

2850-520: The east side runs south to Kirby Billingsley Hydro Park. A short extension slated for completion in Fall 2017 is planned from the west end of the Odabashian bridge to the corner of Easy Street and the highway. In the winter, cross-country skiers and snowshoers also use the trail. The trail connects in the south at the historic Columbia River Bridge , also known as the pipeline bridge, and in the north at

2925-492: The end of the 2024 School year reducing the number of elementary schools to six. The School District also maintains Westside High School, an alternative high school, and the Valley Academy of Learning, which is an alternative education program where parents play the active role in education of their children. In 2006, the Wenatchee School District began offering students of Wenatchee High School and Westside High School

3000-471: The event of a ventilation/other failure. The tunnel door is protected by an absolute signal near the east portal; on the west side, another signal with dual-flashing lunar aspects indicates to eastbound trains that the tunnel fans are operating. Wenatchee, Washington Wenatchee ( / w ɛ ˈ n æ tʃ iː / weh- NATCH -ee ) is the county seat and most populous city of Chelan County , Washington , United States. The population within

3075-423: The first Cascade Tunnel. Stevens Pass , located above the tunnels, was named after him. The tunnel had a fume problem from the coal-burning steam locomotives. It was built with a 1.7% (1:58.8) gradient eastbound, which was too close to the ruling gradient of 2.2%. Because of the steepness of the line, the locomotives had to pull hard to make the grade and thus burn more coal, which would lead to immense smoke in

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3150-687: The first time regenerated power could be used by another train or fed back to the utility company (power from regenerative braking was previously dissipated in a water rheostat at the power station). Two years later, the new tunnel opened. It was the longest railroad tunnel in the Americas until 1989, when the Mount Macdonald Tunnel in British Columbia was completed, moving the Cascade into second place. Electrification

3225-558: The hills of East Wenatchee , and thus became the first aviators to fly nonstop across the Pacific Ocean. The 41-hour flight from Sabishiro Beach , Misawa , Aomori Prefecture , Japan , won them the Harmon Trophy for the greatest achievement in flight of 1931. Miss Veedol ' s propeller is on display at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center . In 1936, with the completion of Rock Island Dam , Wenatchee

3300-622: The large amount of agriculture in Wenatchee and the surrounding areas. The city of Wenatchee is bordered by the Wenatchee River on the north, the Columbia River to the east, and the Wenatchee Mountains to the south and west. These ridges and peaks form a wall around the western and southern sides of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 8.04 square miles (20.82 km ), of which 7.77 square miles (20.12 km )

3375-598: The largest fresh market sweet cherry shipper in the world. Every year from the last week of April to the end of the first week of May, Wenatchee hosts the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival , which probably brings in the largest number of people Wenatchee sees annually, with the exception of migrant workers travelling for harvest. It features two relatively large parades: the Apple Blossom Youth Parade on

3450-591: The last Saturday in April and the Apple Blossom Grand Parade on the first Saturday in May, a food fair representing cuisine from around the world, and a traveling carnival . The Wenatchee child abuse prosecutions in Wenatchee, Washington, also known as the "Wenatchee Witch Hunt", that occurred in 1994 and 1995, are examples of the hysteria over child molestation in the 1980s and early 1990s. In

3525-462: The mayor and two council positions elected at-large. The terms are staggered four-year terms elected in November of odd years. The current mayor of Wenatchee is Mike Poirier, who was first elected in 2023. The city lies within the 8th congressional district , which includes all of Chelan County and crosses the Cascades to the rural areas of King , Pierce , and Snohomish counties. The district

3600-572: The mid 19th century, even during the smallpox epidemic of 1817 and food shortages in 1841. During the Yakima War in 1856, US Army Colonel Wright intervened on a possible alliance between Yakama and Wenatchi tribes by removing the Wenatchi to Kittitas. The resulting march was estimated to include 1,000 horses and extend five miles long. A contingent stayed behind to fish at Wenatchapam Fishery in preparation for winter. In 1863, Father Respari,

3675-413: The motors were concatenated (cascade control), so that the speed was halved to 7.8 mph (12.6 km/h) to avoid overloading the power supply. The consulting engineer, Cary T. Hutchinson, published a detailed description of the system in 1909. The tunnel was still plagued by snow slides in the area. On March 1, 1910, an avalanche at Wellington (renamed Tye after the disaster) near the west portal of

3750-539: The new Everett Station . From the new station, the main line heads southeast along the Snohomish River through the cities of Snohomish and Monroe . From Monroe, the main line follows the Skykomish River through the towns of Index and Skykomish to the western portal of the current Cascade Tunnel . East of Everett, the route is single track except for passing sidings. To the east of Gold Bar ,

3825-434: The new tunnel, and used steam locomotives on the short remaining stretches of the old line. On March 5, 1927, the three-phase electrification was abandoned, and the new locomotives were placed in service between Skykomish and the east portal of the old tunnel; the time was reduced from 4 hours for a 2,500 short tons (2,300 t) eastbound train to 1 hour 45 minutes for a 3,500 short tons (3,200 t) train. Furthermore, for

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3900-495: The old Everett Station, built by the Great Northern Railway in 1900. This section of the main line from Seattle to Everett is mostly double track with BNSF planning to double track the remaining single track in conjunction with changes planned by Sound Transit . From the old Everett Station the main line becomes single track making a nearly 180 degree turn through a partially covered cut through downtown Everett to

3975-475: The original 2.6 miles (4.2 km) Cascade Tunnel, killed 96 -101 people, the deadliest avalanche disaster in U.S. history. This disaster prompted the construction of the current tunnel. The old tunnel was abandoned in 1929, after the new longer and lower tunnel was opened. During the winter of 2007–2008, a section of the roof caved in and created a debris dam inside the tunnel, making it impassable to pedestrians due to standing water and ceiling debris. A warning

4050-432: The original line that had eight zig zags ( switchbacks ). The current tunnel is 7.8 miles (12.6 km) in length and entered service in early 1929, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of and 500 feet (150 m) lower in elevation than the original. The present east portal is nearly four miles (6.5 km) east of the original and is at 2,881 feet (878 m) above sea level , 1,180 feet (360 m) below

4125-575: The pass. The tunnel connects Berne in Chelan County on its east with Scenic Hot Springs in King County on its west and is the longest railroad tunnel in the United States. Construction began on the first tunnel on August 20, 1897, and was completed on December 20, 1900. The tunnel was 2.6 miles (4.2 km) long. John Frank Stevens was the principal engineer on the interim switchback route (opened in 1893, with grades up to 4 percent) and

4200-408: The population. There were 10,741 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and

4275-443: The population. There were 12,379 households, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.6% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

4350-415: The railroad as well as a yard (Appleyard) used mainly during the fruit harvest season. The section between Seattle and Everett was the site of several fatal collisions with pedestrians in the 1970s due to its location along the shore. The King and Snohomish county governments constructed several pedestrian overpasses to provide access to public beaches and shorelands over the tracks. The section has also been

4425-494: The regional economy are tourism and information technology. Wenatchee Pride began organizing LGBT Pride festivals 2017. The 2023 festival was held at Memorial Park with an estimated 4,000 attendance. Wenatchee is located at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers in the Columbia Basin , just east of the foothills of the Cascade Range . Irrigation from the Columbia River and its tributaries allows for

4500-523: The route is mainly located on narrow ledges as it crosses back and forth across the Skykomish, South Fork of the Skykomish , and the Foss Rivers . A steep ascent/descent (2.2%) starts in the vicinity of eastern Skykomish and continues through the tunnel to Merritt . At Skykomish are facilities for turning equipment, mainly for snow fighting. Skykomish was also the end of electrification when the line

4575-433: The site of landslides that caused prolonged closures for passenger and freight service. The Washington State Department of Transportation , Sound Transit, and BNSF funded $ 16.1 million in improvements, including retaining walls , slope stabilization, and landslide detection, beginning in 2014. Cascade Tunnel The Cascade Tunnel refers to two railroad tunnels , its original tunnel and its replacement, in

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4650-446: The train is 0.5 miles (1 km) to the tunnel exit, the door begins to open. Once the train has cleared the tunnel, the door closes again and the fans operate for 20 to 30 minutes with maximum power to clear the tunnel of exhaust before the next train passes through. In the opposite direction, the door opens when the train is within 0.6 miles (1 km). The fans are powered by two 800 horsepower (600 kW) electric motors, clearing

4725-544: The tunnel chamber. The motive power for the section consisted of four GN boxcab locomotives supplied by the American Locomotive Company ; they used electrical equipment from General Electric and were of 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) and weighed 115 short tons (104 t) each. Initially three locomotives were coupled together and hauled trains at a constant speed of 15.7 mph (25.3 km/h), but when larger trains required four locomotives

4800-419: The tunnel is 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) for passenger trains, 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) for freight trains. The gradient in this tunnel is 1.565% (1:64), with the rise from west to east. The gradient is 2.2% on the west side from the town of Skykomish. Most recently, telecommunications assets and track sections inside the tunnel were improved. Because of the length of the tunnel, an unusual system

4875-481: The west of Wenatchee. The city was named for the nearby Wenatchi Native American people. The name is a Sahaptin word that means "river which comes [or whose source is] from canyons" or "robe of the rainbow". Awenatchela means "people at the source [of a river]". The city of Wenatchee shares its name with the Wenatchee River , Lake Wenatchee and the Wenatchee National Forest . Wenatchee

4950-435: Was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.19. The median age in the city was 35.2 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 27,856 people, 10,741 households, and 6,884 families residing in

5025-415: Was 65.87% (23,390) white or European American (60.69% non-Hispanic white ), 0.51% (182) black or African-American , 1.4% (497) Native American or Alaska Native , 1.31% (465) Asian , 0.18% (64) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian , 18.87% (6,701) from other races , and 11.85% (4,209) from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 32.59% (11,571) of the population. Of

5100-604: Was assigned to make sure the project was completed. While the new tunnel was being constructed, the Great Northern received delivery of five new electric locomotives . The new locomotives had a motor-generator supplying DC traction motors, and the single-phase AC supply required only one instead of two overhead conductors. Hence, the Great Northern re-electrified 21 miles (34 km) of the original route at single-phase (11 kV, 25 Hz) AC, including 8 miles (13 km) that were subsequently abandoned upon completion of

5175-466: Was electrified from Wenatchee to Skykomish in 1928-1929. In 1928, a new electrical power plant was sited there as well but is now demolished. After summiting the Cascade Range near Berne , the line starts a steep (2.2%) descent at a 2.2% grade, passing through the Gaynor Tunnel , and on to Merritt. Merritt is the site of a maintenance base with a turning facility for snow fighting equipment. To

5250-537: Was eliminated. The line length was reduced by 8.7 miles (14 km), and maximum elevation was lowered by 502 feet (153 m) from 3,382 feet (1,031 m) to 2,881 feet (878 m). The new tunnel was started in December 1925, and was built in just over three years by A. Guthrie of St. Paul, Minnesota; the aim was to finish by the winter of 1928–1929 so that further maintenance on deteriorating snow sheds could be avoided. Project manager and engineer Frederick Mears

5325-536: Was enlarged to include Chelan County during the 2012 redistricting; Wenatchee was previously part of the 4th congressional district . The city is also within the 7th legislative district , which has two state representatives and one state senator. Wenatchee was part of the 12th legislative district with the rest of Chelan County until it was redrawn in 2024 to comply with a U.S. District Court order for districts in Yakima County . Public safety in Wenatchee

5400-452: Was estimated to be 16.7% of the population. 23.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 108.0 males. As of the 2010 census , there were 31,925 people, 12,379 households, and 7,721 families residing in

5475-428: Was issued to stay clear of the western side of the old tunnel for a distance of 0.5 mi (0.80 km) for the indeterminate future. The new Cascade Tunnel was opened on January 12, 1929. The new line had 72.9 route mi (117.3 km) or 93.2 route miles (150.0 km) electrified, between Skykomish and Wenatchee . The ruling grade was still 2.2 percent, although 21 miles (34 km) of 2 percent or worse grade

5550-629: Was protected from the summer flooding of the Columbia River , and the first of 14 hydroelectric projects on the Columbia began generating electric power . The reservoirs thus generated also made it possible to irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland in the Columbia Basin. In 2019, the Wenatchee Valley was named by Forbes magazine as one of the top 25 places to retire. In 1975, Stemilt Growers moved its headquarters from nearby Stemilt Hill to Olds Station, Wenatchee. The company grows, packs and ships tree fruit. It went on to become

5625-537: Was removed in 1956, after a ventilation system was installed to eliminate diesel fumes. On April 4, 1996 an eastbound freight train broke through the doors at the east portal after they did not open properly. There were no injuries, but the broken doors slowed operations for a couple of days while replacement doors were brought up from the Seattle area. The current Cascade Tunnel is in full operation and receives regular maintenance from BNSF Railway . The new alignment

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