Govan, Washington Explained

Official Name:Govan, Washington
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community and Ghost town
Pushpin Map:Washington
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Washington
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Lincoln
Timezone:Pacific (PST)
Utc Offset:-8
Timezone Dst:PDT
Utc Offset Dst:-7
Elevation Ft:2100
Coordinates:47.7389°N -118.8231°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:99185
Area Code:509
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:1511003

Govan is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, in US state of Washington. An abandoned school house, post office and grain elevator, along with a few houses both deserted and occupied, are all that remains of the town. It is considered to be a ghost town.[1]

History

The school house in Govan was built in 1905 and shut down in the 1940s. The steeple on the building toppled over in 2019. Two fires came through Govan, the most recent in 1974, that ultimately led to the town's abandonment. As of 2019 the population of the area totaled three people.[2]

Multiple unsolved murders took place in Govan before it was abandoned. In December of 1902, Judge J.A. Lewis and his wife were murdered with an axe at their home in Govan. As the couple were quite wealthy, robbery was considered to be the motive. It was referred to at the time as "one of the most atrocious murders in the history of the state".[3] In 1941 a woman was found murdered on her farm in Govan around the same time that her son went missing. The son's body was found in nearby fields eight years later.[2]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ghosttown.com. ghosttown.com. 2016-07-26.
  2. News: Erickson . Anne . Govan Schoolhouse tells stories of Washington ghost town . 26 October 2021 . KING 5 . 1 November 2019.
  3. News: A Horrible Murder . 26 October 2021 . The Washington Standard . 26 December 1902.