Stevenson, Washington Explained

Stevenson
Official Name:Stevenson, Washington
Settlement Type:City
Mapsize:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Washington
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Skamania
Government Type:Mayor-council[1]
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Scott Anderson (R)[2]
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[3]
Area Total Km2:4.64
Area Land Km2:4.26
Area Water Km2:0.38
Area Total Sq Mi:1.79
Area Land Sq Mi:1.65
Area Water Sq Mi:0.15
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:1491
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Timezone:Pacific (PST)
Utc Offset:-8
Timezone Dst:PDT
Utc Offset Dst:-7
Elevation M:63
Elevation Ft:207
Coordinates:45.6961°N -121.8883°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:98648
Area Code:509
Area Code Type:Area code
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:53-67875[4]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1509682[5]
Website:City of Stevenson

Stevenson is a city in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area along the Columbia River in Skamania County, Washington, United States. It is the county seat of Skamania County[6] and home to the Skamania County Court House and Sheriff's Office. The population was 1,491 at the 2020 census.

Stevenson is home to the Columbia Gorge Museum, which focuses on several tribes that were once located near the Columbia River.

History

Stevenson is named for early settler George H. Stevenson.[7] The Stevenson family, who settled in the Gorge in the 1800s from Missouri, founded the town of Stevenson on the old Shepard donation land claim. Under the auspices of the Stevenson Land Company, George Stevenson purchased the original townsite for $24,000 in 1893, building the town along the lower flat near the river. Settlers expanded the original dock to serve the daily arrivals of sternwheelers unloading passengers, cargo and loading logs.

In 1893, in a dispute over rental fees, an unknown crew transported the county records from the town of Cascades to Stevenson. Stevenson became the county seat of Skamania overnight. Stevenson was officially incorporated on December 16, 1907. In 1908 the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway arrived, pushing the town up the hill away from the river. Streets were graded, wooden sidewalks constructed and the city asked residents to keep their cows from roaming the streets.[8]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.79sqmi, of which 1.65sqmi is land and 0.14sqmi is water.[9]

The city is located on Washington State Route 14 between the city of North Bonneville and Carson.

Climate

[10]

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 1,465 people in 640 households, including 390 families, in the city. The population density was 887.9PD/sqmi. There were 703 housing units at an average density of 426.1/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% White, 0.6% African American, 1.8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.8%.[11]

Of the 640 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 33.4% of households were one person and 12.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age was 42.1 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 30.6% were from 45 to 64; and 15.3% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,200 people in 474 households, including 307 families, in the city. The population density was 813.4 people per square mile (313.1/km). There were 523 housing units at an average density of 354.5 per square mile (136.4/km). The racial makeup of the city was 91.92% White, 0.17% African American, 2.42% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 1.75% from other races, and 3.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.33% of the population.

Of the 474 households, 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.5% of households were one person and 10.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 25.1% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median household income was $31,979 and the median family income was $38,750. Males had a median income of $36,042 versus $25,893 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,602. About 17.8% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.2% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Stevenson is served by the Stevenson-Carson School District, which encompasses the entire Skamania County. It includes Carson Elementary School in Carson, Washington and Stevenson Elementary School in Stevenson. The only middle school in the area is Wind River Middle School, and the only high school is Stevenson High School, both located in Stevenson.[12]

As of 2022, 35.8% of people living in Stevenson had a high school diploma or equivalent education. 7.8% had associate's degrees, 12.5% had bachelor's degrees, and 9.4% had graduate or professional degrees.[13]

Parks and recreation

Stevenson is situated within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, which contains the highland terrain areas of Greenleaf Peak and Table Mountain. Hikers can access the Pacific Crest Trail south of the community.

The Bridge of the Gods is south of Stevenson.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. City of Stevenson. City of Stevenson > Government. Retrieved May 10th, 2021.
  2. City of Stevenson. City of Stevenson > Mayor. Retrieved May 10th, 2021.
  3. Web site: 2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. August 7, 2020.
  4. Web site: U.S. Census website . . 2008-01-31 .
  5. Web site: US Board on Geographic Names. 2008-01-31. United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25.
  6. Web site: Find a County . 2011-06-07 . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . May 31, 2011 .
  7. Book: Meany, Edmond S.. Origin of Washington geographic names. 1923. University of Washington Press. Seattle. 290.
  8. Web site: History of Stevenson. City of Stevenson, Washington. 13 July 2012.
  9. Web site: US Gazetteer files 2010 . . 2012-12-19 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt . January 25, 2012 . mdy-all .
  10. Web site: Stevenson, Washington Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase) . 2023-05-09 . Weatherbase.
  11. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. 2012-12-19.
  12. Web site: Schools Stevenson Washington . 2024-08-12 . City of Stevenson, Washington.
  13. Web site: Stevenson-Carson School District, Washington - Census Bureau Profile . 2024-08-12 . United States Census Bureau.