eastbound on Interstate 90
- Adams County — Thumbnail History (historylink.org)
Adams County is a predominantly rural county located in southeastern Washington, with Ritzville serving as county seat. Since 1952 Columbia River water brought through the Columbia Basin Project has irrigated region’s fertile volcanic soil.
- Lake Washington Ship Canal (seattle.gov)
The grand opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal was held on July 4, 1917. Designed by Seattle district engineer Hiram Chittenden of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the canal’s construction was the result of more than five decades of discussion on how to connect the saltwater of Puget Sound to the freshwater of Lake Washington via Lake Union. Early planners envisioned heavy use by coal and naval vessels, but today the locks are predominantly filled with pleasure crafts. The City of Seattle’s role included engineering, legal, and public works projects as new bridges, roads, water supply infrastructure and more were required to accommodate the implications of the Ship Canal on Seattle’s shape and size. The exhibits below provide insight into how the Ship Canal shaped Seattle’s social, physical, and environmental history.
westbound on interstate 90
- Adams County, Washington (Wikipedia)
Adams County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,613. The county seat is at Ritzville, and its largest city is Othello. The county was formed out of Whitman County in November 1883 and is named after John Adams, the second President of the United States.