- Okanogan is the county seat of Okanogan County in north-central Washington in the productive orchard lands of the Okanogan River Valley. This town site, on the west bank of the Okanogan River, was first settled in 1888 and was called Alma. In 1905, the town’s name was changed to Pogue, in honor of a prominent citizen. In 1907 the town voted overwhelmingly to change the name to Okanogan, in order to better reflect its place on the Okanogan River and its proximity to the fledgling Okanogan Irrigation Project…