Laserfiche WebLink
Guns for the Wildemess &Nome <br />American <br />Motivated by the prospect of earning <br />ForeverWest .t::::.e:=1 <br />to relmild downtown.Ellenabwg made ' <br />No matter how hard it blows,the Central-Washington wind will a strong case for itself,and even buik : <br />never pull foe Ellensburg's firm roots in tradition·a carde,which was to serve as the gov- <br />By Alexis Bennett emor's mansion.Ukimately,the valley <br />was deemed "too inaccessible."(and one <br />- <br />could jokingly argue,"too windy")and <br />Olympia won the capital-city bid.But <br />Each year,the late summer wind seems to blow chousands of visitors into El-visitors can still drive by the original El- <br />lensburg for the Labor Day weeltend Ellensburg Rodeo.More than just an lensburg Casde.It sits intact at the base <br />annual event,the rodeo is a significarat part of the local experience,as is the .of crat¡(a Hi!!on the comer of Chese <br />towds 100-plus years of history.Around every corner,Ellensburg shows its rich nur Street and Third,though it has sina <br />Western heritage is rooted to something deeper than the topsoil at the hottosn been remodeled to accommodate resi- <br />of travelers'cowboy boots.Between the rolling hills of the Manastash Ridge dential housing. <br />chat drops into the valley and the Cascade Range that provides a picturesque As a consolation prize,che town be- <br />backdrop,you'll fmd acres of farmland,fields of grazing Angus catde,and a came the location for the state's ßrat <br />storied downtown with architecture that predates even the 94-year-old rodeo.Normal School.The alkwomede school <br />attracted aspiring tenchers from nound <br />Walking down Main Street and through Along the streets,the eclectic shops,the northwest.In its time,it was one of <br />downtown,I am charmed by Ellensburg's restaurants,saloons,museums,and stu-the most weit recognized teaching schools 1 <br />Old West appeaL From the three-cent dio apartmente are needed into buildings in the country."Ïhe campus is beautiful," <br />milk advertisement murals painted .on visibly dated to the early 1900s.During says Kittitas County Museum Assistant <br />the brick walls to the Mom-and-Pop-size a visit at the Kittitas County Museum,I Todd Goings.The original building is <br />bookstores and the century-old buildings am told that much of the architecture in now the shop front for Central Washing- <br />they are housed in,experiencing Ellens-town is original.A Gre in July of 1889 ton University."As you walk on to cam- <br />burg is like listening to a well-loved West-teduced the towns initial infrastrue-pus,the first building you see is the origi- <br />era fable.ture to little more than ash in hours.nal Normal School that started in 1891," <br />AmerEcañCowboy.com August/Sepiembu2016 31