Impach, Washington

Unincorporated community in Washington, United States
48°17′18″N 118°14′12″W / 48.28833°N 118.23667°W / 48.28833; -118.23667CountryUnited StatesStateWashingtonCountyFerryElevation
1,795 ft (547 m)Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)ZIP code
99138
Area code509GNIS feature ID1521147[1]

Impach, Washington is an unincorporated populated place in east central Ferry County, Washington[2] on the Colville Indian Reservation. It is located within the Inchelium CDP.

Etymology

The community's name means "white lake" in the Salishan dialect of the San Poil tribe,[3] likely a reference to Camille Lake located about 1.25 miles (2 km) north.

History

Historically, Impach has been the site of traditional Native American dance ceremonies by members of the confederated tribes.[4][5] Gold was discovered in Ferry County in 1896 and several gold mines operated in the Impach area as late as the 1950s, including the nearby Gold Twenty Mine which produced lode gold, lead, and silver.[6] During the early 1930s, a predecessor of the Works Progress Administration established a small logging operation in Impach, which brought some unemployed families to the area at the height of the Great Depression. A United States post office operated at Impach, Washington, from 1922 to 1954.[7] The scenic valley is primarily grazing land today.

Geography

Impach is located at the mouth of a long coulee in rural Seylor Valley approximately 3 miles (5 km) west of Inchelium on County Highway 2, also known as Bridge Creek Road.[8] Two prominent summits, Stranger Mountain, 3,021 feet (921 m), and Monument Butte, 2,057 feet (627 m), overlook Impach less than 2 miles (3 km) to the south.[9]

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Impach, Washington
  2. ^ USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), Impach, Washington
  3. ^ Tacoma Public Library, Washington Place Names Database Archived 2012-07-23 at archive.today: "Impach"
  4. ^ Washington State University Libraries Digital Collection, State history. Native Americans. Celebrations, picnics & pow wows. 1937-01-22 Archived 2017-12-14 at the Wayback Machine, newspaper article
  5. ^ Washington State University Libraries Digital Collection, State history. Native Americans. Ceremonies. 1937-01-28 Archived 2017-12-14 at the Wayback Machine, newspaper article
  6. ^ Washington Gold, Ferry County Washington Gold, "Meteor"
  7. ^ Jim Forte Postal History: Post Office, Washington, Ferry County: Impach (1922-1954)
  8. ^ Impach, Washington WA Community Profile / Ferry County, WA Data
  9. ^ AnyplaceAmerica.com, Topographic Map Search: Impach, Washington

External links

  • Flickriver, United States/Washington/Impach, photos of Impach and the Seylor Valley
  • Panoramio, aerial photos of Impach and vicinity
  • v
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Municipalities and communities of Ferry County, Washington, United States
County seat: Republic
City
Map of Washington highlighting Ferry County
CDPsUnincorporated communities
Indian reservationGhost townFootnotes
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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