Leavenworth....

The Brief History of Leavenworth........


Leavenworth’s history does not begin with the alpine tradition it knows today, but with the proud heritage of the Yakima, Chinook and Wenatchi tribes. The Native American tribes lived by hunting the land for deer and elk, as well as fishing Icicle Creek for salmon. Surrounded by some of the most beautiful and bountiful lands in North America, the three tribes co-existed from Lake Wenatchee to the Icicle and beyond.



The area was eventually settled by pioneers in search of gold, furs and fertile farmland. Stakes were claimed, land was tracked, and the Leavenworth area was soon bustling with settlers. By 1890, the original town was built on the Icicle Flats.



But it wasn’t until the end of the century when the town began to blossom with the arrival of the rail line. The Great Northern Railway Company’s tracks through Leavenworth brought with them opportunities for work, commerce and a new economy.



A sawmill and a healthy logging industry eventually fell apart, however, when the Great Northern Railway Company pulled out of Leavenworth. The re-routing of the railroad and the subsequent closure of the sawmill sadly converted the town from a bustling, thriving hub of commerce into a hollow, empty community. For more than thirty years, Leavenworth lived on the brink of extinction.



But in the early 1960’s, everything changed. In a last-chance effort to turn their precarious situation around, the leaders of the community decided to change Leavenworth’s appearance, hoping to bring tourism into the area. Using the beautiful backdrop of the surrounding Alpine hills to their advantage, the town agreed to remodel their hamlet in the form of a Bavarian village.

 Here is where we come in......the Bavarian town that every Christmas turns into a Christmas Village....

This is mostly decribed as a 'magical' place....you really expect to see little elfs walking around town..

Christmas carols are piped trough town, that is, if the choir is not performing in the town square..

There are family's everywhere...they have a big grand ceremony when they turn on the lights...they usually pick the first Saturday in December...they turn the lights on one tree by one tree and one building at a time....

there are thousands and thousands of people who turn out to see the lighting ceremony....so amazing....

see the dark tree?

pretty huh?

more coming on in the distance...

and then some more....

and soon all the town lights are on...

It is just awesome....if you get the chance go....it is a memory you and your family will cherish....

and then you play 'follow the leader' all the way home over the pass...

Cheers to Happy  !!