Davenport, Washington
City in the United States in Lincoln County
About Davenport
Davenport is the county seat of and the largest city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,703 at the 2020 census. As the seat of government for the county and its largest population center, Davenport serves as an important hub for business, medical and educational services in Lincoln County.
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How Davenport is governed
Form of government not yet listed.
1 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Davenport
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
- Jonathan Chapman per Wikidata
The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
Administration & departments
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
Administration & departments
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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- Website
- davenportwa.us
Looking for your county, state and federal representatives too? See who represents 99122 or everyone in Washington.
Population over time
From 1,734 in 2010 to 1,703 in 2020 (−1.8%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,703 |
| 2010 | 1,734 |
History
Prior to European settlement, the area around what would become Davenport was home to the Lower Band of the Spokane. The location was also along a popular east-west trade route, and the spring at present day Davenport was seen as an oasis and place for rest and camping along the journey.
That trail would eventually bring white settlers to the area, with prospectors passing through on their way to goldfields in Montana. Like the Spokane before them, these settlers used the springs at the present site of Davenport to collect water, rest and camp. The setting of the springs in the otherwise semi-arid region attracted some of these new arrivals to settle at the location, and in 1880 Aloysius Harry Harker became the first non-native permanent settler at the location, with John and Emma Eads Nicholls arriving soon after. The settlement was located at the springs and known as Cottonwood Springs. John C. Davenport founded a separate settlement on higher ground nearby in 1883, which was destroyed by fire the following year. Davenport's settlement relocated to Cottonwood Springs, taking Davenport's name with it. The city was made the county seat of Lincoln County on December 15, 1896, after an election that had chosen Davenport over then-seat Sprague, which had been destroyed in a fire, and Harrington.
Davenport gained early prominence in the north central part of the Columbia Basin of eastern Washington with the arrival of the Washington Central branch of the transcontinental Northern Pacific Railway (NP) railroad line, which reached Davenport in February 1889. The Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Railway (SLS&E) arrived later that year. A branch line of the Great Northern Railway (GN) was built to Davenport from Bluestem in the 1920s. Davenport's train depot, built in 1889 with the arrival of the railroads, lasted almost 100 years before being demolished in 1988.
Primary State Highway #2 (a.k.a. "Sunset Highway") closely followed the CW railroad from Coulee City through Davenport to Spokane. The route is now known as U.S. Route 2, but does not follow the original Sunset Highway in many places. Primary State Highway #7 also intersected with PSH #2 in Davenport, and is now part of State Route 28. PSH #22 ran north from Davenport to the Canada–US border near Northport. This is State Route 25 now.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.