Vantage, Washington
Census-designated place in the United States in Kittitas County · Not an incorporated municipality
About Vantage
Vantage is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 54 at the 2020 census.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How Vantage is governed
Vantage appears to be an unincorporated community or a census-designated place, so it may have no city government of its own — services usually come from Kittitas County and its elected officials. The chart below is a generic template; readers can correct it if Vantage does have local officials.
Form of government not yet listed.
0 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Vantage
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
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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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Population over time
From 70 in 2000 to 54 in 2020 (−22.9%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 54 |
| 2010 | 74 |
| 2000 | 70 |
History
The area around Vantage has been occupied by the Wanapum Native Americans since prehistory. A number of well-preserved rock-paintings have been found on the cliff walls. They also used the abundant petrified wood in the area for arrowheads and other tools. The site where these petroglyphs were found was inundated by the rising waters behind Wanapum Dam in the 1960s. About 60 of the more than 300 carvings were cut from the basalt cliff face and saved. The nearby Ginkgo Petrified Forest site is one of the most unusual fossil forests in the world, and was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1965.
In the early part of the 20th century, residents in nearby Ellensburg needed a more direct route when traveling east. A small ferry was established in 1914 to carry vehicle traffic across the Columbia River at Vantage. This ferry was really just a small barge with wooden ramps at either end, it carried only two cars at a time across the river. After several cars (some with occupants still in them) were lost overboard, the state highway department decided to construct a bridge over the Columbia.
In 1927, the 1,640-foot (0.31 mi; 0.50 km) bridge was opened at Vantage. This was an important link in the Sunset Highway, the major east–west thoroughfare in Washington at the time (later U.S. Route 10, now Interstate 90). The construction of the bridge required workers to enter pressurized caissons seventy feet (21 m) under the riverbed via airlocks. Some workers became seriously ill from the effects of the pressure. Once completed, the bridge had a 70-foot (21 m) clearance on the center span, allowing for river traffic to pass under the bridge.
This cantilever bridge served at Vantage for 35 years, succeeded by the current bridge in 1962. The original was dismantled and moved to the crossing at Lyons Ferry, where it stands today as the oldest (98–99 years) extant steel cantilever bridge in Washington, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
With completion of the Wanapum Dam in the early 1960s, the townsite was relocated further up the hill above the rising water to the current location.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.