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City Of Colfax
One of the territorial cities in Washington state, Colfax was incorporated in 1872 in a document signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. The city was named after Grant's vice president, Shuyler Colfax. As it turns out, Shuyler Colfax was a notably corrupt politician, but that wasn't known at the time the city was named!
Colfax, a thriving turn-of-the-century commercial center, was designated county seat of Whitman County. Pullman, 17 miles east, was presented the land grant college, now Washington State University.
The southeastern Washington area is known as The Palouse, named for the Palouse Indians who once inhabited the area. The rolling hills are a product of the ice age. As the ice retreated, dust captured in the ice blew over the Palouse area creating what, from the air, look like sand dunes made up of deep brown "loess," the rich glacial dust.
-St. Ignatus Manor -circa 1913
As Russian German immigrants moved into the area and brought with them dry-land wheat farming, the Colfax area became a prominent wheat growing area and, at one time, was touted in the New Yorker as the wealthiest per-capita city in the country. Though Colfax was on the western frontier, it was anything but a frontier town. Early developers built large, substantial, ornate buildings in the city to accommodate business and built for themselves fashionable homes. Many of those building are still extant on Main Street and in the neighborhoods (See the Historic Preservation Commission page).
Today, a population of 2,880, plus the surrounding rural area, support 11 parks (including a large ball field complex, swimming pool and skate park, and many destination and neighborhood parks), a large medical community and hospital, the local county newspaper, a retirement condo complex within immediate reach of an up-scale assisted living facility and a convalescent center, a 9-hole golf course, the county library, a flourishing school district and a variety of businesses. Washington State University offers cultural and sports events that are only a 20 minute drive through the rolling wheat fields with little commuter traffic.The area is known for its hunting and fishing, hiking and camping and dramatic photo opportunities. Small town safety and amenities are the norm. Please look at the pages of this website to get a feel for Colfax. We hope you'll come to Colfax and experience rural living at its best.
Colfax, a thriving turn-of-the-century commercial center, was designated county seat of Whitman County. Pullman, 17 miles east, was presented the land grant college, now Washington State University.
The southeastern Washington area is known as The Palouse, named for the Palouse Indians who once inhabited the area. The rolling hills are a product of the ice age. As the ice retreated, dust captured in the ice blew over the Palouse area creating what, from the air, look like sand dunes made up of deep brown "loess," the rich glacial dust.
-St. Ignatus Manor -circa 1913
As Russian German immigrants moved into the area and brought with them dry-land wheat farming, the Colfax area became a prominent wheat growing area and, at one time, was touted in the New Yorker as the wealthiest per-capita city in the country. Though Colfax was on the western frontier, it was anything but a frontier town. Early developers built large, substantial, ornate buildings in the city to accommodate business and built for themselves fashionable homes. Many of those building are still extant on Main Street and in the neighborhoods (See the Historic Preservation Commission page).
Today, a population of 2,880, plus the surrounding rural area, support 11 parks (including a large ball field complex, swimming pool and skate park, and many destination and neighborhood parks), a large medical community and hospital, the local county newspaper, a retirement condo complex within immediate reach of an up-scale assisted living facility and a convalescent center, a 9-hole golf course, the county library, a flourishing school district and a variety of businesses. Washington State University offers cultural and sports events that are only a 20 minute drive through the rolling wheat fields with little commuter traffic.The area is known for its hunting and fishing, hiking and camping and dramatic photo opportunities. Small town safety and amenities are the norm. Please look at the pages of this website to get a feel for Colfax. We hope you'll come to Colfax and experience rural living at its best.