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About Leavenworth, Washington
Leavenworth History
Remains of the early Lamb-Davis Lumber Company millpond access.
Washington Cascade Mountains
The Leavenworth, Washington area is uniquely located on the east side of the Cascade Mountain Range at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Icicle Rivers, at the east entrance to Tumwater Canyon. Wenatchi Indians, known for their extensive salmon fishery, were early inhabitants.
Icicle Flats
In the 1880s, the area became known to settlers as Icicle Flats, and in 1885 the town of Icicle was established. The Great Northern Railroad arrived in 1892 to establish a cross-Cascade Mountains railroad line over Stevens Pass by way of Tumwater Canyon, and Icicle was chosen as the railhead.
Leavenworth, a Railroad and Lumber Town
In 1893, a new town was platted on the Icicle site by the Okanogan Investment Company, and was named after its president, Captain Charles Leavenworth. With the railroad came the Lamb-Davis Lumber Company’s sawmill and millpond, and the town of Leavenworth enjoyed prosperous boom-town years.
Avalanches and Economic Hardship
Due to avalanche safety concerns west of town, the railroad line was re-routed in 1922, bypassing Leavenworth. The sawmill soon closed, and the subsequent Great Depression reduced Leavenworth to a dying town.
Leavenworth, Washington’s Bavarian Village
Christmas lights illuminate the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth.
Outdoor Recreation and an Alpine Setting
Leavenworth’s surrounding natural beauty and vast outdoor recreation opportunities endured as its greatest asset. Community leaders developed a plan in 1965 to revitalize Leavenworth as a themed “Bavarian Village”, modeled after alpine German villages. The concept was successfully implemented, and today Leavenworth has emerged as a premier tourist destination.
Festivals, Parades, Shopping
Downtown Leavenworth, the “heart” of the Bavarian Village, boasts an extensive selection of shops and restaurants, all dedicated to the alpine theme. Most everything is within walking distance, and there are many interesting things to see and do.
The Bavarian Village is known for its festivals, parades, and special events, such as Maifest, Autumn Leaf Festival, Oktoberfest, and Christmas Lighting to name a few. Information about those and other activities can be found on the Links page under “Leavenworth and the Bavarian Village“.
Leavenworth Living
The Bavarian Village is what many visitors come to see, and sometimes they don’t notice Leavenworth as a whole. Away from the shops, hotels, and restaurants resides a viable community, replete with schools, churches, and homes. This is the “other” Leavenworth, no less unique.
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