Lewiston, Idaho

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Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston from the north
Lewiston from the north
Coordinates: 46°25′00″N, 117°01′04″W
Country United States
State Idaho
County Nez Perce
Founded 1861
Incorporated 1861
Government
 - Mayor Jeff Nesset
Area
 - City  17.2 sq mi (44.5 km²)
 - Land  16.5 sq mi (42.7 km²)
 - Water  0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²)
Elevation  745 ft (227 m)
Population (2005)
 - City 31,164
 - Density 1,800.6/sq mi (695.2/km²)
 - Metro 57,961
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 - Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
Website: http://www.cityoflewiston.org

Lewiston is the county seat and largest city in Nez Perce County, Idaho. It is the second largest city in the Idaho Panhandle region behind Coeur d'Alene. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of both Nez Perce County in Idaho and Asotin County in Washington. As of the 2000 census Lewiston population was 30,904 (2003 estimate: 30,937).

Lewiston was also the very first state capitol of the state of idaho.

Lewiston is located at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. Its main industry is paper and timber products production at the mill owned and operated by the Potlatch Corporation.

Because the portion of the Snake River between its confluence with the Columbia River near Pasco, Washington, and Lewiston is navigable by some oceangoing vessels, Lewiston has the distinction of being Idaho's only seaport and the western United States' farthest inland seaport. Barges of timber products, grain and other goods are shipped via the Snake-Columbia system to the Pacific Ocean.

Contents

[edit] Highlights

Lewiston is home to Lewis-Clark State College.

Immediately across the Snake River from Lewiston is the town of Clarkston, Washington.

Along much of the Snake River is a system of levees to protect against flooding. Most of the levees are in parks that are maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Downtown Lewiston is at the same elevation as the river. Away from downtown in either a northerly or southerly direction, the terrain gains elevation quickly. The south half of town is an area referred to as the Orchards. This area is much higher in elevation than downtown (one of the higher areas in town) and is named for the fruit orchards that previously covered the area. There is little sign of any orchards today, although there is a wide proliferation of fruit trees in the backyards of many residences in this area of town.

The older grade, now mostly out of use, is a very windy road joining US95/US195 to the Lewiston City Limits. The newer grade, constructed in the late 1970s, yields a more sweeping descent to the East, and is approximately 7 miles long. Both grades provide an excellent view of Lewiston and neighbouring Clarkston and the surrounding landscape.

In the springtime there is a celebration named the Dogwood Festival. This celebration is named for the abundant dogwood trees that are in fragrant bloom during the festival. During and shortly after the festival these pink blossoms blow through the yards and the streets like drifts of snow.

During the fall there are a number of cottonwood trees that release cotton-like clouds of seeds that blow through the air and streets, blanketing the streets with a snow-like cover. Also during August, Hot August Nights takes place. This celebration includes concerts by down and out '50s to '80s musicians such as .38 Special and Loverboy. There's also a show and shine for classic cars, and at night these cars drive along Main Street in a parade fashion.

The town has a large Christmas festival that includes a number of large displays in the downtown area, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. These displays are typically quite impressive and often attract many visitors.

The city hosts the NAIA Baseball World Series annually.

[edit] History

The first people of European ancestry to visit the Lewiston area were members of an expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in October 1805. At the future townsite the Lewis and Clark Expedition encountered settlements of the native Nez Perce.

Named after Lewis, the town was founded in 1861 in the wake of a gold rush which began in the area the previous year. The first newspaper in present-day Idaho began publication in Lewiston in 1862. In 1863 Lewiston became the capital of the newly-created Idaho Territory.

Lewiston's stint as a seat of government was short-lived. A resolution to have the capital moved from Lewiston to Boise was passed by the Idaho Territorial Legislature on December 7, 1864. The move was made in 1865. According to legend the move was very unpopular in northern Idaho, so government officials secretly took the territorial seal from Lewiston and immediately departed for Boise to avoid the public outrage that was sure to erupt. North Idahoans were somewhat placated in 1883 when the University of Idaho was awarded to nearby Moscow.

Lewiston had a popular Northwest League professional baseball franchise from 1952 until 1974. The Lewiston Broncs were affiliated with various Major League Baseball parent clubs including the Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics. Reggie Jackson was perhaps the most famous Lewiston Bronc of all-time. Mr. October played for Lewiston in 1966.

[edit] Geography & Weather

Lewiston is located at 46°24′1″N, 117°0′4″W (46.400245, -117.001030)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.5 km² (17.2 mi²). 42.7 km² (16.5 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it (4.01%) is water.

Link to local weather information from the NWS Spokane Office (National Weather Service) – http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/otx/

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 66 72 78 97 100 107 110 115 103 89 77 65
Norm High °F 39.4 45.6 53.8 61.6 70 78 87.6 87.6 76.7 62 46.8 39.2
Norm Low °F 28 31.2 35.6 40.6 47 53.6 59.3 59.3 50.9 41.2 34.1 28.5
Rec Low °F -22 -15 2 20 23 34 41 41 28 15 -3 -22
Precip (in) 1.14 0.95 1.12 1.31 1.56 1.16 0.72 0.75 0.81 0.96 1.21 1.05
Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]

[edit] Major Highways

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 30,905 people, 12,795 households, and 8,278 families residing in the city. The population density was 723.2/km² (1,873.0/mi²). There were 13,394 housing units at an average density of 313.4/km² (811.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.14% White, 0.30% African American, 1.59% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.91% of the population.

There were 12,795 households out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,606, and the median income for a family was $45,410. Males had a median income of $35,121 versus $22,805 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,091. About 8.4% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.


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[edit] External links

Statistics on Idaho Home Prices for Lewiston and surrounding cities

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