From Beezley to Bethlehem Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Bludart: I got word this Geocache has been plundered I am disabling it permanantly.

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Hidden : 5/12/2003
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

This cache is a 1/2 gallon plastic jar painted green. Expect to hike or mountain bike .5 to .7 miles depending how you plan to attack it. Elevation gain is about 500 ft
Helpful Parking coords N 47 19.373 W 119 33.804

This cache site provides one of the best views of the columbia basin. It is well worth the hike. In the summer months I recommend an early morning or evening ascent. The sunrise is gorgeous from up there and comes complete with wailing coyotes in stereo surround sound! There are miles and miles of trails around this hill so have a wander around. The following is some history on the area taken from (visit link)

Historically, the settlement of Ephrata is quite recent. There was no known settlement until 1886, just three years before Washington attained statehood. The horse rancher, Frank Beezley, was the first to settle near the natural springs, thus the area was known as Beezley Springs. As the climate and topography were not promising to settlement, the entire region remained sparsely populated until several federal congressional actions, including the Northern Pacific Land Grant Act, the Homestead Act and Desert Claims Act, encouraged the settlement of this semi-arid desert. Originally, Douglas County spread over the entire territory of the Big Bend of the Columbia River. In 1906 the Washington State legislature divided the county and created Grant County, designating Ephrata as the county seat.

It is generally believed that the city was named Ephrata by a man who worked for the Great Northern Railroad.The name Ephrata is derived from a biblical description of an orchard in the middle of the desert. It is also the ancient name for the town of Bethlehem.

The region was known at the turn of the century for the great herds of wild horses that roamed the land. Horse trading was an important element of the local economy, and Ephrata served as the staging area for the horse round-ups. The last "Great Horse Round-up" was held in Ephrata in 1906. Ephrata then developed as a trade and service center for cattle and sheep ranches in the area until the construction of the Columbia Basin Reclamation Project.

Columbia Basin Irrigation Project

Beginning in July of 1918, several prominent Ephrata residents started the promotion of a wild scheme to redirect waters of the Columbia River in order to irrigate the dry but fertile soils of the Big Bend country. Labeled "The Dam University", Ephrata residents persistently lobbied at the local, state, and federal levels to gather support for the project. Initial funding for the Grand Coulee Dam was through the Public Works Administration created under Franklin Roosevelt's promise of a "New Deal" in 1933. However, the irrigation waters would not be released as the nation focused on ending World War II during the 1940's. During this era, Grand Coulee Dam's main mission was to produce electrical energy for the Hanford Reservation. When the War ended, the Project returned to its original mission, to irrigate the desert.


The Columbia Basin Irrigation Project changed the landscape and the economy. Since 1951 when the first irrigation waters arrived, the Project has expanded to irrigate over 600,000 acres. Over 60 different types of crops are now produced from Project lands, including many seed crops, making the Columbia Basin a vital component in world-wide food production. In the 1940's, subsequent federal projects continued to impact the region. An Army Air Base was activated at the Ephrata Airport between 1942 and 1945. The US Army established an even larger Air Base north of Moses Lake and about 15 miles southeast of Ephrata. Although Moses Lake became the major service center for the Larson Army Air Base, Ephrata experienced spill-over population growth.

Hope you enjoy

Bludart

Additional Hints ()

Haqre n fntr oehfu 30 sg fbhgu bs byq ebnqjnl

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)

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