Two enterprising men of the mid-west, Thomas Gamble and Walter J. Reed joined together in 1881 to buy what is now the township of Cle Elum. By 1886, Reed was so impressed with the potential of the area that he platted 60 acres of his preemption claim as the city. In 1889 the city had only four to five hundred residents, by 1905 it had more than 1,500.

When platting the city, Reed's wife, Barbara Steiner Reed urged him to create wide streets, saying "It might be another Pittsburgh." While Cle Elum hasn't exactly attained that dubious status, we can thank Mrs. Reed for the broad avenues we enjoy today.

When the city was incorporated at the beginning of the 20th century, there was much argument about the name. It was finally agreed upon as Cle Elum, which means "swift water."
 

Copyright ©2007 Northern Kittitas County Tribune. Reprinted with permission.