Heritage & History

Okanogan County

Because of its remoteness, Okanogan Country was one of the last areas in Washington settled by whites, but it was an early thoroughfare for prospectors enroute to the gold fields in British Columbia. The confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers has been a gateway to the vast lands of the north since before Astor’s Pacific Fur Company established the first American inland fur trading post nearby.

Okanogan Country’s history is a story book of great Indians and fur trappers, of farmers and ranchers who imagined taming the wild land, of railroad men and miners. Today Okanogan Country offers a wide variety of historical and cultural museums, cemeteries,ghost towns and activities.

Okanogan Country is also known as the "Birthplace of Smokejumping" as it has been a place of training for smokejumpers since the 1930s. A local hero, Dale Longanecker, retired in September 2011 with a record of 893 jumps during his career. You can read more about his career and the history of smokejumping on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest website.