Four Lakes, Washington

Four Lakes is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Spokane County, Washington, United States, just southwest of the city of Spokane, and north of Cheney. As of the 2010 census, its population was 512.[2] Both Interstate 90 and SR 904 run through Four Lakes and the junction of the two is located near the center of town. Four Lakes was founded in 1879 by G.H. Morgan.[4] The community was so named on account of there being four lakes near the original town site.[5] It is speculated the fourth lake, is now a marsh south of Meadow Lake, which was drained by the ditch, blasted through basalt, which Minnie Creek flows through, under SR 904, south of the rodeo grounds.[6]

Four Lakes, Washington
Census-designated place
Four Lakes, Washington
Coordinates: 47°33′41″N 117°35′39″W
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Spokane
Area [1]
• Total	3.428 sq mi (8.88 km^2)
• Land	3.375 sq mi (8.74 km^2)
• Water	0.053 sq mi (0.14 km^2)
Elevation	2,431 ft (741 m)
Population  (2010)[2]
• Total	512
• Density	150/sq mi (58/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s)	509
GNIS feature ID	1512225[3]

Economy

Largely because Four Lakes is a bedroom community for its neighbors such as Cheney and Spokane, there are very few businesses as of 2009. A hair salon, a tavern, a dog grooming business "Heather's Canine Cuts" and a convenience store are among the small handful of businesses that call Four Lakes home. Most of the businesses in Four Lakes have been located there for many years and are firmly rooted. Farms are also plentiful around Four Lakes. The small community has its own post office, water district, and volunteer fire department.

Schools

Four Lakes is located in the Cheney School District. Most Elementary students in Four Lakes attend Betz Elementary, while older students attend either Cheney High School or Cheney Middle School. A very small fraction of high school-age students may attend Three Springs High School in Cheney.

The Battle of Four Lakes

The Battle of Four Lakes was a battle during the Coeur d'Alene War of 1858 in the Washington Territory (now the states of Washington and Idaho) in the United States. The Coeur d'Alene War was part of the Yakima War, which began in 1855. The battle was fought near present-day Four Lakes, Washington, between elements of the United States Army and a coalition of Native American tribes consisting of Schitsu'umsh (Coeur d'Alene), Palus, Spokan, and Yakama warriors.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Four Lakes has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[7]

References

1. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
3. "Four Lakes". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
4. Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.
5. Meany, Edmond S. Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 92.
6. Personal observation & study by local Rod Hagel
7. Climate Summary for Four Lakes, Washington

Heather's Canine Cuts