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Grant County and Moses Lake |
 Moses Lake, Washington "Click
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Moses Lake, Washington
Moses Lake is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States.
The population was 16,000+ at the 2007 census. A major attraction of Moses Lake are the
sand dunes and during the summer months the Mud flats. The sand dunes, south of town, are
a tourist attraction for a variety of recreational vehicles including, 'Quads', 'Hot Rod'
Jeeps, and an assortment of vehicles that can handle mud and sand.
The lake, Moses Lake, on which the town lies, is made up of three main arms over 18 miles
(29 km) long and up to one mile (1½ km) wide. It is the largest natural body of fresh
water in Grant County and has over 120 miles (190 km) of shoreline covering 6,500 acres
(2,600 ha). Before it was dammed in the early 1900s and then incorporated into the
Columbia Basin Project, Moses Lake was a smaller, salty, shallow lake. One of its early
names was "Salt Lake".
History
Chief Sulktalthscosum, a.k.a. Chief Moses, was born in 1829 and was the chief of the tribe
of Native Americans inhabiting this area. They were called Sin-kah-you and sometimes
Kowalchina and Columbias.
Chief Moses's people lived in the Moses Lake area until he was arrested and tried for
murder. In 1878, a white couple was murdered near Rattlesnake Springs by Indians
controlled by Chief Joseph. The military, however, blamed the incident on Chief Moses. He
was captured near present day O'Sullivan Dam and stood trial in Yakima, where he was found
not guilty. Chief Moses then went to Washington, D.C., and met with President Rutherford
B. Hayes. He ceded control of the Columbia Basin to the U. S. government, which then
opened the area for homesteading. Chief Moses moved to the Methow Valley and Chelan.
Named "Neppel" in 1910 by white settlers, later residents voted in 1938 to
rename their city to honor Native American Chief Moses, and the city became Moses Lake.
The chief’s name had already been given to the lake next to Neppel, Moses Lake, and
to a coulee running between Wenatchee and Ephrata. The city served the trading needs of a
small group of pioneering farmers who settled on the shores of the lake.
Moses Lake has a long history with its sister city, Yonezawa, Japan. The two cities have
been exchanging students every summer for over 20 years. There is a street named after
Yonezawa in Moses Lake.
The Grant County International
Airport Industrial Park is four (4) miles North of Moses Lake and is managed by the Port
of Moses Lake.
They have over 1 million square feet of building space, plus over 1,000 acres of
industrial and commercial land.
Larson Air Force Base/Grant County Airport
Larson AFB, five miles from the city of Moses Lake, Washington, originally was named Moses
Lake Army Air Base. It was activated on November 24, 1942 as a temporary World War II
training center. Major Donald A. Larson, for whom the base was later renamed, was from
Yakima, Washington.
The Secretary of Defense announced on November 19, 1965 that Larson was to be closed by
June 1966. Larson Air Force Base, since renamed Grant County International Airport, is now
a world-class heavy jet training and testing facility used by the Boeing Company, Japan
Airlines, the U.S. Military and many other air carriers from around the world.
With 4,700 acres (19 km²) and a main runway 13,500 feet (4,100 m) long, it is one of the
largest airports in the United States.
Activities Moses Lake's Parks and Recreation Department.
Moses Lake has a water park that has
waterslides, and the city is currently adding a FlowRider for kneeboarding and a
"lazy river" for tubing. Every late May during Memorial Day weekends Spring
Festival is celebrated. It features rides, live music, little shops, food, and much more.
Here you can visit the  "City of Moses Lake's Parks and Recreation
Department. ".
We are sure you will find this site easy to use and useful in planning local outings. They
also have added the online schedule of upcoming events sorted by category and month. Make
sure to take advantage of all their parks have to offer!
Another attraction is the Moses Lake sand dunes "click here
to visit".
Municipal Code: You can Download
the Moses-Lake's Municipal Code here.
City Departments: "Click here to
visit"
Cascade Campground is the
Moses Lake Parks & Recreation Department's premier outdoor camping area. "Click
Here to Visit"
You can Also visit Moses Lake Tourism
Commission "On-Line Visitor Guide"
Moses Lake, WA 98837
Phone: 509-765-7888
Toll Free: 1-800-992-6234
Email: information@moses-lake.com
Website: www.moses-lake.com
Moses Lake Police Department
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