Almota, Washington 1882 and 2010

Part of my work as a geologist sometimes involves historic research. The Washington State University Library, Tacoma Public Library and Seattle Public Library have been an enourmous help over the years. Doing some research associated with work this moring, I stumbled across this historic image that relates to the post I put up yesterday.

Almota, 1882

Almota, 2010

As can be sen in the 1882 image, Almota was site of commerce with the steam boat coming up the river. These steam boats were very shallow draft to get past the various shallows in the river. Almota is still used as a shipping location for wheat today. State Highway 194 provides accesses from the north and the site serves as a wheat shipping center for farms west of Pullam and south of Colfax. The original town site was flooded by the construction of Little Goose Dam in the 1960s. The shipping terminal is constructed on a fill bench located approximately where the small town was once located. Besides river access, this grain terminal also has access to a rail line that follows the north shore of the river. Almota is located at the northernmost reach of the Snake River. The name is derived from the Nez Perce Indians meaning torchlight or moon light fishing.