Editing Colfax, Washington (section)

== History ==
[[File:Aeriel view of Colfax, Washington looking north, 1889 - DPLA - 5ead312fc4495fd94ea119a09db04ab5.jpg|thumb|left|1889 view of Colfax]]
[[File:ColfaxWA1.jpg|thumb|Colfax in 2007, looking southeast]]
[[File:Intersection of Canyon and Main Streets, looking north, Colfax, Washington, circa 1938 - DPLA - 9441d60416cc6f040a03b3844cdbe3df.jpg|thumb|left|Intersection of Canyon and Main Street, ca. 1938]]

[[Palus (tribe)|Palouse Indians]] were the first known human inhabitants of the Colfax area. White settlers arrived in the summer of 1870 and soon built a sawmill. A flour mill and other businesses followed, and Colfax soon grew into a prosperous town. Originally, pioneer citizen Jared Berarducci called the settlement "Belleville" in honor of his girlfriend; when he found a new love, he changed the town's name to Colfax,<ref>LaFollette, Taber, ''The History of Colfax'', Colfax History Committee, 1956, p. 8.</ref> for [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]] [[Schuyler Colfax]].<ref name=majors>{{Cite book| last = Majors | first = Harry M. | title = Exploring Washington | publisher = Van Winkle Publishing Co | year = 1975 | page = 143 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ| isbn = 978-0-918664-00-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Meany|first=Edmond S.|title=Origin of Washington geographic names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027074981;view=1up;seq=68|year=1923|publisher=University of Washington Press|location=Seattle|page=52}}</ref>

Colfax was officially incorporated on November 29, 1873. In 1889&ndash;90, the town vied with several other finalists to become the site of a new state agricultural college, present-day [[Washington State University]].  The honor ultimately fell to nearby [[Pullman, Washington|Pullman]], {{convert|15|mi|round=5|spell=in}} southeast.

The early history of Colfax was marred by prominent lynchings in 1894 and 1898.<ref name=majors/> The city incurred significant flooding in 1910 in early March.<ref name=cfxbdoff>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OqNfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IzIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2168%2C4885039 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |title=Colfax bad off |date=March 3, 1910 |page=1}}</ref><ref name=hhacfx>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KrpXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=APQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5574%2C5203295 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |title=Hundreds homeless at Colfax |date=March 3, 1910 |page=1}}</ref>

Until passed by Pullman at the [[1930 United States Census|1930 census]], Colfax was the largest city in the county.