Editing Creston, Washington (section)

==History==
Creston sprang up with the arrival of the [[Central Washington Railroad]] in 1889. It was so named because of its high altitude; it was thought to be at the highest point (the crest) between [[Cheney, Washington|Cheney]] and [[Coulee City, Washington]], along the railroad grade.<ref name=majors>{{Cite book| last = Majors | first = Harry M. | title = Exploring Washington | publisher = Van Winkle Publishing Co | year = 1975 | page = 106 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ| isbn = 978-0-918664-00-6}}</ref> In the spring of 1890, a town site was platted by H.S. Huson and registered with the state on June 23 of that year. The first structure in town was a small store building moved to the site by Henry Verfurth from the nearby village of Sherman, 5 miles northwest of Creston. A post office was established shortly thereafter whose jurisdiction extended to the [[Columbia River]] on the North and the railroad tracks on the South with ten miles East and West. Henry Verfurth was appointed as postmaster. Following the [[Panic of 1893]] and the bankruptcy of the town site owner, Creston remained dormant until a bumper wheat crop in 1897 gave a boost to the regional economy, bringing thousands of new settlers to the region.

The results of the strong harvest were immediate with new businesses, grain elevators, public buildings, churches and the town's first bank and newspaper. At the same time, Creston was given a boost by a new road and ferry connecting it to the rich mineral belts in the nearby [[Colville Indian Reservation]]. Between 1900 and 1903, Creston's population doubled to 102. In August 1902, the last surviving member of the infamous [[Hole in the Wall Gang]], [[Harry Tracy]], was shot at a Creston ranch and killed himself there to avoid capture.<ref name="Smithson">{{cite web |last1=Smithson |first1=Rebeka |title=Harry Tracy the Outlaw |url=https://spokanehistorical.org/items/show/321 |website=spokanehistorical.org |publisher=Eastern Washington University |access-date=May 1, 2022}}</ref> Creston was officially incorporated on April 20, 1903.