Editing Goldendale, Washington (section)

==History==

In 1859 the town was given its name by the early homesteader John Golden, a Pennsylvania-born farmer who settled with his wife from Oregon. His daughter's home at Columbus Street and Collins Street remains standing in downtown Goldendale. The town was designated as the [[county seat]] of Klickitat County in 1878. Goldendale was officially incorporated on November 14, 1879. Much of the young town, including the county courthouse, was destroyed in a devastating fire on May 13, 1888.<ref name="HistoryLink">{{cite web |last=Becker |first=Paula |date=August 20, 2015 |title=Goldendale — Thumbnail History |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/11097 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=May 16, 2019}}</ref>

On June 9, 1918, [[William Wallace Campbell]], director of the [[Lick Observatory]], and astronomer [[Heber Curtis]] journeyed to Goldendale to view a total [[solar eclipse]]. The purpose of the observation was to photograph the Sun's corona and the apparent distorted placement of stars due to the Sun's gravitational pull on those star's rays while passing by the Sun. Lacking proper equipment and instead only using multiple cameras Campbell and Curtis were unable to confirm stars' deflection. However, by November 1919, their efforts would be vindicated by British astronomers and Einstein's [[Theory of Relativity]] was confirmed.<ref>Campbell, W.W. "Clouds Fall Away For Solar Eclipse",[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/06/10/102708072.pdf] "The New York Times", June 10, 1918, accessed December 2, 2010.</ref><ref>Crelinsten, Jeffrey. "Einstein's Jury: The Race to Test Relativity". Princeton University Press, 2006. [http://atlantisonline.smfforfree2.com/index.php?topic=9279.0]</ref> Goldendale was also under the path of totality for another total eclipse on February 26, 1979, which drew thousands of visitors to the [[Goldendale Observatory State Park|Goldendale Observatory]].<ref name="HistoryLink"/>

In 2008 Goldendale hosted the International Gravity Sports Association's 'Festival of Speed,' on a segment of the historic Maryhill highway.<ref>[http://www.igsaworldcup.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=496 IGSA Homepage]</ref>

Goldendale has remained the employment, business, commercial and banking center for the valley and, as the county seat, is the location for Klickitat County's courts and government offices. In recent years this small community has suffered from severe economic decline. After a local aluminum plant that once employed many residents closed, the small community struggled economically. The loss of tax base has taken its toll on the funds available for maintaining the city's infrastructure. In recent years there has been an interest in installing wind turbines that would generate power. While it has provided some jobs, this industry has not been the economic solution for which many residents hoped.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}