Editing Othello, Washington (section)

==History==

The first white settlers in the area were two brothers, Ben and Sam Hutchinson, who built a cabin along the [[Crab Creek]] in 1884. An influx of homesteaders began after the start of the 20th century, and a post office was established in 1904. The post office was named Othello in a public contest after a post office also called Othello in [[Roane County, Tennessee]].<ref name="Spokesman-Profile">{{cite news |last=Hanlon |first=James |date=October 25, 2022 |title=Heart of the Columbia Basin: Othello is young, Hispanic and growing fast |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/oct/25/heart-of-the-columbia-basin-othello-is-young-hispa/ |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |accessdate=October 31, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Seelye">{{cite news |last1=Seelye |first1=Katharine Q. |title=All the Town's a Stage Where the Bard's Works Inspire Street Names |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/us/11outhere.html |access-date=1 March 2023 |work=New York Times |date=10 August 2011}}</ref>

The [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad|Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railroad]] ran a track through Adams County in 1907. In 1912, a hotel was built for the railroad workers. That hotel would be later known as the Old Hotel and Art Gallery. The railroad officially platted the town as a stop, with water to feed the boilers of steam trains. They kept the name Othello and built a railyard and wooden [[Railway roundhouse|roundhouse]] there. Although the roundhouse burned in 1919, it was replaced with a brick structure that lasted many years. Businesses and settlers continued to follow, and the town was incorporated on May 31, 1910.<ref name="History">{{cite web |date=September 7, 2007 |title=History of the City of Othello |url=http://www.othello-wa.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=77 |publisher=City of Othello |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614125311/http://www.othello-wa.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=77 |archive-date=June 14, 2012 |accessdate=October 31, 2022}}</ref> At the time the railroad was the eastern terminus of the second electrified district of the Milwaukee Road's "Pacific Extension" route, which extended up to [[Tacoma, Washington]]. The railroad was abandoned in 1980 following the Milwaukee Road's bankruptcy.<ref name="Spokesman-Profile"/>

The [[United States Bureau of Reclamation|Bureau of Reclamation]] located offices in Othello in 1947, which prevented the decline of this town with the decline of rail shipping after World War II. In the early 1950s, the [[Columbia Basin Project]] brought irrigation to the Othello area, increasing both agriculture and commerce. Prior to this, water came only from Crab Creek and from local wells. The water arrived via the Potholes East Canal between [[Billy Clapp Lake]] and Scootenay Reservoir in Franklin County. Once there was irrigation available, a land drawing was held in Othello. On May 31, 1952, 42 names were drawn (of more than 7000 submitted) for the privilege of purchasing this newly desirable acreage.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gibson |first=Elizabeth |date=April 12, 2007 |title=Grant, Adams, and Franklin counties begin celebrating the Columbia Basin Water Festival on May 22, 1952. |url=https://historylink.org/File/8114 |work=HistoryLink |accessdate=October 31, 2022}}</ref>

From 1951 to 1973, the [[Aerospace Defense Command|637th Radar Squadron]] operated the Othello Radar Station near the town.<ref name="History"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radomes.org/museum/showsite.php?site=Othello+AFS,+WA |title=Air Defense Radar Stations |publisher=Radomes.org |access-date=2013-04-29}}</ref> In 1958, an ice plant was opened in town to service railroad cars moving produce. Frozen food packaging came to town in the early 1960s, and has since become the main industry.<ref>{{cite web |last=Becker |first=Paula |date=July 8, 2006 |title=Adams County — Thumbnail History |url=https://historylink.org/File/7835 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |accessdate=October 31, 2022}}</ref>

Since 1998, Othello has also been home to the Sandhill Crane Festival, celebrating the annual arrival of [[sandhill crane]]s to the nearby [[Columbia National Wildlife Refuge]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Tate |first=Cassandra |date=August 31, 2005 |title=Columbia National Wildlife Refuge |url=https://historylink.org/File/7459 |work=HistoryLink |accessdate=October 31, 2022}}</ref>