Metaline Falls, Washington

Metaline Falls
Town
Metaline Falls, Washington
Metaline Falls
Location of Metaline Falls, Washington
Coordinates: 48°51′41″N 117°22′15″W / 48.86139°N 117.37083°W / 48.86139; -117.37083Coordinates: 48°51′41″N 117°22′15″W / 48.86139°N 117.37083°W / 48.86139; -117.37083
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Pend Oreille
Area [1]
• Total	0.26 sq mi (0.68 km2)
• Land	0.20 sq mi (0.52 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.17 km2)
Elevation	2,090 ft (637 m)
Population  (2010)[3]
• Total	238
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	251
• Density	1,261.31/sq mi (486.85/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	99153
Area code(s)	509
FIPS code	53-45320
GNIS feature ID	1523023[4]

Metaline Falls is a town in Pend Oreille County, Washington, United States. The population was 238 at the 2010 census.^[5]

History[]

Evidence of early indigenous peoples in the area dates to some 12,000 years ago. By 1810, European fur traders were crossing the area. The settlement of Metaline Falls was founded in 1900, with most of its residents then employed by the Mammoth and Morning lead-zinc mines.^[6] Metaline Falls was officially incorporated on 3 May 1911.^[7]

The name Metaline comes from the abundance of lead ore, galena, found in the region. Though these lead deposits were known since 1869, mining did not commence until 1886. Then in 1910, Metaline Falls was connected with the Idaho and Washington Northern Railroad. The Lehigh Portland Cement Co. plant was soon built, taking advantage of the region's limestone deposits. The Pend Oreille Mine was developed in 1929 by Lewis P. Larsen, and combined with production from the Grandview Mine and the Metaline Mine, the area became the state's largest producer of lead and zinc.^{[8][9][10][11]}

In 1942, Executive Order 9066 was issued, resulting in the forced internment of 120,000 Japanese-Americans. George Kubota, Sr., the patriarch of a Japanese-American family who ran a hardware store in town, was arrested and imprisoned by the FBI in Spokane. The editors of the Metaline Falls newspaper and the majority of residents in town protested the arrest, vouching for the Kubota family's loyalty. The FBI eventually released Kubota from custody and did not send the family to an internment camp.^[12][13]

The train sequences of the 1993 film Benny & Joon were filmed in the Metaline Falls area; the 1997 film The Postman was filmed in part in the area. The town's geographic location is similar to that of the fictitious town of Twin Peaks from the TV series of the same name ("Five miles south of the Canadian border, twelve miles west of the state line").^[14]

Geography[]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.21 square miles (0.54 km²), all of it land.^[15]

Climate[]

Metaline Falls has a dry-summer Humid continental climate (Dsb) according to the Köppen climate classification system.

Geologic map of the Metaline Falls area and surrounding mines.

National protected areas[]

• Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (part)
• Colville National Forest
• Salmo-Priest Wilderness

Demographics[]

2010 census[]

As of the census^[3] of 2010, there were 238 people, 124 households, and 54 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,133.3 inhabitants per square mile (437.6/km²). There were 206 housing units at an average density of 981.0 per square mile (378.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.5% White, 0.4% African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.

There were 124 households, of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were married couples living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.5% were non-families. 49.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the town was 48.3 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.9% were from 25 to 44; 37.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census[]

As of the census of 2000, there were 223 people, 122 households, and 52 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,076.1 people per square mile (410.0/km²). There were 192 housing units at an average density of 926.5 per square mile (353.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.86% White, 1.35% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.

There were 122 households, out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 56.6% were non-families. 54.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.83 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.3% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 33.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $17,083, and the median income for a family was $35,250. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $18,333 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,390. About 24.4% of families and 33.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 16.2% of those 65 or over.

References[]