Stevens County, Wa community traits (Seattle, Spokane: appointed, to rent, crime)
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My husband and I are looking to move into our final home soon, and are looking at Stevens County in particular (Springdale and Chewelah are standing out). I can narrow my property search to find a great home, but I have no way of researching the community/folks that live in the area. Maybe you can give a little insight for me:
Are they open to outsiders? I have spent the last 18 years in a community that still does not accept us. The town is largely controlled by the handful of 'old names' that started it, and if you are not somehow related to them, you will always feel like an outsider...no matter how much you volunteer or try to help out. Drives me crazy. I'd really like to feel welcome in my final home. So, do the small towns in Stevens County have that 'private clubhouse' mentality, or are they open and welcoming to new folks?
Is there a decent standard of living? I'm not talking wealth or religion, just referring to common decency, cleanliness, and morals. Looking for a community of down to earth, kind, honest, good people.
Lastly, are there any live music/art/culture presences what-so-ever in these towns? And if not, would the folks there be open to it? Organizing community events focusing on the arts is what I do best...would that be well received?
Thanks so much for any input. Again, these are questions that I just don't know how to answer on my own...other than going door to door .
I guess the question I would ask you as a point of reference is - where do you live now that you are referring to? This info is important for comparative purposes.
This is my own personal soap box - but I have a big problem with people from big cities who decide to move to the country, and then decide that they hate it because it's not Seattle with less people.
In other words, they expect the small town that they move to to be super liberal, and have five-star restaurants, and have plays and operas going on constantly, but only have 1000 people in the town.
And, worse yet, those people may then decide that the locals in the town NEED to be exposed to that person's opinion of what their own "idyllic" small town life should be.
To answer your ""music/art/culture presences" question - no, there is very little of that in Stevens County, and no, I doubt that the majority of people would be open to much of it. Both of those towns are, like all the other towns in Stevens County, small very conservative towns. Kettle Falls has a very small theater that uses local, non-professional actors to put on 2 or 3 plays per year, and there are a few other dance groups and things (mostly for kids). Other than that, you have the rare live music (usually country music) at the local town festivals and county fairs - not much else.
As far being accepted - I moved to Colville 4 years ago without knowing a single person in town - and have been accepted very well. I am, however, a conservative small-town guy that grew-up in another small-town in Eastern Washington.
So therefore, as far as acceptance goes - I would say that it's probably not an issue, just so long as you aren't trying to force your own values/political ideals on the locals there. Many people in the small towns in Eastern Washington are very sensitive to big city people coming-in and trying to change everything in their town by giving it a big-city, liberal slant - this has happened in towns like Leavenworth and Winthrop - and everyone in Eastern Washington knows that. (Not saying you would do that - just trying to give you some real-life experience).
I totally understand the dislike for city folk coming in and wanting to change things around there. We own a small cabin north of Sandpoint and have been vacationing there for nearly 20 years. We were going there before the big Californication happened...I get it. The negative impact of that kind of influx is really a shame.
I love the town, but work considerations and basic cost of living issues require that we move closer to Spokane. We are currently living on a farm in central Minnesota. It has been our long standing goal to move to the Pacific Northwest, to be within a short drive to our cabin.
I'm not looking to change anybody. At our current location (very small town, logistically and mentality wise), we have turned our farm into a community music and arts center. We invite the community onto our property once or twice a month and host community concerts, art fairs, and the like. It's our way of supporting the arts while encouraging a sense of community. Not saying that I wish to do the exact same out there, but I do have a lot of connections in the music industry, and would be open to organizing music/art events in the communities out there. That's all...just wondering if folks would be open to it.
Good to know you've felt welcomed as a newcomer...that is comforting!
Any other advice/comments would be much appreciated. Side note, I am an avid gardener and relatively self sustaining. Any comments on soil quality, etc would be great.
I didn't mean to imply that you were a city-slicker comin' to wreck our area. It's just my pet-peeve, especially on this forum.
I think it would be great to try to start some community gatherings, and maybe I should amend what I said before - I think people in our area MAY be open to art and music, as long as it was focused on a genre that is "familiar" to people in the area. Music like country, classic rock, blues, etc, and nature/cowboy type art could actually possibly be a positive thing. But (maybe it's just me) I don't think you will get a ton of turn-out for Hip Hop concerts or ultra-modern art exhibits around here.
Sorry, can't help you on the gardening thing. Every plant I touch dies.
I think it is very important to make sure your values align with the community values.
We lived in Stevens County from 1981 to 1985. I was ok with it, since I really enjoy hunting and fishing, as well as other outdoor activities. My wife HATED it. So much so that she refused to even go back for a visit. Our friends from there had to visit us!!
We were particularly disappointed in government services like schools and libraries. That really was not a priority for Stevens County at that time. Not sure if that is still true today. Just before we left, we even started looking for a home in Ferry County on the other side of the Columbia River so that we could be part of North Central Library system. When you want to move for the better library services that says a lot.
The good news is there are plenty of homes on rural acreages with decent water. I think Stevens County works well for folks that are NOT that community oriented. And that is ok with me. I just don't want to live in those communities.
Since your so close to Colville when your in Sandpoint I would spend sometime just hanging around town. You can get a pretty good feel for a community just by visiting stores, parks, schools, and libraries.
We moved to Colville from North Idaho so it wasn't like it was a real culture shock moving to Colville. In your case, Sandpoint is a pretty unique town in Idaho. The only communities that I think come close to Sandpoint are Winthrop and Leavenworth on the east slope of the Cascades. Whitefish and some Montana communities might make the cut, but that puts you farther away from Spokane. Missoula is a really nice town, but it is really a city instead of a town. Moscow, Idaho is a pretty nice town.
On gardening.......we had several gardens while there. Though the last couple of years our well was not good enough to support a decent garden. What I noticed was everything ripens just before the first frost. A couple of years we were literally picking everything in the dark before it froze.
Contrast that with Wenatchee. I have had ripe tomatoes as early as May and usually good production starts in mid-June. Corn is ripe by mid-July. So gardening is fine as long as your willing until September to harvest the warmer weather crops. I would get a greenhouse if I lived in Colville again.
We were particularly disappointed in government services like schools and libraries. That really was not a priority for Stevens County at that time. Not sure if that is still true today.
I have no particular loyalty to Colville, since I consider Winthrop to be my hometown, but I do live here currently, and I disagree with a couple of your comments.
I would agree that the library system in NCW is much better than the libraries in Stevens County, although I'm not sure how many people that has a major impact on anymore, considering that most books are available online through Amazon or some other website.
As far as schools go, I can't say that I've noticed much difference in the "community-ness" of the schools. There was huge support here for the Colville high school football team recently, but that may just be because they are finally competitive. And I know that the science-worthiness of GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community is debatable, but they rank Wenatchee High School a 4 out of 10, Eastmont a 3 out of 10, and Colville High School an 8 out of 10.
Not meaning to argue for the sake of argument, but I think things may have changed here since the '80's.
Lots of good info here. Nice to see so many willing to share TRUE opinions. Now I am requesting your help.
I have lived in Philadelphia, PA All my life. I'm 45. Single, except for my 3 dogs and 3 cats. I'm beyond tired of the crime here. Mostly the rapes and murders. I feel safe as long as I STAY on MY street.
Anyway...I'm looking to make a move to or around Spokane, WA. I am a very sociable, friendly person. I LOVE Shopping, gardening and taking my dogs to dog parks.
I am looking for a safe, fun, "Partially" quiet, peaceful, reasonably priced place to rent. I would GREATLY appreciate any and all advice on where I should even start looking. Please feel free to ask me any questions regarding my needs/wants for me and my furry family.
Are they open to outsiders? I have spent the last 18 years in a community that still does not accept us. The town is largely controlled by the handful of 'old names' that started it, and if you are not somehow related to them, you will always feel like an outsider. Lastly, are there any live music/art/culture presences what-so-ever in these towns? And if not, would the folks there be open to it? Organizing community events focusing on the arts is what I do best...would that be well received
Hey 3Pony. Having lived and worked throughout the NW, including the counties of Bonner, Kootenai, Spokane, Stevens, King, and Snohomish, I’ve got a pretty good handle on the demographic pulse of each area. Based on your criteria, which includes proximity to Spokane, cultivation of the Arts, and preference for an open community, the only locations within Stevens County I can even remotely recommend are the those considered ‘bedroom’ communities of Spokane; i.e., Loon Lake and Suncrest. Anywhere north and you’ll likely encounter the same provincialism and backward mentality toward the Arts you wish to avoid.
To illustrate, in my encounters with residents located in Colville (Stevens County, WA), the opening question is not, ”what do you do?“ but “who are you related to?” WTF?
This runs entirely counter to the standard pleasantries considered appropriate in polite, democratic society. This has DICK to do with urbanites imposing themselves on rural locals. It’s called common decency vs marginalizing human beings based on family lineage. I’m world traveled including third world, but Colville Washington tops the charts where provincial behavior is concerned. There is almost what I’d consider a feudal cast system at play in economically depressed, under-educated Colville. For this reason I refer to Colville as, ‘Little Appalachia.’ While in the area I did make friends, but they all came from some place else. In short, expect to remain the perennial outsider if you’re not related to any of the “old names.” I echo 509's sentiments regarding the sorry state of Stevens County Library system. Buildings and infrastructure are antiquated, websites lag behind neighboring counties, and circulation caters to pedestrian tastes. This is not the case in neighboring counties with similar demographics. Tax payers should't have to resort to online book sellers for titles that should be available at their local library.
In light of this, you might consider Deer Park, a bedroom community of Spokane, but because it’s in Spokane vs Stevens Co., it offers superior services sans provincialism, affordable acreage, open community, and short, easy commute to Spokane. Alternatively, the community of Rathdrum, ID offers affordable, wooded/pastured acreage within relatively short commute to Spokane. Rathdrum retains it’s rural character, but has experienced enough outsider influx to dilute provincialism, and because it’s situated between two urban centers (Spokane and Coeur d’Alene), you may find attracting both artists and their supporters an easy task.
My husband and I are looking to move into our final home soon, and are looking at Stevens County in particular (Springdale and Chewelah are standing out). I can narrow my property search to find a great home, but I have no way of researching the community/folks that live in the area. Maybe you can give a little insight for me:
Are they open to outsiders? I have spent the last 18 years in a community that still does not accept us. The town is largely controlled by the handful of 'old names' that started it, and if you are not somehow related to them, you will always feel like an outsider...no matter how much you volunteer or try to help out. Drives me crazy. I'd really like to feel welcome in my final home. So, do the small towns in Stevens County have that 'private clubhouse' mentality, or are they open and welcoming to new folks?
Is there a decent standard of living? I'm not talking wealth or religion, just referring to common decency, cleanliness, and morals. Looking for a community of down to earth, kind, honest, good people.
Lastly, are there any live music/art/culture presences what-so-ever in these towns? And if not, would the folks there be open to it? Organizing community events focusing on the arts is what I do best...would that be well received?
Thanks so much for any input. Again, these are questions that I just don't know how to answer on my own...other than going door to door .
My wife and I and our 3 young kids just relocated from Puyallup, wa to Fruitland, wa. We yearned for this lifestyle we have now. 3K sq. ft. home on 25 acres with nothing but woods to see. No neighbors to see, no loud cars parties druggies etc. I'm a country person at heart. I no longer get strange stares when I walk into a store with my carhartt double front pants and suspenders on. I feel more at home here. We embrace the simple life. It really is as simple for us as going to work, paying bills and having fun. We have one dog and we intend to keep it that way as we do like to travel and vacation. Farm animals will only go as far as chickens, mainly for the eggs. Possibly goats someday but we'll see. There is a decent standard of living here. Many people work for a living around here and don't mooch off the government which in turn equates to more integrity within the community. We've only been here since July and have observed a massive difference in culture. People wave and smile more. People aren't glued to their electronic devices. People dont try to impress everyone and each other hardly at all. Things that seem to really matter in larger demographics dont matter here. Its live and let live mentality which is very befitting to us. We had a pack of coyotes come onto our property a few times. A few more times later I put an end to it with the 12 gauge and some 00 buckshot. No cops were called, no neighbors came crying to my door telling me they heard gunshots. People aren't on edge in these parts. It's just how things are done, old fashioned. Its our cup of tea. We hated Puyallup for every reason a country folk might hate the city. But we made a buttload of money from selling our house in the city so there is some good from that. People here aren't as passive aggressive as they are in the puget sound area. If someone has something to say, they just say it. Their not rude or impolite, but to the point. Its not anyones problem but your own if your feelings get hurt or you feel uncomfortable about someone being honest. We like that.
EDIT: To answer your question about the arts thing, you wouldn't have much luck at all garnering interest in some outside show coming to town. People dont care about that here, and the few that do go to spokane for it. However, you would have success with organizing something where local youth are involved somehow with the arts. I can tell you when the Carpenter road fire happened, the community came together like what you see happen in the movies during a major natural disaster. Everyone who helped just kind of fell in line and helped without expecting anything in return.
IMO, you should focus on resort towns or other areas that rely on tourism for their economy. There's always going to be an influx of new people into those areas so it's easier to meet people and get connected vs a rural agriculture-based small town where nobody "new" ever moves in. College towns (depending on the reputation of the university) can also be good for this. Both college towns and resort towns typically punch way above their weight regarding local arts and culture. Colville isn't what you're looking for.
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