A brief history of Moses Lake, Washington...

The City of Sulktalthscosum Lake? That could have been our city's name had an early party of Presbyterian missionaries, at Lapwai, not given that Indian Chief the name of "Moses." Chief Sulktalthscosum, born in 1829, was the chief of the tribe of Indians inhabiting this area. They were called Kowalchina and sometimes Sinkiuse and Columbias. This chief was one of the most influential Indian leaders in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho in the mid to late 1800's. The citizens of the hamlet of Neppel voted, in 1938, to rename their community in honor of Chief Moses and the city became known as Moses Lake. His name had already been attached to the lake next to Neppel and a coulee between Wenatchee and Ephrata also bore the name of the chief, whose bands were well known for their fine horses. Moses' people roamed the Basin in the late 1800's until he was unfairly accused of murder. In 1878, a couple was murdered near Rattlesnake Springs by a band thought to be connected to Chief Joseph. The military, however, blamed the incident on Chief Moses. He was captured near present day O'Sullivan Dam and ordered to stand trial in Yakima, where he was found innocent. Chief Moses went to Washington D.C., talked to President Rutherford B. Hayes and turned control of the Columbia Basin over to the government which opened the basin for homesteading. Moses then moved to the Methow Valley and Chelan.

The history of our community began in 1910. It was then the hamlet of Neppel was founded to serve the needs of a small group of pioneering farmers who settled on the shores of the lake. From its small beginning, Moses Lake has grown and prospered to what it is today, the commercial hub of the Columbia Basin in Grant County, located on north/south State Highway 17 and east/west on Federal Interstate 90. This rural environment provides friendliness and security, yet the urban resources of Seattle or Spokane are within easy driving distance. This is a pleasant living area with a great variety of scenery and recreational opportunities in an area of moderate climate.

The lake, Moses Lake, on which the town lies is made up of three main arms which are over 18 miles long and up to one mile wide. It is the largest, natural body of fresh water in Grant County. Moses Lake has over 120 miles of shoreline and covers 6,500 acres.