Whitstran, Washington — Two Railroad Nurses May Have Named the Town

Whitstran's best naming story involves two women and a linguistic splice.

One account says the railroad combined the surnames of Laura Whitaker and May Strangeways—WHIT plus STRAN—after the cousins developed acreage nearby.

They were reportedly retired railroad nurses.

Another account points elsewhere, so the evidence is not clean enough to declare the charming version settled fact.

The community itself is easier to establish.

Agricultural development northeast of Prosser began under names including Valley Heights and the Swede Settlement.

Rail service arrived, while farms, orchards and vineyards spread across irrigated country.

A school and small center kept Whitstran recognizable.

Some places lose their naming story.

Whitstran may have one too good for the surviving footnotes to control.