Doris, Washington — Small Piece of the Kittitas Valley

Doris lies outside Ellensburg on the broad floor of the Kittitas Valley.

The valley is unusually good at hiding how engineered its agriculture is. Irrigation supports hay fields, livestock operations and farms across ground that sits in the rain shadow of the Cascades.

Small rural communities once carried more of their own services because Ellensburg was not a quick drive from every farm. Roads and transportation improved, and the county seat gradually absorbed more of that daily activity.

Doris remained small while the agricultural landscape around it stayed busy. The valley itself is the main character here: a wide pocket between mountains where water, grass and transportation made farming practical, and where a place can remain recognizable even after most of its errands moved to Ellensburg.