Addy, Washington — Valley Chose the Route Before the Railroad Did

Addy sits along the Colville River in a valley that naturally funnels travel north and south through Stevens County.

Railroad builders recognized the advantage in the late nineteenth century. A station developed there and took the name of Addy Thompson, wife of an early settler. Farms, timber operations and travelers used the same corridor.

The railroad eventually surrendered much of its transportation role to highways. The route barely changed.

U.S. 395 now carries the conspicuous traffic through a community spread among homes, rural property and roadside businesses.

Addy remained relevant because every replacement transportation system kept discovering the same thing: the valley had already chosen the sensible way north.