Lincoln

Formed November 24, 1883 (29^th county)

Lincoln County (10,570), Davenport (1,734)

The tan brick Renaissance Revival structure was built in 1897 and enlarged in 1906.  The courthouse is on Logan Street between 4^th and 5^th streets.  United States Highway 2 is one block to the south of the facility.  The building was rebuilt in 1996 following a fire.  Dow & Hubell provided the original designs.  It features a tower and columns.  A 1984 District Courthouse augments the county courthouse.  The county was formed on November 24, 1883 from Whitman County as the 29^th county.  Davenport (1883 & 1896) and Sprague (1884) have each served as the county seat.  Lincoln County is named for United States President Abraham Lincoln.  The county seat was named for settler J. C. Davenport. 

Lincoln County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One Superior Court Judge and One District Court Judge serve Lincoln County.  Lincoln County is in the eastern part of the state.  Spokane, Washington is directly east and Seattle, Washington is west of the county.  The Columbia River forms its northwest border.  The county center is 18.4 miles Southwest of Davenport nearer Harrington.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Ferry, Stevens, Spokane, Whitman, Adams, Grant, and Okanogan counties. 

The area of the county is 2340 square miles.  It is 9 out of 39 in the state.  It ranks 35 out of 39 in population in the state.  It has a density of 4.52 persons per square mile making it 37 out of 39 in the state.  Lincoln County has 51.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 90 clips the southeast corner of the county from Spokane County, east, to Adams County, south.  United States Highway 2 crosses east to west from Spokane County to Grant County.  United States Highway 395 is joined with Interstate Highway 90 from Spokane to Adams counties.  The county is shaped like a square bowl of ice cream with a number of scoops taken out.  Davenport is located in the northeast quarter of the county.  Davenport is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 16.4% of the county population.