Standing at the center of fertile wheat fields 10 miles east of the Columbia River, the compact farming town of Waterville (pop. 1,163) was laid out in 1886 around the stately, whitewashed brick Douglas County Courthouse, which still stands at Birch and Rainier Streets. Most of downtown Waterville has been declared a National Historic District, and the four franchise-free blocks of attractive brick buildings still house banks, cafés, and grocery stores—making it a very nice place to stop on a journey across the state. There’s a photogenic, sign-painted barn at the west end of town, and midway along US-2’s zig-zag through town, the Douglas County Historical Museum at 124 W. Walnut Street has an intriguing display of objects tracing regional history, including Native American artifacts and a perfectly preserved pioneer post office.
Across US-2 from the museum, the attractive Waterville Historic Hotel ($49–149; 509/745-8695) has recently been nicely restored and offers characterful and comfortable accommodations.
