1. Okanogan County is the third largest county in the entire United States of America.
2. Though not traveled much presently, in the early days of settlement in the west, the trip through the Okanogan Valley was one of the main routes to Canada.
3. Okanogan County encompasses the Okanogan Valley. When the valley is within the borders of Canada, it is spelled as Okanagan.
4. The Okanogan River flows from Lake Osoyoos to the Columbia River. During its entire seventy-seven mile flow, the river only drops a total of 125 feet.
5. The first European to see the Okanogan River was explorer David Thomson.
6. At one time, all of what is now Okanogan County was part of an Indian Reservation.
7. The town of Oroville was originally just named Oro.
8. The town of Chesaw is the only municipality in the entire United States named after someone of Chinese nationality.
9. Before becoming its own county, the area that is now Okanogan County spent time as part of Clark County, Walla Walla County, Spokane County, and Stevens County.
10. In 1899, Okanogan County saw its southern portion removed to become the northern part of Chelan County.
11. Okanogan County’s population tripled from 1890 to 1900, and then came close to tripling again from 1900 to 1910.
12. Conconully Lake was formed by the building of an earthen dam in 1907.
13. The Okanogan National Forest, which encompasses most of the land in Okanogan County, was split off from the Chelan National Forest in 1911.
14. The Omak Stampede was first held in 1934.
15. Okanogan County did not receive its first stop light until the 1980’s.