Govan, WA

These days, there's not much left of Govan. It is not a tourist attraction by any means. Like many of Central Washington's ghost towns, the population died off as agriculture became more mechanized and the car took over from the railroads as the primary method of transportation.


Govan was initially established as a railway station on the Central Washington Railway in 1889. The following year, a large sandbank in the area was discovered, causing the town to boom. The sand was used for construction of the railroad as it was extended through Govan and west to Almira. By 1898, Govan was thriving, with a population of about 76 and several local businesses and amenities. They were even granted a post office charter.

But it wasn't long before tragedy struck. In 1902, Judge J.A. Lewis and his wife Penelope were brutally murdered with an axe. At the time, it was reported as the "most brutal crime ever committed in the county." Less than a year later, C.S. Thennes was killed by a masked gunman at the Govan Saloon. None of these murders were ever solved, and no motive was discovered, although Judge J.A. Lewis was rumored to have kept large amounts of cash at home, prompting a potential robbery. In 1927, a fire wiped out most of Govan's business district.

While the town was rebuilt, it was never the same. And in 1933, when the community was bypassed by US Route 2, it faced its demise.