Northeast Washington was once all called Stevens County.  Its human history goes back to the melting of the Ice sheets 11,000 years ago.  For a period four times longer than that between the present and the Roman Empire, Sinixt Tribes held Kettle Falls and the surrounding area as a sacred fishing ground. Having mountains, game, water and minerals, the area was settled long before Grand Coulee Dam changed the whole of the Columbia Basin into arable land.
   The Internet offers multiple ways to collaborate in researching historical information.  Locally, Map Metrics is teaming up with the Heritage Network in several efforts to preserve local history and make it accessible to everyone.  One of these, the Heritage Wiki site, has tremendous potential to share photos, stories and connections among everyone interested in the history of the area.  The largest treasure trove of information is currently located with the Northeast Washington Genealogical Society.  Map Metrics is also working with the Stevens County Historical Society (SCHS) to create a geology exhibit in the Keller Heritage Center.  An older project with the SCHS began the Old Towns Project.  This map of 119 old towns in Stevens County on this website links to stories and pictures of many of those towns.  We are moving those links to the Heritage Wiki site, where we encourage you to explore and add to this heritage from your own.  For a treasure trove of old photos (free for download or variable costs for prints), check out the Heritage History Store.
    The Museums Tour Map shows NE Washington with links to 21 museums and related historical sites that participate in the Heritage Network.