Lincoln County, Washington
county in Washington, United States
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,876, making it the fifth-least populous county in the state. The county seat and largest city is Davenport. Lincoln County was created from Whitman County in November 1883. It is named for Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.
History
In 1883, Lincoln County was created from a portion of Spokane County, and four days later a portion of its area was split to create Douglas County. There have been no further alterations to its boundary since that time. The name Sprague County was originally proposed, in honor of General John W. Sprague, until objections from legislators resulted in the name Lincoln County being used in the final bill. Its 2,317 square miles make it the eighth-largest by area in the state.
Centuries ago, the area now covered by Lincoln County contained an east–west passageway used by indigenous peoples.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Lincoln County, Washington” is county in Washington, United States. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Lincoln, County and Washington, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “county in Washington, United States” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q484150. VIAF identifies the subject as 159461682. The Library of Congress control number is n81138380. Authority coordinates are 47.570, -118.410. 5 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020 and 1883.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Lincoln County, Washington”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Lincoln County, Washington primary sources, Lincoln County, Washington archive and Lincoln research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Lincoln County, Washington”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Lincoln County, Washington” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.