Near Ephrata in Grant County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)

History of the Rocky Ford Area

Photographed by Chris English, October 18, 2022

1. History of the Rocky Ford Area Marker

Inscription. Chief Moses and many Indians from miles around came to gather food, trade & race horses each summer at the great encampment 3/4 mile east of here on Rocky Ford Creek. During the Nez Perce War of 1877, Chief Joseph sent runners to Chief Moses camp asking for help. The Military Wagon Rd. from Ft. Walla Walla to Camp Chelan passed near by. Upper Ranch of Lord Blyth, early day cattleman was on creek at site of the Indian camp. Thousands of cattle grazed here in the 1800's. Formerly the worlds largest private fish hatchery was located 4 mi. no. of here. Area settled in the early 1900's.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1877.

Location. 47° 16.231′ N, 119° 28.083′ W. Marker is near Ephrata, Washington, in Grant County. It is on Washington Route 17 at milepost 67, 0.2 miles south of Route 282, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Soap Lake WA 98851, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Columbia Basin. It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Pacific Rim,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Nat Washington House (approx. 5.3 miles away); South East Asian War Memorial

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(approx. 5.3 miles away); Early Days in Ephrata (approx. 5.3 miles away); History of the Stratford Area (approx. 14 miles away).

Additional keywords. Chief Joseph, Walla Walla, Rocky Ford

View West History of the Rocky Ford Area Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Chris English, October 18, 2022

2. View West History of the Rocky Ford Area Marker

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, June 12, 2017

3. History of the Rocky Ford Area Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2022, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. This page has been viewed 1,388 times since then and 107 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 19, 2022, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. 3. submitted on June 7, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.