8-6-2025 Leavenworth, WA

The earliest inhabitants of the Leavenworth area, not surprisingly, were native Indian Tribes, hunters, gatherers and fishermen living chiefly on the salmon from the Wenatchee River.  When white guys came along, the Indians were pushed onto reservations and lumbering became the major source of economic growth.  The population of the town (originally named Icicle Flats) in those days was roughly 2,500, two percent were women.  In 1892, James J. Hill, a railroad tycoon and owner of the Great Northern Railroad, gave the order to, “conquer the Cascade Mountains,” to pursue his dream of a cross-country railroad.  Thus, the town boomed.  Later, in the 1920s, both the lumber and railroad industries left town when all the trees that could be reached had been mowed down. 

 

Icicle Flats plunged into ghost town status except for about 200 hardy souls who persevered.  In about the 1960s, along came Ted Price and Bob Rodgers.  Both were born in 1923 and they were more than just friends, if you know what I mean.  They decided to buy a failing restaurant in Icicle Flats and create their own restaurant, which was known as the Squirrel Tree.  The architecture is in the Bavarian style to which Bob had taken a particular fancy while serving in the Army overseas.  With the demise of the lumber industry and the departure of the railroad, the impoverished townsfolk decided to carry the theme throughout the town in an effort to resuscitate the economy with tourism.  It worked.  Charles Leavenworth created the plat maps for the town and its name was changed from Icicle Flats to Leavenworth in his honor.

The Squirrel Tree restaurant building

 

All of the buildings in the town were given a facelift and plans for any remodeled or new business had to pass the standards and gain approval from the town councilmen to abide the Bavarian theme.  This still stands.  Even McDonald’s and gas stations must have their plans approved, their signs must be in Germanic script and murals are required on the buildings.  Not that there were many German families residing in Leavenworth.  It was just a style that they loved and it drew crowds.  The murals often tell a story of the folks who occupy or own the building.  Also, Leavenworth is now rated the # 1 Christmas village in the US and # 2 in the world behind Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany.  During the holiday season, a half million lights decorate every square inch of the town from November to February.

Very unique mural.
The man is on a ladder that appears
to be leaning on the actual window.
The little boy is standing on a real
roof grasping Christmas lights from
his sister.  

A photo of Leavenworth at
Christmastime.

The buildings and restaurant
gardens on Front Street.

 

Behind Rob is the Rhein Haus
built in about 2000.

The Squirrel Tree Restaurant went through a couple of iterations including a brothel, beauty supply shop and eventually was abandoned and fell into disrepair.  However, in the 1960s while Leavenworth was still undergoing its Bavarian facelift, a 20 year old young man carved and painted the dancing statues in the glockenspiel that still operates every hour on the hour in the old Squirrel Tree restaurant.  The building is now being restored and will become the town’s Visitor’s Center.

 

The glockenspiel opens on the hour and 
the dancers spin to wonderful
oompah music.

 

Every morning at 9:15 AM (Yes, I 
made it!), a man plays the
alpenhorn from the balcony
of the Enzian Inn.

Lovely.

Ice cream and a glass of wine.
Ein prosit!

Obviously, every town needs
an accordion-playing beer.  This
one stands at the King
Ludwig restaurant.

Rob gets his wienerschnitzel fix.

 The No. 1 Christmas village
would not be complete without
live reindeer to pet and feed!
Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, Comet and
Blitzen are pictured here!

Business booms in little Leavenworth.  There are American, Mexican and Asian restaurants, for sure, but if you seek authentic German cuisine, you’ve come to the right place.  There are 90 restaurants, myriad taverns, breweries, wineries and literally thousands of hotel rooms for a tiny town with a population of about 3,000.  The number of tourists per year tops 3.6 million.  It is a Bavarian baptism by total immersion to spend time in charming Leavenworth, WA.  But before you make a decision to relocate here, be apprised that the average annual snowfall is 8 feet.  Icicle Flats indeed!  Pack a shovel!

 

(Yes, I found a Steinbach nutcracker, an endangered species.)