One of Washington’s Most Unusual Named Towns Is Right Next to Tri-Cities

It's In The Top 10 Of Most Unusually Named Washington State Towns

One of the smallest towns in Washington also has one of the state's most unusual names.

This Little Washington Town's Name Is Shrouded In Mystery

North of the Tri-Cities in Franklin County lies a little town that has an unusual name and for the most part, the origin of the name of the town remains a mystery to some extent.

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Nestled just north of the Tri-Cities, the little town consists of 193 residents and is mainly known for cattle and wheat farming.

This Washington Town Has Never Graduated A Senior Class Larger Than 12 Students

The town was founded in 1902 and named " Hardersburg" after one of its pioneer families consisting of Hans Harder.

It wasn't long after its founding that the town became Kahlotus but ironically the name of the town is uncertain.

It's been speculated that Kahlotus in Native American is "Hole In The Ground" and another theory is there was a Yakima Chief named Kohlotus, Quillatose (by future governor Isaac Stevens), Qalatos, and Kahlatoose.

It still remains a bit of a mystery but it does give Kahlotus a unique status in Washington State for having such a unique name.

It might surprise you to learn that Kahlotus also once had a lake that was very popular for fishing and crabbing. Various floods and such caused the lake to shrink and now what remains is a marshy area at the edge of town.

Here's a neat video of driving through Kahlotus, where you'll see most of the town in a few minutes.

Another interesting fact is, The Kahlotus School District since its founding has never had a graduating class of more than 12 students at any given time.

If you are looking at the Top 10 most unique names for towns in Washington State, you'll likely always find Kahlotus on it. It might not be Humptulips but Kahlotus has its own uniqueness that you won't find anywhere else.