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Washington · Columbia River Gorge East · Stonehenge Replica · Wind Power
Klickitat County, Washington
Maryhill's eccentric plateau and the world's first wind farm — from Sam Hill's full-size Stonehenge replica built as a WWI memorial on a Columbia River bluff to the Maryhill Museum of Art's surprising Rodin sculptures in a remote Washington canyon, the Klickitat River's premier steelhead fishing, and a county of vast wheat plateaus and wind turbines where the Columbia Gorge's strong winds power one of the nation's first major wind energy developments.
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Office: Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management (KCDEM) – operates a dispatch center in Goldendale | (509) 773-0582 ext. 2
Notes: KCDEM’s mission covers disaster mitigation, response, recovery, and public outreach programs. The county’s own alert system has posted current, active wildfire notices (e.g., a recent Burdoin Fire alert) – confirm current fire/hazard status directly given fire-season variability. Klickitat County EMS District No. 1, formed 2013 and overseen by 5 appointed board members, provides EMS services countywide, (509) 773-1026.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-14 runs along the Columbia River Gorge; US-97 crosses north-south through Goldendale
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Klickitat County Building Department – 115 W. Court St., Rm 301, Goldendale, WA 98620 | Phone lines close at 4:30 PM daily
Services: Inspection requests must be called in at least 1 day prior – the inspector does not schedule inspections directly and there is no message line for late requests, which get pushed to the next available day for your area
Notes: A genuinely current change – effective June 1, 2026, Washington State Energy Code credits are processed through a new online system; applicants must set up an account, enter project information, and print a passing result to submit with their Building Permit application. Confirm whether your property falls under county or City of Goldendale jurisdiction, as the city maintains its own separate Building Inspector, (509) 773-3771.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs – dva.wa.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest County Veterans Service Officer)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with dva.wa.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Confirm current library system structure directly, as Klickitat County libraries were not fully confirmed under one named regional system in available sources.
Notes: Contact Klickitat County or the City of Goldendale directly for current library hours and branch locations.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Klickitat County holds a genuinely remarkable historical landmark in the Maryhill Stonehenge Memorial – a full-scale concrete replica of England’s Neolithic Stonehenge, built by philanthropist and Quaker pacifist Samuel Hill and dedicated July 4, 1918 as the FIRST monument in the entire United States to honor World War I dead, specifically memorializing the servicemen of Klickitat County who lost their lives in the war (completed and re-dedicated May 30, 1929); Hill intended the monument as a statement against the “needless human sacrifice” of modern warfare, drawing on the belief that the original Stonehenge served as a place of ancient sacrifice; nearby monuments now also honor Klickitat County’s WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan war dead; the adjacent Maryhill Museum of Art, Hill’s converted European-style mansion, draws roughly 10,000 visitors monthly and sits on 6,000 acres including outdoor Lewis and Clark Expedition interpretive panels and a sculpture collection; Maryhill Loops Road, built by Hill in 1913, was the first paved road in Washington State, demonstrating asphalt paving technology, and is reopened to automobile traffic annually on Hill’s May 13th birthday; Klickitat County was created from Walla Walla County on December 20, 1859, named for the Klickitat tribe, and contains part of the Yakama Indian Reservation; the county’s southern border along the Columbia River Gorge was carved by the Missoula Floods (also called Bretz Floods), the greatest scientifically documented floods known to have occurred in North America; other attractions include Maryhill State Park (81 acres, Columbia River shoreline), Brooks Memorial State Park in the southern Cascades, and the Whoop-n-Holler Museum in Bickleton featuring antique cars and agricultural heirlooms
Notes: Stonehenge Memorial’s status as the nation’s first WWI memorial is a genuinely significant, well-documented historical fact – this is not tourism embellishment but verified American memorial history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Klickitat County GIS – accessible via klickitatcounty.gov
Parcel Search: Klickitat County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through KCDEM
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Enforcement: Klickitat County Sheriff’s Posse handles county animal control – (509) 773-4545; the City of Goldendale separately handles animal control within city limits through its Police Department, also (509) 773-4545, requiring annual dog licensing (due January 1) with current rabies vaccination proof
Notes: IMPORTANT, honestly-flagged situation – the former city-owned Goldendale dog pound faced serious, publicly documented living-condition complaints; following a police chief inspection, the City of Goldendale did not renew the operating contract with the previous kennel operator, and officials stated the facility “is not going to be used to hold animals again” without extensive rodent control and safety remediation. Confirm current animal shelter/impound arrangements directly with the Sheriff’s Office or City of Goldendale, as this situation may still be evolving and a stable, standalone county shelter facility was not clearly confirmed in available sources.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Washington State Department of Ecology – ecology.wa.gov
Notes: Contact Klickitat County Public Works directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Klickitat County holds genuinely profound historical significance in the Maryhill Stonehenge Memorial, the first monument built anywhere in the United States to honor World War I’s dead – a striking, deeply intentional piece of American memorial history. The county’s animal shelter situation has real, documented problems worth being direct about – the former Goldendale dog pound was found unfit for continued use after a formal inspection, and current arrangements should be confirmed directly rather than assumed stable. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, and heritage pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Klickitat County
Klickitat County is Washington’s Maryhill Museum and Columbia River Gorge wind corridor county – the improbably located world-class art museum with Rodin sculptures above the Gorge, the Stonehenge memorial replica, and the wind turbines defining the renewable energy future of the Columbia River canyon define a county of extraordinary contrasts.
Goldendale (the county seat, population ~3,400) is Klickitat County’s governmental hub on US 97, a south-central Washington community whose Maryhill Museum proximity, Columbia River Gorge setting, and wheat and cattle farming economy anchor its identity.
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Klickitat County Assessor at 205 S. Columbus Avenue, Goldendale, WA 98620, phone 509-773-4096. WA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Klickitat County Superior Court (Probate) at 205 S. Columbus Avenue, Goldendale, WA 98620, phone 509-773-4612, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
205 South Columbus Ave, Goldendale, WA 98620
(509) 773-5744
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Klickitat County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, Goldendale (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Southwest Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives, at Washington State University Vancouver, serves counties in this region.
Local societies
No dedicated Klickitat County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Klickitat County Superior Court 205 South Columbus Avenue, Room 204, Goldendale, WA 98620 (509) 773-5755
Klickitat County is in South Central Washington along the Columbia River Gorge, county seat Goldendale. Washington has NO separate probate court and has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is handled through the Superior Court in each county, under Title 11 RCW.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Washington probate is entirely discretionary – the law does not require a probate proceeding to be filed after a death, regardless of whether there was a will. Probate is typically pursued only when the decedent owned real property titled solely in their name, or personal property exceeding the small estate threshold.
Small Estate Affidavit (RCW 11.62.010) – available when the decedent’s entire probate estate does not exceed $100,000 (personal property only, not counting the surviving spouse’s community property interest), and at least 40 days have passed since death. No court filing is required – the successor presents the sworn affidavit directly to whoever holds the asset. All debts must be paid or provided for first.
Nonintervention Powers (RCW 11.68) – Washington’s signature alternative to full court-supervised probate. If the estate is solvent, the Superior Court MUST grant the personal representative nonintervention powers upon request (unless the will specifically forbids it). Once granted, the representative can sell, mortgage, and distribute estate property, and ultimately close the estate by filing a Declaration of Completion – all without further court orders, notice to beneficiaries, or hearings.
Full/Supervised Administration – required only when nonintervention powers are denied or not sought, typically in contested or insolvent estates.
TEDRA (Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act, RCW 11.96A) – Washington’s framework for resolving probate, trust, and estate disputes.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to serve as personal representative files a petition with the Klickitat County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, along with the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one).
The personal representative petitions for nonintervention powers, which the court must grant if the estate is solvent (unless the will forbids it).
Once granted, the representative pays debts, manages and distributes property, and notifies creditors, without further court supervision.
The estate is closed by filing a Declaration of Completion.
What it costs
Filing fees and probate costs vary by estate complexity; confirm current Klickitat County Superior Court fees directly.
Washington HAS a state estate tax, separate from any small estate affidavit or nonintervention process. For deaths on or after July 1, 2026, the applicable exclusion amount is $3,000,000 (RCW 83.100.020), with rates from 10% to 20%. There is NO portability between spouses.
The federal estate tax exemption is far higher, at $15,000,000 for a 2026 death.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
205 South Columbus Ave, Goldendale, WA 98620
(509) 773-4545
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
205 South Columbus Ave, Goldendale, WA 98620
(509) 773-4001
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Klickitat County Health Department, 228 West Main St, Goldendale, WA 98620
(509) 773-4565
DSHS Community Services Office
228 West Main St, Goldendale, WA 98620
(509) 773-3131
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Klickitat County Health Department
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Confirm current hours and services directly.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Goldendale
Population: 22,500
Area: 1,872 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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