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is a city in, and the county seat of, Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 15,414 at the 2000 census. This number includes the college student population, which accounts for nearly 8,000. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on I-90. Ellensburg is the home of Central Washington University (CWU).
The surrounding Kittitas Valley is internationally known for the timothy-hay that it produces. There are several local hay brokering and processing operations that ship to Pacific Rim countries. The old part of the town is fairly historic, with old brick buildings from the late 19th century. This is a legacy of its bid to be the state capital, which it lost to Olympia. CWU being placed there is another product of that legacy; the state legislature selected Ellensburg as the location for the then Normal School as a consolation prize. Eastern Washington has a much drier climate than Western Washington, and some Seattle-area residents visit the area to spend a weekend without rain; many former Puget Sound residents have moved to the city and commute over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 to jobs located in the Puget Sound region.
Ellensburg is a stop on the PRCA professional rodeo circuit, occurring each year on Labor Day weekend. The Ellensburg Rodeo has been a town tradition since 1923, and is the largest rodeo in Washington state.
Ellensburg was officially incorporated on November 26, 1883. John A. Shoudy came to the Kittitas Valley in 1871, and purchased a small trading post from A.J. Splawn, called "Robber's Roost." Shoudy named the town after his wife, Mary Ellen Shoudy, and officialy began the city of Ellensburg. Robber's Roost was the first business in the valley, other than the early trading that occurred among Indians, cattle drivers, and military personnel. Robber's Roost was located on the present-day 3rd Avenue, just west of Main Street near the alley. There is a placard on the wall commemorating the location, as well as a small stone monument against the wall by the sidewalk on 3rd. Shoudy was not the first settler in the Kittitas Valley, nor was he the first businessperson, but he was responsible for platting the city of Ellensburg in the 1870s, and he was the person who named the streets in town.
The city was originally named Ellensburgh, until the final -h was dropped under standardization pressure from the United States Postal Service and Board of Geography Names in 1894.
Ellensburg is one of the cities featured in the Hank Snow song, "I've Been Everywhere." Also recorded by Johnny Cash.
There were several early newspapers in Ellensburg. The Daily Record, however, began in 1909 and is still the name of the local newspaper today.
Ellensburg hosts the annual Jazz in the Valley music festival on the last weekend in July.
Concerns over the state of Ellensburg's historic downtown have lead to the formation of the Ellensburg Downtown Association to work on revitalizing the area.