Moses Lake Scenery

Moses Lake is about 1.5 hours north of Yakima.  It’s in Grant County, which is proud to be the Nation’s #1 potato producing county.  Here are some photos I took today of the beautiful lake areas, which as you can see are surrounded by farmlands.  Here is our LDS Stake Center, where Stake Conference was held:And here is the view from the Stake Center towards the lake:I was happy, as I pulled into the parking lot during Priesthood meeting, to find the parking lot FULL of pick-up trucks!  I felt right at home among these farmers!

Here are a few things you may find interesting about Moses Lake:

5 Fun Facts: Moses Lake, Washington

BY MARK · PUBLISHED DECEMBER 28, 2015 · UPDATED AUGUST 13, 2015

 The city of Moses Lake sits in Central Washington and makes a good spot for those driving east-west across the state to get out and stretch their legs. The city is located very near a number of other attractions, including the Columbia River Gorge, Beverly Off Road Vehicle Park, Potholes State Park, Lake Lenore Caves, Soap Lake, Dry Falls, Banks Lake, Grand Coulee Dam, and of course Moses Lake itself. Whether going there as part of a vacation or a weekend getaway or just driving by, here are five fun facts about this interesting city.

We Already Had One Of Those

Prior to being dammed, Moses Lake was once a much smaller and saltier lake. In fact, one of its early names was Salt Lake. Not to be confused with the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

What’s In A Name?

The first American settlement at Moses Lake was named Neppel, after a town in Germany. In 1938, the town was incorporated and renamed Moses Lake, after the lake it sits on, which was named after Chief Moses.

All About The Base

In 1942, Moses Lake Army Air Base was activated as a temporary World War II training center. In 1950, it was renamed Larson Air Force Base, after World War II Ace fighter pilot Major Donald Larson who was born and raised in nearby Yakima. Larson Air Force Base was home to aircraft belonging to Air Defense Command, and one of their primary missions at the time was the protection of both the Hanford Atomic Works and Grand Coulee Dam. It would also later be home to Titan I intercontinental ballistic missiles. In 1966, the United States Air Force left the property and the federal government transferred ownership to Grant County, becoming Grant County International Airport.

A Long Way From Tokyo

For more than four decades, from the late 1960s up until 2009, Japan Air Lines used Grant County International Airport to train its Boeing 747 crews.

Born There

Some of the famous names who were either born or lived for a time in Moses Lake that you may recognize include: Baseball players T.R. Bryden, Ryan Doumit, and Dave Heaverlo. Football player Jason Buck, actors Matt Cedeno and Clarence Gilyard Jr., golfer Kirk Triplett, basketball player Bryan Warrick, and daredevil/entertainer Evel Knievel.