Michael Elenko - Ritzville, Washington

Ritzville, Washington

Ritzville is a small town in eastern Washington. It's easy to overlook Ritzville. To most, Ritzville is a refueling stop to or from Spokane. Ritzville’s livelihood is serving as the go-to depot for getting humongous amounts of wheat onto the railroads heading west to the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma.

My discovery of Ritzville was unintentional. We (wife, son, and me) ended up in Ritzville because our car’s alternator went kaput in the middle of nowhere on a late Saturday afternoon. AAA towed us to the closest auto repair shop which was in Ritzville. Across the street was a shabby motel where we were destined to live for 3 long days.

Once unpacked, I noticed that there was about an hour of daylight left and figured I’d explore this place with camera in hand. To say I was amazed at what I discovered is an understatement. Ritzville is beautiful for photography. Ritzville sits on a slight rise and to the west is basically nothing—just flat scrublands common to eastern Washington. There is little to block or obscure the beautiful light.

This town seems to have peaked in the 1920s. Plenty of abandoned buildings lend a pre-ghost town feel to the place—it’s eerie to walk around, yet I felt I fell into a set especially created for me. A functioning movie theater, neon sign crackling. And a classic Main Street that doesn’t wake up until, well, I don’t know, I couldn’t find anyone to ask.

The next morning at dawn I just had to repeat my journey. The buildings and overall landscape has hundred year old texture revealed by the morning light.

Since that fateful car breakdown, I’ve made it my business to stop off at Ritzville to photograph at dusk and dawn a few times. And it’s always rewarding.