The Great Northern Railroad came through the valley in 1892. The town of Odessa was platted in 1899 by George W. Finney who donated the land. It was officially incorporated on 25 September 1902. It was named Odessa after the German-Russian wheat farmers in the area, many of whom had immigrated from the area around the city of Odessa in Russia. Approximately 80% of the town's residents trace their ancestory to the Black Sea and/or Volga Germans of Russia.
The following Volga German families are known to have lived in and around Odessa:
Bartalamay from Walter
Bastrom from Frank
Borgens from Frank
Eckhardt from Frank
Eichler from Neu-Dönhof
Fink from Hussenbach
Frick from Frank
Gates from Yagodnaya Polyana
Giesek from Walter
Groskopf from Frank
Haffner from Shcherbakovka
Hardung from Frank
Hoff from Frank
Hopp from Frank
Jordan from Hussenbach
Kanzler from Kolb
Kiehn from Frank
Kissler from Frank
Heimbüchner from Frank
Lesser from Frank
Marker from Hussenbach
Melcher from Brunnental
Pfeifer from Warenburg
Rohn from Walter
Schäfer from Frank
Schibel from Messer
Schillereff from Kolb
Scheidmiller from Hussenbach
Schwabenland from Straub
Woitt from Walter
Wolsborn from Frank
- Town of Odessa: History
- Bohemian Cemetery (findagrave.com)
- County Line Cemetery (findagrave.com)
- Emmaus Cemetery (findagrave.com)
- Odessa Cemetery (A-F) (G-J) (K-Q) (R-S) (T-Z) (Misc.)
- Odessa Cemetery (findagrave.com)
- Welcome to Lincoln County Washington (GenWeb)
Odessa, Washington (wikipedia)
Odessa Panorama
Odessa Depot (1923).
Source: Washington State Railroads Historical Society.
Map showing the location of Odessa in Lincoln County, Washington.
Source: Wikipedia.