Established along the lake in 1910, the town of Neppel was named for the wife of a Milwaukee-based German language newspaper that promoted the new settlement. When the community incorporated in 1938, the name Moses Lake was adopted. World War II brought an army air force base to the area and an influx of Japanese American families forced to relocate inland in 1942. The postwar irrigation works of the Columbia Basin Project began the region's agricultural transformation.
The 13,500-foot runway at the former Larson Air Force Base, established to protect Grand Coulee Dam and the Hanford Atomic Energy Commission site, is one of the nation's longest. Boeing, the U.S. military and several air carriers use the facility for heavy jet testing and training.
Visitor Centers
Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce 324 S. Pioneer Way Moses Lake, WA 98837. Phone:(509)765-7888 or (800)992-6234