West of the Kettle River and half way between Tonasket and Republic, the small Washington town of Wauconda has the distinction of moving twice since it was first established. When a quartz ledge, laced with free gold, was discovered in 1898, the Hedge brothers laid their first claim. The discovery of gold is always a sure bet to attract a crowd and the three brothers from Wauconda, Illinois, soon had plenty of company. Boasting a population of 300 by the turn of the century, Wauconda had a school, general store, hotels and four saloons. By the turn of the century the town was placed on the map when the Wauconda Post Office was created.
   By 1901 the end drew near. The ledge was picked clean of gold and other mines ran dry. With promising veins nearby, the town’s people simply picked up and moved to a more promising site. When this new town was bypassed by Route 20 in 1929, some of the remaining shopkeepers packed up once again and moved alongside the new highway.
   Today, for the most part, Wauconda is a farming and ranching community. The nearby hills are still covered with old mining buildings, abandoned mines and rusted machinery. One of the popular roadside attractions in Wauconda is the home of John and Anna Pflug. Immigrants from Germany, John and Anna began building their dream home in 1908. Struggling with limited funds, the Pflugs took on the entire project themselves, hauling in lumber by wagon from a mill that was 10 miles away. Never totally completed, the home was abandoned in 1921.

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