Soap Lake is located in eastern Washington at the southern end of the Lower Grand Coulee. Carved by the erosive forces of cataclysmic floods, the lake paints a serene portrait across a landscape framed with rugged basalt cliffs and talus slopes. After thousands of years, groundwater leaching through hundreds of feet of basalt created the lake, which has a high concentration of sulfate, carbonate, bicarbonate, sodium, and chloride and a pH at or close to 10.0. Prior to the development of penicillin and sulfa drugs in the 1940s, Soap Lake became widely known for the healing quality of its waters, attracting thousands of visitors each summer, some of whom arrived on stretchers at the nearby train station. Local photographer and filmmaker Kathleen Kiefer moved to Soap Lake in 1980. A year later, she began publishing a local newspaper. Thus began her quest to learn about and document the history of the town. She credits the use of photographs to the many wonderful people who grew up in Soap Lake who were willing to share their images and stories. In 2004, she produced an award-winning documentary about Soap Lake. Additional information about Soap Lake can be found at soaplakewa.com. The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all. Book jacket.