The end of the 19th century brought The Great Northern Railway Company's tracks through Leavenworth and with them opportunities for work, commerce and a new economy. But about 40 years later the railroad pulled out of Leavenworth and left the once thriving timber producing town in poverty. But in the early 1960's, everything changed. In a last-chance effort to turn their precarious situation around, the leaders of the community decided to change Leavenworth's appearance, hoping to bring tourism into the area. Using the beautiful backdrop of the surrounding Alpine hills to their advantage, the town agreed to remodel their hamlet in the form of a Bavarian village. Their efforts paid off and currently this sleepy little hamlet draws in over 1 million people to experience Bavaria in Central Washington. Welcome to Leavenworth.