Cle Elum (KLEE-ell-UM, a Native American name meaning Swift Water) was settled in 1870 by Thomas L. Gamble, but growth was slow until geologists working for the Northern Pacific Railroad discovered coal in 1884.
A forest fire in the late 1880s wiped out a large part of the mining town, but additional coal veins discovered in 1889 gave Cle Elum four quite prosperous years. Today the town is a jumping-off point for hiking, fishing, and other recreational activities in the Wenatchee National Forest.
Kittitas County Connector (509/674-2251) has bus service to Ellensburg [1], Thorp, Roslyn [2], and Vantage.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/columbia-gorge-and-wine-country/ellensburg
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/south-cascades/cle-elum-area/cle-elum/sights/roslyn