Curlew is a small unincorporated community and census-designated place in northwestern Ferry County, Washington, in the state's northeast corner. It sits along State Route 21 between the communities of Malo and Danville, at the confluence of Long Alec Creek and the Kettle River, and its 2020 census population of about 105 makes it one of the smallest named settlements in the region. The community takes its name from the curlew birds that were once common along the river. Curlew's origins are tied to the late-19th-century mining boom. A general store established in 1896 served miners, railroad workers, traders, and indigenous residents, and the community grew as competing railways pushed through the area toward the gold mines of Republic. The railroad era brought a brief period of activity, but the lines were eventually abandoned, and today the town's history is preserved in landmarks such as the historic Ansorge Hotel and the one-lane bridge that replaced an early cable ferry across the Kettle River. Modern Curlew is a quiet, rural outpost. Its tiny population is supplemented by seasonal residents and by families spread across the surrounding countryside, and daily life is centered on the small Curlew School District and the outdoors. There is little commercial development, so residents rely on Republic, the county seat, for services and shopping. Recreation is the community's greatest asset. Curlew Lake State Park, an 87-acre lakeside park nearby, offers fishing, camping, and hiking and biking trails, with bald eagles, ospreys, and herons in residence. The Kettle River and the Ferry County Rail Trail, built on the former railroad corridor, extend the outdoor options through the valley. The result is a peaceful, history-rich river community in a remote corner of northeast Washington, suited to those seeking quiet, wildlife, and a deliberately small scale of living.