Chehalis, Washington
Encyclopedia
Chehalis is a city in Lewis County
, Washington, United States
. The population was 7,259 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Lewis County
.
beside a railroad track in 1873, when the Northern Pacific Railroad built northward from Kalama
to Tacoma, and ignored Claquato, then the county seat three miles to the west
. Some settlers decided that, if the railroad would not go to the county seat, the county seat must go to the railroad. By 1874, a store was added to the warehouse, several houses were constructed, and the county seat was moved to the new settlement, leaving Claquato little more than a historical landmark
. The new town was first named Saundersville, for S.S. Saunders, on whose donation land claim it was founded. In 1879, the name was changed to Chehalis, named after the Chehalis people
. Chehalis was officially incorporated on November 23, 1883.
Logging
soon began in the nearby forests. Lumber workers of Scandinavia
n, Anglo-Saxon
, and Scots-Irish descent arrived, and remained to settle in the neighboring valleys. In 1940, the chief local industries were: dairying, poultry
raising, fruit
growing, milk
condensing, fruit and vegetable
packing, brick
and tile
manufacturing
, coal mining
, portable house manufacturing, and fern
shipping. The 1940 population was 4,857. (Washington - A guide to the Evergreen State, WPA American Guide Series, Washington State Historical Society, 1941).
, Chehalis has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²), all of it land.
The city straddles Interstate 5 at a point almost exactly halfway between Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon
. The historic downtown and most of the city's amenities lie on the east side of the freeway, nestled at the base of a small range of forested hills. On the west side of the freeway are parks, farms, and a few subdivisions developed in the hills to the west. A small airport
is located immediately west of the freeway towards the northern end of the city. From numerous vantage points in the hills just west of town, one can see Mount Rainier
, Mount Adams
, and Mount St. Helens
—weather permitting. Chehalis is a frequented stop by bicylists while on the annual Seattle to Portland Bike Ride.
The Chehalis River
winds its way through the valley
in which the city resides, and is there joined by a tributary
, the Newaukum River
. Both rivers are prone to flooding during periods of abnormally heavy or persistent rain
, and the lowlands from the freeway westward are particularly susceptible to inundation.
was closed between exits 68 and 88, which runs through Lewis County. It was not expected to reopen for several days.http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1196736462&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1 The economic cost of the Interstate 5 closure was roughly $8 million a day. To help drain the water from the roadway, a dike was breached to help drain the Chehalis River. At the height of the storm, 75,000 customers in Washington lost electric service. Many remained without power since the start of the storm. As of Dec. 6, 2007, the flood was blamed for eight deaths.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 7,057 people, 2,671 households, and 1,696 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,259.0 people per square mile (485.7/km²). There were 2,871 housing units at an average density of 512.2 per square mile (197.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.56% White, 1.35% African American, 1.46% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 3.95% from other races
, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.91% of the population. 18.4% were of German
, 11.0% English
, 11.0% American
and 8.4% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 2,671 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples
living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,482, and the median income for a family was $41,387. Males had a median income of $32,289 versus $24,414 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,944. About 16.0% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
and conservative
, although slightly less so than the county as a whole. The results for the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election were as follows:
http://www.ltgov.wa.gov/International/Washington%20Organizations/Sisters/ http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/usa/WA:
Inasa
, Japan
Lewis County, Washington
Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2010, the population was 75,455. The county seat is at Chehalis, and its largest city is Centralia....
, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 7,259 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Lewis County
Lewis County, Washington
Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2010, the population was 75,455. The county seat is at Chehalis, and its largest city is Centralia....
.
History
Chehalis began as a settlement around a warehouseWarehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
beside a railroad track in 1873, when the Northern Pacific Railroad built northward from Kalama
Kalama, Washington
Kalama is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is part of the 'Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,344 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to Tacoma, and ignored Claquato, then the county seat three miles to the west
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
. Some settlers decided that, if the railroad would not go to the county seat, the county seat must go to the railroad. By 1874, a store was added to the warehouse, several houses were constructed, and the county seat was moved to the new settlement, leaving Claquato little more than a historical landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
. The new town was first named Saundersville, for S.S. Saunders, on whose donation land claim it was founded. In 1879, the name was changed to Chehalis, named after the Chehalis people
Chehalis people
The Chehalis people are a native people of westernWashington state in the United States. They should not be confused with the similarly named Chehalis First Nation of the Harrison River in the Fraser Valley area of British Columbia....
. Chehalis was officially incorporated on November 23, 1883.
Logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
soon began in the nearby forests. Lumber workers of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n, Anglo-Saxon
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, and Scots-Irish descent arrived, and remained to settle in the neighboring valleys. In 1940, the chief local industries were: dairying, poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
raising, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
growing, milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
condensing, fruit and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
packing, brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, portable house manufacturing, and fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
shipping. The 1940 population was 4,857. (Washington - A guide to the Evergreen State, WPA American Guide Series, Washington State Historical Society, 1941).
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Chehalis has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²), all of it land.
The city straddles Interstate 5 at a point almost exactly halfway between Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. The historic downtown and most of the city's amenities lie on the east side of the freeway, nestled at the base of a small range of forested hills. On the west side of the freeway are parks, farms, and a few subdivisions developed in the hills to the west. A small airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
is located immediately west of the freeway towards the northern end of the city. From numerous vantage points in the hills just west of town, one can see Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
, Mount Adams
Mount Adams (Washington)
Mount Adams is a potentially activestratovolcano in the Cascade Range and the second-highest mountain in the U.S. state of Washington.Adams is a member of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, and is one of the arc's largest volcanoes,...
, and Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
—weather permitting. Chehalis is a frequented stop by bicylists while on the annual Seattle to Portland Bike Ride.
The Chehalis River
Chehalis River (U.S.)
The Chehalis River is a river in Washington in the United States. It originates in several forks in southwestern Washington, flows east, then north, then west, in a large curve, before emptying into Grays Harbor, an estuary of the Pacific Ocean.-Course:...
winds its way through the valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
in which the city resides, and is there joined by a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
, the Newaukum River
Newaukum River
The Newaukum River is a tributary of the Chehalis River in the U.S. state of Washington. It has three main branches, the North Fork, South Fork, and Middle Fork Newaukum Rivers...
. Both rivers are prone to flooding during periods of abnormally heavy or persistent rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
, and the lowlands from the freeway westward are particularly susceptible to inundation.
December 3, 2007 floods
Due to flooding from the December 2007 Pacific Northwest storms, a twenty-mile stretch of Interstate 5 in WashingtonInterstate 5 in Washington
Interstate 5 in Washington is a highway in the U.S. state of Washington that extends from its border with Oregon to its border with Canada...
was closed between exits 68 and 88, which runs through Lewis County. It was not expected to reopen for several days.http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1196736462&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1 The economic cost of the Interstate 5 closure was roughly $8 million a day. To help drain the water from the roadway, a dike was breached to help drain the Chehalis River. At the height of the storm, 75,000 customers in Washington lost electric service. Many remained without power since the start of the storm. As of Dec. 6, 2007, the flood was blamed for eight deaths.
Demographics
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,057 people, 2,671 households, and 1,696 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,259.0 people per square mile (485.7/km²). There were 2,871 housing units at an average density of 512.2 per square mile (197.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.56% White, 1.35% African American, 1.46% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 3.95% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.91% of the population. 18.4% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 11.0% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 11.0% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 8.4% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 2,671 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,482, and the median income for a family was $41,387. Males had a median income of $32,289 versus $24,414 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,944. About 16.0% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Like the rest of Lewis County, Chehalis is heavily RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, although slightly less so than the county as a whole. The results for the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election were as follows:
- George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
(RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) - 1,764 (62.05%) - John F. Kerry (DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) - 1,028 (36.16%) - Ralph NaderRalph NaderRalph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
(IndependentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
) - 34 (1.20%) - Other candidates - 17 (0.60%)
Sister city
Chehalis has one sister cityTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
http://www.ltgov.wa.gov/International/Washington%20Organizations/Sisters/ http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/usa/WA:
Inasa
Inasa, Shizuoka
was a town located in Inasa District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.Inasa became was town on May 1, 1955.On July 1, 2005 Inasa, along with the town of Haruno, from Shūchi District, the towns of Hosoe and Mikkabi, all from Inasa District, the towns of Sakuma and Misakubo, the village of Tatsuyama, all...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Notable residents
- Ralph TownerRalph TownerRalph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion and trumpet.-Biography:...
, acoustic guitarist (b. 1940) - Orin Smith, Starbucks former CEO