Kelso, Washington
Encyclopedia
Kelso is a city in southwest Washington State, United States, and is the county seat of Cowlitz County
. At the 2010 census, the population was 11,925. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington
Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 102,410. Kelso shares its long western border with Longview, Washington
. It is located near Mount St. Helens
.
from the Cowlitz tribe. The Cowlitz people were separated into the Upper (or Taidnapam) and Lower (or Mountain) Cowlitz tribes, who were members of the Sahaptin
and Salish
language families, respectively. In 1855, European explorers noted that there numbered over 6000 individuals of the Cowlitz Tribe.
Kelso was founded by Peter W. Crawford, a Scottish surveyor, who, in 1847, took up the first donation land claim on the Lower Cowlitz River
. Crawford platted a townsite which he named after his home town of Kelso, Scotland
. The original plat was dated and filed in October 1884. It became incorporated in 1889.
In its early days, Kelso obtained the nickname "Little Chicago" as it became famous for its large number of tavern
s and brothel
s that catered to local loggers. On weekends, trainloads of loggers would come into town from the surrounding region looking for women, liquor, gambling and fights. The FBI finally forced the mayor to shut them down in the 1950s with the last closing in the mid-1960s. The economy continues to be based largely on wood products.
In the late 19th century and into the first part of the 20th century, Kelso was the center for commercial smelt
fishing on the Cowlitz River. In 1910, according to the Oregonian Newspaper, 5,000 tons of fish were caught. The Kelso Chamber of Commerce created the slogan in 1956 and became known as the Smelt Capitol of the World. The Cowlitz River has historically had heavy runs of smelt and were shipped to markets around the country. Smelt numbers have declined significantly in the past several decades possibly due to overharvesting, global climate change
and habitat loss.
Pieces of the mysterious 1947 Maury Island incident
took place in Kelso. A military aircraft carrying suspicious slag
-like material, supposedly from a UFO, crashed in southeast Kelso.
On May 18, 1980, being only 24 miles (38.6 km) away, Kelso residents experienced the shock wave caused by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Called the largest volcanic eruption in historic times in the contiguous United States, Kelso received large amounts of volcanic ash
through the air and from the massive mudflow caused by the eruption transported by the Toutle
and Cowlitz Rivers. Many areas of the city, including the Three Rivers Golf Course are built on volcanic ash dredged from the Cowlitz River by inmates in state custody and volunteers.
In March 1998, the Aldercrest-Banyon landslide
began shifting the foundations of 64 homes and local infrastructure in the east Kelso neighborhood of Aldercrest. Eventually, 129 houses were destroyed by this slow moving landslide. Investigation showed that these houses had been built on top of an ancient active landslide
area, and three straight years of higher than average rains set the earth into motion.
In October 1998, President Bill Clinton
declared this slide a federal disaster. It was the second worst landslide disaster (in cost) in the United States, following the 1956 Portuguese Bend Landslide
on Palos Verdes Hills
in Southern California. This disaster at Aldercrest led to stricter city zoning
ordinances and oversight over geological surveys.
The Cowlitz County Historical Museum provides many exhibits on the history of the local area.
at Exits 36, 39, 40 and 42, and is 48 miles (77.2 km) north of Portland, Oregon
, 125 miles (201.2 km) south of Seattle, Washington, and 80 miles (128.7 km) from the Pacific Ocean beaches.
Three rivers, the Columbia
, Cowlitz
and Coweeman
, running through Kelso were used as part of a historical transportation route from Portland, Oregon and the Puget Sound
. Cowlitz steamboats
were used as a source of transportation until 1918.
Kelso and Longview comprise the "Twin Cities" of southwest Washington.
Butler Acres
Davis Terrace
East Kelso
Hilltop
Lexington
Mt. Brynion
North Kelso
Old Kelso Hill
South Kelso
West Kelso
The current city council consists of Mayor David Futcher, Deputy Mayor Todd McDaniel, John Karnofski, Dan Myers, Gary Schimmel, Rick Roberson, and James Webb http://www.kelso.gov/City_of_Kelso_WA_City_Council.php. In 2008, the council selected Dennis Richards as the city manager following the departure of Paul Brachvogel.
A charter amendment approved by citizens in 2006 requires that four of these council positions be filled by individuals living in specified wards of the city, while the remaining three positions are filled on an at-large basis. Council positions are held for four years, with council elections being held to fill either three or four positions in odd-numbered years.
and the west coast railways, Kelso supports a large and rapidly diversifying manufacturing base. The largest employer is the Kelso School District, followed by Foster Farms
and Safeway. Other large employers are Target
, Columbia Analytical Services, Western Fabrication, PAPE Machinery, and DSU Peterbilt.
, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.93% of the population. 18.1% were of German, 9.3% Irish, 9.0% English, 7.7% American and 6.4% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 4,616 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 28.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,722, and the median income for a family was $36,784. Males had a median income of $36,271 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,162. About 16.4% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to the twin cities of Kelso-Longview. The Amtrak station is located in the Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center
along the Cowlitz River.
baseball team. The Black Bears play in the West Coast League
, an independent summer baseball league with teams from Washington, Oregon
, and British Columbia
. The team plays at David Story Field on the Lower Columbia College
campus.
Within the city limits, there are eight city parks totaling 50 acres (202,343 m²) and six miles (10 km) of bicycle and multi-use paths. The largest parks is Tam o'Shanter Park, a multi-use park comprising 38 acres (153,780.7 m²) along the Coweeman River. The facilities include multipurpose fields for soccer, three girls fastpitch softball
fields, one Babe Ruth field, five Cal Ripken baseball fields, and three basketball
courts. The park hosts the annual Kelso Hilander Festival which includes Scottish Highland games
. The park is named after a Scottish bonnet, the tam o'shanter.
, K268BN and KTJC) and 1 AM (KLOG
) radio stations licensed in the city.
Kelso is provided with cable television from nearby Longview.
Kelso's primary newspaper is The Daily News
, which won a 1981 Pulitzer Prize
for its coverage of the St. Helens eruption.
: Kelso, United Kingdom Sagara, Japan
Cowlitz County, Washington
Cowlitz County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census its population was 102,410. It forms the Longview, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. The county seat is at Kelso, and its largest city is Longview...
. At the 2010 census, the population was 11,925. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 102,410. Kelso shares its long western border with Longview, Washington
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
. It is located near 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...
.
History
The earliest known inhabitants of Kelso were Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
from the Cowlitz tribe. The Cowlitz people were separated into the Upper (or Taidnapam) and Lower (or Mountain) Cowlitz tribes, who were members of the Sahaptin
Sahaptin
Sahaptin may refer to:*Sahaptin language, a dialect continuum within the Sahaptian language subfamily*Sahaptin people, an Indian people of a large territory along the Columbia river and its tributaries in Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho...
and Salish
Salishan languages
The Salishan languages are a group of languages of the Pacific Northwest...
language families, respectively. In 1855, European explorers noted that there numbered over 6000 individuals of the Cowlitz Tribe.
Kelso was founded by Peter W. Crawford, a Scottish surveyor, who, in 1847, took up the first donation land claim on the Lower Cowlitz River
Cowlitz River
The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens....
. Crawford platted a townsite which he named after his home town of Kelso, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The original plat was dated and filed in October 1884. It became incorporated in 1889.
In its early days, Kelso obtained the nickname "Little Chicago" as it became famous for its large number of tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
s and brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s that catered to local loggers. On weekends, trainloads of loggers would come into town from the surrounding region looking for women, liquor, gambling and fights. The FBI finally forced the mayor to shut them down in the 1950s with the last closing in the mid-1960s. The economy continues to be based largely on wood products.
In the late 19th century and into the first part of the 20th century, Kelso was the center for commercial smelt
Eulachon
The eulachon, also oolichan, hooligan, ooligan, or candlefish, is a small anadromous ocean fish, Thaleichthys pacificus, a smelt found along the Pacific coast of North America from northern California to Alaska....
fishing on the Cowlitz River. In 1910, according to the Oregonian Newspaper, 5,000 tons of fish were caught. The Kelso Chamber of Commerce created the slogan in 1956 and became known as the Smelt Capitol of the World. The Cowlitz River has historically had heavy runs of smelt and were shipped to markets around the country. Smelt numbers have declined significantly in the past several decades possibly due to overharvesting, global climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
and habitat loss.
Pieces of the mysterious 1947 Maury Island incident
Maury Island incident
The Maury Island Incident is said to be an early modern UFO encounter incident, which allegedly took place in June 1947, three days before the famous sighting by Kenneth Arnold, widely considered the original encounter with flying saucers. It is also one of the earliest reported instances of an...
took place in Kelso. A military aircraft carrying suspicious slag
Slag
Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
-like material, supposedly from a UFO, crashed in southeast Kelso.
On May 18, 1980, being only 24 miles (38.6 km) away, Kelso residents experienced the shock wave caused by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Called the largest volcanic eruption in historic times in the contiguous United States, Kelso received large amounts of volcanic ash
Volcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions, less than in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact...
through the air and from the massive mudflow caused by the eruption transported by the Toutle
Toutle River
The Toutle River is a river in southwestern Washington State, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It rises in two forks on the flanks of Mount St. Helens and joins the Cowlitz River near Castle Rock.-Eruption of Mount St. Helens:...
and Cowlitz Rivers. Many areas of the city, including the Three Rivers Golf Course are built on volcanic ash dredged from the Cowlitz River by inmates in state custody and volunteers.
In March 1998, the Aldercrest-Banyon landslide
Aldercrest-Banyon landslide
The Aldercrest-Banyon landslide was a major slow-moving landslide in the east Kelso, Washington neighborhood of Aldercrest beginning in early 1998 through 1999. The disaster ended up being one of the worst urban landslides in United States history in terms of cost. The landslide is one of the...
began shifting the foundations of 64 homes and local infrastructure in the east Kelso neighborhood of Aldercrest. Eventually, 129 houses were destroyed by this slow moving landslide. Investigation showed that these houses had been built on top of an ancient active landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
area, and three straight years of higher than average rains set the earth into motion.
In October 1998, President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
declared this slide a federal disaster. It was the second worst landslide disaster (in cost) in the United States, following the 1956 Portuguese Bend Landslide
Portuguese Bend
The Portuguese Bend region is the largest area of natural vegetation remaining on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in Los Angeles County, California....
on Palos Verdes Hills
Palos Verdes Hills
The Palos Verdes Hills are a mountain range on the south coast of Los Angeles County, California.They are the landed end of the Channel Islands of California Transverse Ranges formation, and are the location of Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and other communities.The South Coast Botanic...
in Southern California. This disaster at Aldercrest led to stricter city zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
ordinances and oversight over geological surveys.
The Cowlitz County Historical Museum provides many exhibits on the history of the local area.
National Register of Historic Places
- Adam Catlin House
- Nat Smith House
- US Post Office - Kelso Main
Geography
Kelso is located on Interstate 5Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
at Exits 36, 39, 40 and 42, and is 48 miles (77.2 km) north of 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...
, 125 miles (201.2 km) south of Seattle, Washington, and 80 miles (128.7 km) from the Pacific Ocean beaches.
Three rivers, the Columbia
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, Cowlitz
Cowlitz River
The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens....
and Coweeman
Coweeman River
The Coweeman River is a tributary of the Cowlitz River, in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name comes from the Cowlitz word ko-wee-na, meaning "short one", referring to a short Indian who once lived along the river.-Course:...
, running through Kelso were used as part of a historical transportation route from Portland, Oregon and the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. Cowlitz steamboats
Steamboats of the Cowlitz River
The Cowlitz River flows into the Columbia River at a point 68 miles from the Columbia's mouth, in southwestern Washington, United States.The head of navigation, Cowlitz Landing, was about 35 east of the meeting of the Clackamas with the Columbia. Early steamboat operations on the Cowlitz were...
were used as a source of transportation until 1918.
Kelso and Longview comprise the "Twin Cities" of southwest Washington.
Climate
Neighborhoods
AldercrestButler Acres
Davis Terrace
East Kelso
Hilltop
Lexington
Mt. Brynion
North Kelso
Old Kelso Hill
South Kelso
West Kelso
Government
Kelso operates under both a city charter and Washington state code governing municipalities. As such, it is the only Charter Code city in the state of Washington. The city is governed under the Council/Manager form of government. Kelso's charter specifies that seven councilmembers are elected by the residents, with the council choosing a mayor from within itself every two years.The current city council consists of Mayor David Futcher, Deputy Mayor Todd McDaniel, John Karnofski, Dan Myers, Gary Schimmel, Rick Roberson, and James Webb http://www.kelso.gov/City_of_Kelso_WA_City_Council.php. In 2008, the council selected Dennis Richards as the city manager following the departure of Paul Brachvogel.
A charter amendment approved by citizens in 2006 requires that four of these council positions be filled by individuals living in specified wards of the city, while the remaining three positions are filled on an at-large basis. Council positions are held for four years, with council elections being held to fill either three or four positions in odd-numbered years.
Employment
With access to the Columbia River, Interstate 5Interstate 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...
and the west coast railways, Kelso supports a large and rapidly diversifying manufacturing base. The largest employer is the Kelso School District, followed by Foster Farms
Foster Farms (poultry company)
Foster Farms is a United States West Coast poultry company. The company has been privately owned and operated by the Foster family since 1939. The company is based in Livingston, California with operations throughout the West Coast and a few on the East Coast...
and Safeway. Other large employers are Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, Columbia Analytical Services, Western Fabrication, PAPE Machinery, and DSU Peterbilt.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,895 people, 4,616 households, and 2,991 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,471.6 people per square mile (568.4/km²). There were 5,067 housing units at an average density of 626.9 per square mile (242.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.14% White, 0.82% African American, 2.05% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 3.12% from other racesRace (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 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.93% of the population. 18.1% were of German, 9.3% Irish, 9.0% English, 7.7% American and 6.4% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 4,616 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 28.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,722, and the median income for a family was $36,784. Males had a median income of $36,271 versus $23,750 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 $15,162. About 16.4% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Elementary schools
- Barnes Elementary
- Beacon Hill Elementary
- Butler Acres Elementary
- Carrolls Elementary
- Catlin Elementary, the Rascals (Closing in 2012)
- Rose Valley Elementary
- Wallace Elementary
High schools
- Kelso High School, the Hilanders
- Loowit Alternative School
- Kelso Virtual Academy (KVA)
Rail
AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to the twin cities of Kelso-Longview. The Amtrak station is located in the Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center
Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center
The Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center is the station stop for Amtrak rail service for Kelso, Washington and neighboring Longview. Greyhound Lines provides national and regional bus service, while Community Urban Bus Service provides local transit...
along the Cowlitz River.
Air
Kelso is served by Southwest Washington Regional Airport, formerly known as Kelso-Longview Regional Airport.Sports and recreation
Kelso and Longview are the home of the Cowlitz Black BearsCowlitz Black Bears
The Cowlitz Black Bears is an amateur baseball team located in Kelso / Longview, Washington. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The league comprises teams from British Columbia, Oregon and Washington...
baseball team. The Black Bears play in the West Coast League
West Coast League
The West Coast League is a collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. The league is designed to develop college talent. As such, only current college players are allowed to participate in the league...
, an independent summer baseball league with teams from Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The team plays at David Story Field on the Lower Columbia College
Lower Columbia College
Lower Columbia College is a community college located in Longview, Washington. Established in 1934, it serves the Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. The current campus was established in 1962 and is made of 27 buildings on...
campus.
Within the city limits, there are eight city parks totaling 50 acres (202,343 m²) and six miles (10 km) of bicycle and multi-use paths. The largest parks is Tam o'Shanter Park, a multi-use park comprising 38 acres (153,780.7 m²) along the Coweeman River. The facilities include multipurpose fields for soccer, three girls fastpitch softball
Fastpitch softball
Fast-pitch softball is a form of softball played commonly by women and men, though coed fast-pitch leagues also exist. The International Softball Federation is the international governing body of softball...
fields, one Babe Ruth field, five Cal Ripken baseball fields, and three basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts. The park hosts the annual Kelso Hilander Festival which includes Scottish Highland games
Highland games
Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...
. The park is named after a Scottish bonnet, the tam o'shanter.
Media
Kelso has 3 FM (KUKNKUKN
KUKN is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Longview, Washington, USA, the station is currently owned by Washington Interstate Broadcasting, Inc....
, K268BN and KTJC) and 1 AM (KLOG
KLOG
KLOG is a radio station broadcasting a Classic Hits music format. Licensed to Kelso, Washington, USA. The station is currently owned by Washington Interstate Broadcasting Company and features programing from CNN Radio and Westwood One. The station has been broadcasting for over 60 years...
) radio stations licensed in the city.
Kelso is provided with cable television from nearby Longview.
Kelso's primary newspaper is The Daily News
The Daily News (Longview)
The Daily News is the primary newspaper of Longview, Kelso, Washington, and Cowlitz County, Washington. It is owned by Lee Enterprises, which acquired the newspaper with its 2002 purchase of Howard Publications. Howard, in turn, had purchased the paper in 1999 from Ted and John Natt, grandsons of...
, which won a 1981 Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for its coverage of the St. Helens eruption.
Sister cities
Kelso has the two sister citiesTown 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 :...
: Kelso, United Kingdom Sagara, Japan
Notable persons
- Jeff BaileyJeff BaileyJeffrey Todd Bailey is a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter who is currently in the Minnesota Twins organization. He formerly played catcher until a throwing disorder prompted him to change positions...
- First baseman, Arizona DiamondbacksArizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... - Dolores EricksonDolores EricksonDolores Erickson is a model and artist. She came to prominence by appearing as a model on a number of album covers, most notably Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.-Modeling:...
- Fashion model - Ed NegreEd NegreEd Negre is a retired NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver who raced from 1955 to 1979....
- former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver - Brian O'ConnorBrian O'Connor (bassist)Brian Robert O'Connor is best known for his role as bass guitarist for rock band Eagles of Death Metal...
- Bassist for Eagles of Death MetalEagles of Death MetalEagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme. Despite their band name, Eagles of Death Metal are not a death metal band. Hughes stated that a friend was introducing Josh Homme to the death metal genre... - Jason SchmidtJason SchmidtJason David Schmidt , is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher.Schmidt was born in Lewiston, Idaho. In his career he has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves , by whom he had been drafted in the eighth round, 206th overall, of...
- Major League Baseball pitcher - Connor TrinneerConnor TrinneerConnor Trinneer is an American film, stage and television actor. His highest profile role has been the role of Charles "Trip" Tucker III on Star Trek: Enterprise and Michael on Stargate Atlantis.-Biography:...
- Actor, Star Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
External links
- City of Kelso
- The Daily News (Kelso's local newspaper)
- Cowlitz County Historical Museum
- Cowlitz Black Bears baseball