Historic Downtowns
Local History at Every Turn
Longview
Built in the 1920s, Longview has a small-town atmosphere that is appealing to residents and visitors alike. Whether you enjoy unique shopping experiences, dining at one of the many quaint restaurants, taking in a performance at the Columbia Theater, visiting art galleries, or brushing up on your history with the walking tour, you’ll find what you’re looking for in downtown Longview.
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Kelso
Kelso, Washington, was founded in the 1840s on the banks of the Cowlitz River by surveyor Peter Crawford who named the town after his Scottish home. Kelso has a unique past that includes a faith in its residents to overcome all odds. The complete and colorful history of Kelso is recorded in detail in a book by local resident Camilla Summers. About Kelso takes the reader from the platting of the city in 1884, through the effects of the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980.
Woodland
After retiring from the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1845, Adolphus Lewis and his brother, Fred, staked claims east of present-day Woodland on the banks of a river later named the “Lewis” in honor of Adolphus. First known as “Pekin,” Woodland was established in 1881 and incorporated in 1906. Hulda Klager, a prolific breeder of lilac hybrids, lived in Woodland from 1877 until her death 1960. Her house and lilac gardens were scheduled to be bulldozed and converted to an industrial site in 1964, but both were saved. The Hilda Kluger Lilac Gardens are now listed as a National Historic Landmark. The Cedar Creek Grist Mill, another National Historic Landmark, is also located at Woodland.
Castle Rock
The town’s namesake, a 190-foot-high rock on the Cowlitz River, was a landmark for Cowlitz Indians and Hudson’s Bay Company traders as early as 1832. Castle Rock prospered as a steamboat port and trading center for valley farms. A local sawmill was the first to produce cedar shingles, using the Western red cedar, which grows in abundance in the region.
Castle Rock’s historic downtown features shops, antique stores, and restaurants. Be sure to stop by the Castle Rock Exhibit Hall, where carvings, photographs and exhibits related to Mount St. Helens and local history are displayed.
Kalama
Kalama received its name from the river two miles to the north, which was named for John Kalama, a full-blooded Hawaiian, who was born on the islands in 1814. John was forced to leave his Hawaiian home at 16 to seek employment on one of the fur-trading vessels that made its way to the Northwest.
The rough life of the sea did not appeal to John, so he settled with the Nisqually Indians near Puget Sound, where he shared his native songs and joined in the Nisqually festivities. John eventually married Mary Martin, daughter of Chief Martin, and built a cabin near Tumwater for his bride.
When the Indians made their annual trip to the Cowlitz for smelt and berries, John Kalama and his wife went with them. He did not return to the Sound, but took up permanent residence at the mouth of the river that now bears his name. He hunted, fished, and trapped in the area for many years.