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Chehalis is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Washington. The population was 7,439 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County. Incorporated in 1883, Chehalis was primarily a logging and railroad town, with a shift towards farming in the mid-20th century. The city has bolstered its economy in the 21st century with a focus in manufacturing and warehousing. The city has several distinct historical areas and boasts 11 locations on the list of National Register of Historic Places, more than any other region in Lewis County. [edit] History
Chehalis began as a settlement around a warehouse beside a railroad track in 1873, when the Northern Pacific Railroad built northward from Kalama to Tacoma. Northern Pacific's decision bypassed the town of Claquato, then the county seat. This allowed Chehalis, in 1874, to become the central location for Lewis County government.[1] That same year, a store was added to the warehouse, and a courthouse and several houses were constructed. Chehalis was incorporated on November 23, 1883.[2] Logging soon began in the nearby forests. Lumber workers of Scandinavian, English, and Scots-Irish descent arrived and settled 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. A vessel in the United States Navy, the gunboat USS Chehalis (PGM-94), was named in honor of the city. [edit] ClaquatoBegun as a settlement in 1853 by Lewis Hawkins Davis, who originally named the area Davis Prairie, the town grew quickly to include Claquato Church, a cemetery, hotels, and several stores and was, for a time, the largest populated town between the Columbia River and Olympia. By 1858 the town would become the county seat for Lewis County until that designation was transferred to Chehalis in 1874. Claquato is no longer a recognized town or municipality,[1][3] and is considered a neighborhood outside the Chehalis city limits. While described as a ghost town as it was officially vacated in 1902, the area has been populated since its inception. Translated from the Chehalis Native American language, Claquato means "high prairie" or "high land". [edit] Research Tips
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