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• Lewis County ×

1. The Logging of a Giant for the World's Fair

   A massive fir tree from Lewis County is destined for a grand role as an office exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

   Jan 20, 1904The Evening StatesmanMcCormick, Lewis CountyStrange But True

2. The Rowdy Bible Debate

   A theological debate between an ex-rev and a professor turns into a shouting match, leaving the audience divided and the town of Chehalis unsettled.

   May 25, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyStrange But True

3. The Political Battle for the Capital City

   A fiery editorial argues that Centralia—not Olympia—should be the rightful capital of the new state of Washington, based on the convenience of the commercial class.

   Sep 6, 1889The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCentralia, Lewis CountyCity Hall

4. A Tragic End in the Winlock Mud

   A lonely death on a ranch near Winlock highlights the brutal reality for those suffering from epilepsy in 1890s Washington.

   Feb 9, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWinlock, Lewis County

5. Torchlight, Two Bands, and a Canal: Lewis County Opens the 1892 Campaign

   Four hundred Centralia Republicans ride a special train into Chehalis, fill the opera house past overflowing, and cheer loudest for the Lake Washington canal.

   Aug 28, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyCity Hall

6. A Bridge Across the Chehalis

   Citizens in Claquato gather to replace a ferry boat with a permanent bridge.

   Nov 2, 1861Washington StandardClaquato, Chehalis, Lewis CountyBoom & Bust

7. Fire Claims the St. James Hotel

   A late-night lamp fire traps families and destroys a prominent Chehalis building.

   Oct 22, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyDisasters

8. Centralia Fills the Opera House to Demand Fired Teachers Get Their Jobs Back

   A public meeting adopted a resolution asking school directors to reverse the dismissals and appointed a committee of five to investigate school matters.

   Apr 21, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCentralia, Lewis CountyWork & Pay · City Hall

9. The Judge, the Leaky Courthouse, and the County That Wouldn't Pay

   Lewis County commissioners told Judge Hunter they would neither fund nor permit his order to find better court quarters in Chehalis—leaving the old courthouse and a legal fight in their place.

   Dec 8, 1891The Olympia TribuneChehalis, Lewis CountyCity Hall

10. Six Days to Raise a Burned Hop House: Toledo Turns Out for One of Its Own

    When Homer Betty's hop house went up in flames on September 9, his neighbors did not wait for the insurance man — they had a new one standing and ready for business by the 15th.

    Oct 1, 1902The RanchToledo, Lewis County

11. Chehalis Bets on Condensed Milk

    A Tacoma company picks Chehalis for a new milk-condensing factory, and local farmers get a pitch to supply it.

    Apr 1, 1903The RanchChehalis, Lewis CountyBoom & Bust

12. 15,000 Ties Float Toward Hoquiam as a New Railroad Takes Shape

    A joint Union Pacific-Milwaukee line moved closer to reality when contractors sent a raft of fresh ties down the Skookumchuck and Chehalis rivers—and Tacoma waited for the Milwaukee's president to talk connections.

    Feb 15, 1909The Tacoma TimesCentralia, Lewis CountyBoom & Bust

13. The Governor's Choice, Leaked from Chehalis

    A Chehalis powwow and a delegate-apportionment fight revealed Governor Ferry's preference for Senator J. Henry Long—and the Reed family's counter-campaign—in Washington's 1892 governor race.

    Jan 4, 1892The Olympia TribuneChehalis, Lewis CountyCity Hall

14. The Judge Put On His War Paint: A Chehalis Courtroom Rebuke

    After remitting a drunken assailant's fine, Judge W. W. Langhorne turned on the petitioners—and the newspapers—who had earlier demanded his own removal.

    Mar 14, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyCity Hall

15. Gold in the Hills at the Foot of Mount St. Helens

    Rich assays, anthracite coal and a waiting fortune lure an Eastern syndicate to the remote mineral district of eastern Lewis County — if only a railroad would come.

    Feb 25, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

16. The County That Forgot Its Southern Neighbors

    Settlers south of the Nisqually say Lewis County has never spent a dollar on their roads or bridges, and now they want to bolt for Pierce County.

    Apr 24, 1895The Seattle Post-IntelligencerLewis CountyCity Hall

17. The Croquet Courtship Scandal

    A young suitor and his sweetheart face off against a disapproving father in an all-woman jury trial.

    Jul 25, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerWinlock, Lewis CountyScandal

18. A Rough Week in Chehalis

    A local train wreck and a string of mishaps keep the town busy.

    Jul 10, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerNewaukum, Chehalis, Lewis CountyDisasters

19. The Final Chapter for a Lewis County Pioneer

    A veteran of the Indian wars and a founding figure in Centralia passes away, leaving behind a legacy tied to the early settlement of the region.

    Mar 28, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerCentralia, Lewis County

20. The Unsung Heroes of the July 4th Celebration

    While the Governor delivered speeches, an obscure register of local citizens reminds us who actually built the early life of Centralia.

    Jul 7, 1885Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerCentralia, Lewis CountyCity Hall

21. The Rising Tide of Chehalis Hops

    Local farmers see a golden future in hop production, aiming to make their region the hop capital of Washington state.

    Dec 12, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerChehalis, Lewis CountyBoom & Bust

22. Lewis County Farm Faces Auction Block

    A court-ordered sheriff's sale is set for a 320-acre property to satisfy a judgment against Lewis County.

    Jul 5, 1862Washington StandardChehalis, Lewis CountyCity Hall

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