Chehalis, Washington

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chehalis (pronounced [ʃəˈheɪlɪs]) is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,057 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County^GR6.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Politics
5 Sister City
6 External links

[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, 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. Chehalis was officially incorporated on November 23, 1883.

Logging soon began in the near-by forests. Lumber workers of Scandinavian, Anglo-Saxon, and Scotch-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. Currently it holds the title of the "world's boringest city." (Washington - A guide to the Evergreen State, WPA American Guide Series, Washington State Historical Society, 1941).

[edit] Geography

Chehalis is located at 46°39′36″N, 122°57′48″W (46.659967, -122.963426)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.5 km² (5.6 mi²), all 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.

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.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 7,057 people, 2,671 households, and 1,696 families residing in the city. The population density was 485.7/km² (1,259.0/mi²). There were 2,871 housing units at an average density of 197.6/km² (512.2/mi²). 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.

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.

[edit] Politics

Like the rest of Lewis County, Chehalis is heavily Republican and conservative, although slightly less so than the county as a whole. The results for the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election were as follows: