Forest, Washington

Last updated

Forest, Washington
Unincorporated community
Forest, Washington 01.jpg
Forest, Washington post office, 1919
USA Washington location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Forest
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Forest
Coordinates: 46°35′56″N122°51′28″W / 46.59889°N 122.85778°W / 46.59889; -122.85778
Country United States
State Washington
County Lewis
Elevation
 [1] 305 ft (93 m)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
zip code
98532
Area code 360

Forest is an unincorporated community in Lewis County, in the U.S. state of Washington. [1] It is located on Jackson Highway, between the Port of Chehalis and Washington State Route 508 (SR 508).

Contents

Etymology

Two reliable but differing accounts of the name of Forest exist. One theory is based on old-growth timber that grew in the area, while a second option posits that the moniker was taken after John T. Forrest, an early school teacher in the community. [2]

History

The first non-indigenous family to settle the area were the Berniers in the 1850s. [3] Forest was founded in the 1890s and was referred to as Newaukum Prairie. [1] [4] [a] Due to the town's location on Highway 99, Forest was described as a crossroads community where it was often used as a rest stop and a communal gathering spot for nearby residents. The early community once had a grist mill that began after 1875 but burned down in 1913. [2]

The community was a site for a poor farm in the late 1890s. The site often housed destitute or disabled persons, and may have been a temporary location for persons that ran afoul of the law, as some were described as "inmates". During the Great Depression, the Forest Manor Retirement Home was built, remaining as a poorhouse. The site continued to operate during the 1930s but the building was abandoned before being renovated as a tuberculosis convalescence home in 1943. Known as the Macmillan Sanatorium, it lasted until the mid-1950s until becoming a nursing home; the grounds once again were used for retirement needs in the 1970s. By the 21st century, the building was remodeled and is used as a homeless shelter for women and children. [5]

An open field located near the town was used as a makeshift airfield in the early 20th century. [2] Forest was a location for a permanent Boy Scout campground with a log cabin; construction began in 1920. [6]

Forest, due to its location near the Newaukum River, has a history of flooding. The community was included in updated FEMA flood maps in 2003, the first revised maps since the 1970s. [7] The Newaukum Bridge, located in Forest and built in 1929, was replaced in 2011. The construction cut off traffic flow through the town as the highway was partially closed for a year. The replacement was also hampered by costs as well as caution over possible archaeological finds. [8] [9]

Post office

A post office was created and named in 1896 by the first postmaster, Amanda Monroe. [b] It was moved in 1897 and established in Forest's historic Trodahl store, [2] remaining in operation until 1934. [4] [10] [11] Early service routes from Chehalis were directed through Forest providing mail delivery to towns and communities located on present-day SR 508 or near Mayfield Lake and Riffe Lake. [12] Joseph Gruener, owner of the mercantile business that became known as the Trodahl store, served as postmaster from 1897 to 1929. [13]

Geography

Forest is located at the confluence of the north and south forks of the Newaukum River. The area is referred to as a crossroads community due its central proximity at a crossing of the Jackson Highway (previously part of U.S. Route 99) and an arterial that leads to Alpha and SR 508. The crossing was known as Stinky's Corner and Trodahl's Corner. Forest is situated between Chehalis to the north, and the communities of Klaus and Mary's Corner to the south. [3] [2] [14]

Arts and culture

Historic buildings and sites

Forest Grange

Forest Grange Hall, 2024 Forest, Washington 02.jpg
Forest Grange Hall, 2024

The Forest Grange, No. 153, was organized in 1904 along with granges in Alpha, Ethel, Silver Creek, St. Urban, and the Hope grange in Winlock. Though recognized for a time as the first granges formed in Lewis County, two granges had been structured in 1874. [15] The grange celebrated a 100th anniversary in conjunction with its fellow halls in 2004. [16] The social organization was first known as the Forest Union Grange in 1916, changing the name approximately 20 years later. At the dedication and opening of a new 40 ft × 100 ft (12 m × 30 m) hall in 1916, the grange counted 135 charter members. [17] [18] As of 2024, the Forest Grange and its hall is active.

Trodahl store

At the intersection of North Fork Road and Jackson Highway is the Trodahl store, an historic building first constructed in the 1880s and used as a stage stop and inn. The structure was expanded in the 1890s with an addition of an attached residence. In the 20th century the location began to be utilized as a general store first known as Greeners, [14] after the Greuner family, until 1929. [13] The location was renamed after the Trodahl family that operated the business until the 1980s, when it closed after financial hardship. The site, in 1993, became a convenience mart, continuing as such into the next century. [2] [9]

Parks and recreation

East of Forest on Centralia-Alpha Road near the North Fork Newuakum River is the Thousand Trails campground. The site was founded in 1969 and opened in 1972, becoming the first Thousand Trails resort ever built. [19] [20]

Education

Forest Schoolhouse, ca. 1911-1912 Forest, Washington school 01.jpg
Forest Schoolhouse, ca. 1911-1912

Forest was home to a two-room schoolhouse in the early-1900s and the building contained a belfry. [2] [21] Originally, the school held all classes up to 8th grade in one room, later partitioned into four sections. [14] Enrollment numbers in the school's early days were moderate, with a report of 70 students in 1911. [22]

A district consolidation occurred in 1910, creating the Forest School district No. 205. The following year, the Forest school, due to its location, length of school year, and well-regarded teachers, became the center point of a concentration of smaller schoolhouses in the Newaukum Valley. The school was given a special mention of high praise by the state's Department of Education. [22]

In 1926, an $8,000 bond to construct a new school building was passed [23] but was rejected the following year. [24] The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a $3,500 gym on the grounds in 1937. [25] The original schoolhouse was destroyed by fire in 1946, though the gym and teacher's cottage were saved. [26] After the loss of the West Side School in Chehalis during the 1949 Olympia earthquake, students traveled to Forest for their education. [27] With the formal closure of the school by 1950, [28] the grounds were still used, especially for a children's handicap education program in the mid-to-late 1950s. [29] [30] By 1966, the remaining structures had been available for rent and were officially put up for sale. [28] The grounds of the Forest schoolhouse were listed as surplus in 1972. [31] [32]

Government and politics

Politics

Presidential Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 [33] 75.18%53022.70% 1601.56% 11

Forest maintains a separate voting precinct from neighboring Chehalis and is recognized as being majority Republican and conservative. [34]

The 2020 election included votes for candidates of the Libertarian Party and there were 4 votes for write-in candidates.

Infrastructure

Around the turn of the 20th century, Forest was connected to Chehalis and Jackson Prairie, an area around present-day Mary's Corner, via a gravel and plank road; [35] the thoroughfare became part of Highway 99 and Jackson Highway. A gas pipeline was proposed to be built through the community in 1964. [36]

Notes

  1. ↑ Sources vary on whether Forest was synonymous with Newaukum Prairie or the prairie was its own area, suggesting that Forest was a community within the Newaukum Prairie borders.
  2. ↑ Records also list a W.R. Monroe.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chehalis, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Chehalis is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,439 at the time of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napavine, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Napavine is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. It is also included in the Centralia, WA micropolitan area. The population was 1,766 at the 2020 census.

Onalaska is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lewis County, Washington, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 657. Onalaska is located along Washington State Route 508.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosmos, Washington</span> Flooded town

Kosmos was an unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington, southwest of Glenoma and is now considered a flooded town. Kosmos is named from a Greek term meaning "the world or universe as an embodiment of order and harmony".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Littell, Washington</span> Unincorporated community in Washington, United States

Littell is an unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington, United States, located off Washington State Route 6 between the towns of Adna and Claquato.

Cora was a former farming community and is a locale in Lewis County, Washington, United States. Cora is located off U.S. Route 12, next to the Cowlitz River between the towns of Randle and Packwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCormick, Washington</span> Unincorporated community in Washington, United States

McCormick is an unincorporated community off Washington State Route 6 in Lewis County, in the U.S. state of Washington.

Swofford, also known as Swofford Valley, is an unincorporated community in central Lewis County, in the U.S. state of Washington. The town sits on the south shore of Riffe Lake, approximately 4.0 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Mossyrock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chehalis Theater</span> Historic theater in Chehalis, Washington

The Chehalis Theater, also as the Chehalis Theatre, is a single-screen, Art Deco movie theater in Chehalis, Washington. The theater is situated at the north end of the Chehalis Downtown Historic District near the Hotel Washington. Known locally for the hand-painted illustrations of popular children's fantasy characters that once populated the ceiling, it is the only surviving movie house in the city.

Parks and recreation in Chehalis, Washington is administered by the Chehalis Parks and Recreation Department. Trails that connect Chehalis with locations beyond the city limits are maintained in conjunction with other local jurisdictions, state government agencies, and/or local non-profit groups and volunteers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lintott-Alexander Park</span> Park in Chehalis, Washington

Lintott-Alexander Park is a 6-acre (2.4 ha) park in Chehalis, Washington, located west of I-5 and south of Washington State Route 6. Due to its location in a bend of the Chehalis River and at the confluence of the Newaukum River, the park can flood in most years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary's Corner, Washington</span> Unincorporated community in Washington, United States

Mary's Corner is an unincorporated community located in Lewis County, Washington. The area sits at the crossroads of U.S. Route 12 and Jackson Highway. The community is 11 miles (18 km) south of Chehalis and 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the town of Ethel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winston, Washington</span> Unincorporated community in Washington, United States

Winston, also known as Winston Creek, is an unincorporated community located in Lewis County, Washington. The rural, residential community sits in the mid-south area of Lewis County and is 3.0 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Mayfield and 4.0 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson House State Park Heritage Site</span>

Jackson House State Park Heritage Site is a 1.4-acre (0.57 ha) Washington state park centered around the John R. Jackson House, the restored homestead cabin of John R. and Matilda Jackson, who were among the first Euro-American settlers north of the Columbia River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flood history in Chehalis, Washington</span> Reoccurring weather event in Washington, United States

The city of Chehalis is located in Washington state and rests upon the Chehalis River. Due to the city's location in the Chehalis Valley along with the nearby confluences of the Newaukum River south of Chehalis and the Skookumchuck River in neighboring Centralia, the community has suffered from numerous floods. Some floods have occurred resulting from overflows of creeks and minor tributaries in the Chehalis river basin, and severe cresting of the Cowlitz River has occasionally led to flooding in the Chehalis area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillside Historic District (Chehalis, Washington)</span> NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington

The Hillside Historic District is a neighborhood located in Chehalis, Washington and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Hillside District is one of three NRHP neighborhoods in the city, including the Chehalis Downtown Historic District and the Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District</span> NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington

The Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District is a neighborhood located in Chehalis, Washington and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1991. The district is one of three NRHP neighborhoods in the city, including the Chehalis Downtown Historic District and the Hillside Historic District. The city of Chehalis recognizes a much broader and expansive historic district, known under such monikers as the Historic West Side or the Westside neighborhood, with the inclusion of several other homes and streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scout Lodge (Chehalis, Washington)</span> NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington

The Scout Lodge, also known as the Troop 373 and 7373 Scout Lodge, is located in Chehalis, Washington in the Hillside Historic District. Constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) beginning in 1937, the lodge was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2004.

Harmony is an unincorporated town in Lewis County, Washington. The community is located near the junction of the Cowlitz River and Mayfield Lake, and is situated off Route 122, north of Mossyrock.

Burnt Ridge, a landform and locale, was a small community that existed approximately between the 1880s and into the 1940s. The town was located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Onalaska.

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Forest, Washington
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mittge, Brian (April 6, 2002). "If Towns Could Talk - Towns Once Bastions Of Highway Commerce". The Chronicle. p. 22. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Mittge, Brian (April 3, 2004). "After 101 Years, Family still down home on the farm". The Chronicle. pp. 9, 10. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Meany, Edmond S. (1923). Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 88.
  5. ↑ Jones, Pat (January 6, 2007). "Some Lewis County People Wound up in Poor House". The Chronicle. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Permanent Scout Camp". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. October 15, 1920. p. 2. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  7. ↑ Mittge, Brian (July 17, 2003). "Feds unveil new flood maps". The Chronicle. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  8. ↑ Allen, Marqise (January 14, 2011). "Newaukum Bridge Scheduled to Open Next Month". The Chronicle. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Allen, Marqise (May 11, 2010). "Convenience Store Left Isolated by Bridge Closure". The Chronicle. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Post Offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Lewis County - Forest". jtenlen.drizzlehosting.com/walewis/townsal.html. Lewis Co. WA GenWeb Project.
  12. ↑ "Excellent Mail Facilities". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. May 24, 1901. p. 7. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Joseph Greuner , Pioneer Of County, Dies Tuesday". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. December 25, 1936. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 Trout Blinks, Ann (February 5, 1994). "Horse-and-buggy days recalled by Chehalis woman". The Chronicle. p. D1. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  15. ↑ Jones, Pat (October 28, 2006). "Home, home on the Grange". The Chronicle. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Grange members to dedicate remodeled fair building at this year's fair". The Chronicle. March 20, 2004. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Forest Grange Fine New Hall". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. October 20, 1916. p. 5. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Forest Grangers Set 50th Birthday Sunday". The Daily Chronicle. January 20, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  19. ↑ VanTuyl, Aaron (August 11, 2007). "A Thousand Trails for 35 YearsParty Today: Membership Camping Started in Chehalis". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Thousand Trails Concludes Year-Long 50th Anniversary Celebration Year Filled with Events, Giveaways and Time Capsules". PR Newswire (Press release). December 19, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  21. ↑ Swayne, Aleta (January 4, 1974). "Reminesence Of Forest School". The Daily Chronicle. p. 3. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  22. 1 2 "Forest School Given Praise". The Centralia Weekly Chronicle. September 6, 1911. p. 4. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  23. ↑ "New $8000 Forest School". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. December 24, 1926. p. 1. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Rejects Forest Bond Issue". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. February 4, 1927. p. 11. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Gym For Forest". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. January 22, 1937. p. 4. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Fire Destroys Forest School". The Daily Chronicle. April 18, 1946. p. 1. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  27. ↑ "West Side Elementary School to Disappear From Scene After Almost 40 Years Service". The Daily Chronicle. December 22, 1950. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  28. 1 2 "What's News In The Twin Cities - Buildings Offered". The Daily Chronicle. July 14, 1966. p. 4. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Handicapped Classes Open". The Daily Chronicle. November 30, 1955. p. 9. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  30. ↑ "To Be Center". The Daily Chronicle. August 19, 1958. p. 12. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Property Not Needed". The Daily Chronicle. March 2, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  32. ↑ "News Briefs - Meeting Changed". The Daily Chronicle. April 13, 1972. p. 13. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Lewis County 2020 Election". Results.Vote.WA. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  34. ↑ MacCracken, Gordon (November 25, 1998). "This is no Mickey Mouse operation - or is it?". The Chronicle. p. 5. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Over The County". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. March 9, 1900. p. 2. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  36. ↑ "Proposed Route Of Petroleum Pipeline In County Disclosed". The Daily Chronicle. July 14, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.