Stan Hedwall Park | |
---|---|
Type | Athletic fields, camping, hiking, water access |
Coordinates | 46°38′24″N122°57′54″W / 46.64000°N 122.96500°W |
Area | 204 acres (83 ha) |
Created | 1972, officially a Chehalis park in 2014 |
Etymology | Named after a Chehalis government official |
Status | Open; can be closed due to flooding |
Hiking trails | Gravel and compacted soil; 3 miles |
Terrain | Flat, river bank |
Vegetation | Forested, meadow |
Threatened by | Flooding |
Parking | Multiple lots, 200+ |
Facilities | RV parking and camping, bathrooms |
Stan Hedwall Park is the largest park in Chehalis, Washington at 204-acres (83 ha). It is located west of I-5, and southeast of Lintott-Alexander Park and the beginning trailhead for the Willapa Hills Trail. [1] [2]
The ballfields host competitions for the Babe Ruth League and various high school sports in Lewis County, acting as home field for W.F. West High School.
The land was originally owned by Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services, making it state property. In 1970, the park was named after Stan Hedwall, a former Chehalis parks director and Lewis County commissioner. [3] [4] A 55-year agreement to lease the area to Chehalis was signed in 1971; the annual payment was $750. [5] In 1972, the park began to be built in part from a grant by Washington's Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation. Prior, the grounds were used as farmland maintained by students at the Green Hill School, a juvenile detention center. [1] [4] Early attempts to clear the land were undertaken by Green Hill students in mid-1972 as a public relations tour to offset ongoing negative impacts of escapes and runaway crimes. [6]
The land was officially annexed by the city in September 1972. [7] The parcel was originally listed at 170 acres (69 ha) [lower-alpha 1] and construction, based on a two-year timetable at a cost of $467,000, began in late 1972. Early plans included lighted Babe Ruth ballfields, fields for softball and girl's league baseball, multi-use fields for other sports, multiple grandstands, a swimming area at the river, camping areas, hiking trails and bridges over the Newaukum, parking lots, concession stands, outdoor picnic facilities, playgrounds, and a 10-acre (4.0 ha) ornamental garden. [8] The garden had small plots available for lease to residents and was known as the "pea patch" program. [9] [10]
The scope and funding was the largest of its type, as well as for a city the size of Chehalis, at the time. [8] Despite help in constructing six ballfields from an engineering battalion of the Washington National Guard in 1973, [11] the park struggled to meet its timeline by the summer of 1974, due to issues of a lack of resources and city help in finishing the ballfields. [12] By mid-1974, light poles had been installed and the concession stand was finished, [13] and the fields were used of the 1974 Babe Ruth league state tournament. [14] Stan Hedwall Park was considered fully open in 1975, notwithstanding concerns over a lack of funding and deletion of proposed amenities, [15] and Chehalis residents were credited with raising $117,000 to help fund the completion of the park. [16]
A major flood in December 1975 submerged 70% of the park with floodwater. [17] The 100-year flood of 1996 also inundated the grounds, inducing damages to the park. [18]
After various attempts to purchase the park, the city succeeded in January 2014 when an accommodation was made by the state to list the land as surplus and transfer, by deed, ownership to Chehalis for zero dollars. [1] [4]
The park hosts a Babe Ruth League and is used for high school sports in the county often as a home field for W.F. West High School, such as the school's track and field event, the Bearcat Invitational. [19] [20]
During the 1990s, Stan Hedwall Park was the starting point of a local bicycle race, known as the Klein Classic [21] and has been a starting point, or waypoint, during the Lewis County Historical Bicycle Ride. [22]
The park contains ball fields for softball and little league baseball, areas for volleyball and soccer, playgrounds, RV parking, and three miles of trails. The Newaukum River winds thru the forested, southern portion of the park and the river is accessible to visitors for fishing and water activities. [23]
Lewis County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 82,149. The county seat is Chehalis, and its largest city is Centralia. Lewis County comprises the Centralia, WA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA Combined Statistical Area.
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. It is located along Interstate 5 near the midpoint between Seattle and Portland, Oregon. The city had a population of 18,183 at the 2020 census. Centralia is twinned with Chehalis, located to the south near the confluence of the Chehalis and Newaukum rivers.
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.
The Chehalis River is a river in Washington in the United States. It originates in several forks in southwestern Washington, flows east, then north, then west, in a large curve, before emptying into Grays Harbor, an estuary of the Pacific Ocean. The river is the largest solely contained drainage basin in the state.
Adna is an unincorporated community located in Lewis County, Washington.
The Chehalis–Centralia Railroad (CHTX) is a heritage railroad based in Chehalis, Washington.
William F. West High School, commonly referred to as W. F. West, is a public high school in Chehalis, Washington, United States. It is the only high school in the Chehalis School District. It was named for local businessman William F. West, who donated money and land to the school district. The school prides itself in the amount of scholarships given out yearly. Many students travel out of district to attend. The school added a brand new science wing in 2018.
Lewis County Transit, formerly Twin Transit, is a public transit system serving the cities of Centralia and Chehalis in Lewis County, Washington. It operates four local transit bus routes and two cross-county bus routes, along with options for Dial-A-Ride and paratransit.
Rainbow Falls State Park is a public recreation area on the Chehalis River. It is situated off Washington State Route 6 and is approximately 1.0-mile (1.6 km) east of the town of Dryad, Washington.
Chehalis–Centralia Airport is a city-owned public use airport located in Chehalis, a city in Lewis County, Washington. The airport lies one mile (1.6 km) west of the town.
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.
The Chehalis Gophers was the first nickname of the minor league baseball teams based in Chehalis, Washington. From 1910 and 1912, Chehalis played exclusively as members of the Class D level Washington State League, winning the 1912 league championship in the final season of the league. Chehalis teams were known by a different nickname each season and hosted home minor league games at Millett Field.
The Recreation Park Complex is located in Chehalis, Washington in the city's South Market district near the Green Hill School. The venue, also known as the Chehalis Sports Complex, contains four distinct parks within its borders, providing recreation for athletics, walking, swimming, and playground activities.
Millett Field is the oldest, continuously used public park in Chehalis, Washington and is most noted as home to a Chehalis minor-league baseball team in the early 20th century. The ballfield was regularly used as the central hub of Chehalis sporting activity for decades, including hosting games for several Negro League teams in the 1920s. Located in the city's South Market district, one block north of the NRHP-listed O. B. McFadden House, the 3.3-acre (1.3 ha) park began in 1898.
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.
John Dobson and McFadden Parks were once the center of the Chehalis, Washington park system and they were referred to by residents as the "Top-of-the-Hill" parks due to their proximity to one another. They are the two oldest non-athletic parks in Chehalis. Begun as memorials to well respected Chehalis residents, they are located in the Hillside district on Park Hill, above and east of the historic downtown. The parks are connected by the Dobson-McFadden Trail.
The Willapa Hills Trail is a 56.0-mile (90.1 km) intercounty rail trail in the U.S. state of Washington that is part of the Willapa Hills State Park. Following an east–west route alongside State Route 6, the tract links Chehalis and South Bend, traveling through or near several small towns and parks along the way. Overseen by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, local cities and towns often maintain areas of the trail within their jurisdictions. The trail is built upon a decommissioned railroad track.
Green Hill School is part of Washington state's correctional system under the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, and is the state's only maximum security penitentiary for youths. It is located in the South Market district of Chehalis on I-5, next to Recreation Park.
The city of Chehalis is located in Washington state and rests upon the Chehalis River. With a connection of creeks, minor tributaries, and basins within or near the city, coupled 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. Due to the city being located in the Chehalis Valley along with the Cowlitz River, cresting and overflow of the river has led to flooding in the Chehalis area.
Parks and recreation in Centralia, Washington is administered by the Centralia Parks and Recreation Department (CPRD). The agency oversees a variety of sites, including natural areas, community recreation facilities, and city parks, classified as either neighborhood or community. The department also oversees several single-purpose sites in the city and partners with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) on maintenance and improvements to several areas, including Hayes and Plummer lakes. Centralia hosts privately owned parks and there are some trails under volunteer oversight.
Article a copy from the book "The Flood of 2007: Disaster and Survival on the Chehalis River"