Chehalis (Washington)
| Chehalis | |
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 View from Newaukum to the town of Chehalis, with Mt. Rainier on the horizon |
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| Chehalis in Lewis County | |
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| Basic data | |
| State : | United States |
| State : | Washington |
| County : | Lewis County |
| Coordinates : | 46 ° 40 ′ N , 122 ° 58 ′ W |
| Time zone : | Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 ) |
| Residents : | 7,205 (as of 2005) |
| Population density : | 496.9 inhabitants per km 2 |
| Area : | 14.5 km 2 (about 6 mi 2 ) of which 14.5 km 2 (about 6 mi 2 ) is land |
| Height : | 74 m |
| Postal code : | 98532 |
| Area code : | +1 360 |
| FIPS : | 53-11475 |
| GNIS ID : | 1503929 |
| Website : | www.ci.chehalis.wa.us |
| Mayor : | Anthony E. Ketchum |
Chehalis [ʃəˈheɪlɪs] is a city in southwest Washington state in the United States . The county seat of Chehalis is the county seat of Lewis County . The term Chehalis is an Indian word and means "moving, shimmering sand".
According to the population statistics of the United States of America , there were 6527 people in Chehalis in 1990. The population increased from 7057 in 2000 to currently 7205 (2005) inhabitants. The city covers a land area of 14.5 km² (5.6 mi² ).
history
The city of Chehalis was founded by Stuart Schuyler Saunders. Around 1851, Saunders and his wife Elizabeth Tynan Saunders acquired land in what is now the city of Chehalis. The place was initially called Saundersville. Saunders also owes the establishment of a post office in 1859.
After Saunders' death in 1861, Judge Obadiah McFadden endeavored to renew and expand the streets in the so-called Saunders Grund and was largely responsible for the final naming of Chehalis, which took place in 1870. Around 1872, Chehalis became the seat of the county government of Lewis County, which was previously settled in Claquato , west of the city. During the same period, the Northern Pacific Railroad was built , the current route through the Chehalis urban area thanks to the persuasion of William West. A new courthouse was built in 1874, followed by a school which opened its doors on State Street and Center Street in 1876.
On November 23, 1883, Chehalis was officially granted city rights under the then applicable local constitution of the Washington Territory , in which Lewis County was located. In 1890 the city charter was granted under the current law of the newly founded state of Washington in 1889.
The widow of Stuart Schulyer Saunders, the remarried Elizabeth Tynan Saunders Barrett, also had a decisive influence on the development of Chehali, which is not least due to the large amount of land owned by the family. They went back to the Tynan Opera House, the first Catholic church, a Catholic girls' school, all built in 1889, and ultimately the commercial building known as Barrett Block, completed in 1891.
The Chehalis station building on the Northern Pacific Railroad was built in 1912. This is made of bricks in the style of a classic mission.
geography
- Geographical location
Chehalis is located in the Chehalis River Valley , a marshy, often flooded river valley, which is located in the slightly hilly, but mostly flat stretch of land between the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Cascade Range in the east. The Puget Sound at Olympia is about the same distance from Chehalis as the Columbia River at Longview . On average, the urban area is approximately 56.89 meters (185 ft) above sea level.
- climate
Climatically, Chehalis is in the temperate zone, with warm, dry summers and relatively mild winters. The average annual high temperature is 16.9 ° C (62.5 ° F) and the average annual low temperature is 5.3 ° C (41.5 ° F).
Attractions
- Urban area
Chehalis is rich in historical objects.
- The Chehalis Downtown Historic District in Chehalis' historic downtown area consists mainly of 19th century style commercial buildings built between 1890 and 1927. South Market Boulevard, a traditional shopping street with all kinds of shops, runs in the center of the city center. With the (former) Hotel St. Helens Inn and the Chehalis Northern Pacific Railway Depot, the city center has two buildings that have been included in the National Register of Historic Places .
- Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District
- Chehalis Hillside Historical District
- The Chehalis Northern Pacific Railway is a historic station building that was built in 1912, but is no longer used for passenger services today. Since 1978, Chehalis Railway Station has housed the Lewis Countys Historical Museum, with numerous exhibits and an extensive library on local history.
- Obadiah McFadden Log House
- Vintage Motorcycle Museum
- Surroundings
- Claquato Church
- Jackson Court House
- Chehalis-Centralia Steam Train
- Rainbow Falls State Park
politics
The local government of the city of Chehalis has been organized as Council-Manager-Government since 1970 .
The City Council (Council) is composed of six council members who are elected by the citizens of the city. The city council's meeting place is the town hall of Chehalis.
The mayor is the chairman of the city council and is elected by its members. Although the mayor was not directly elected by the citizens, he is still the main contact for them in matters of local government. The mayor is primus inter pares among the council members . Mayor of Chehalis is Anthony E. Ketchum.
The city council appoints a city manager. The city director heads the local government. He alone is responsible to the city council for all actions of local government. The city director always receives a fixed-term service contract, the duration of which depends on the legislative period of the city council. Merlin MacReynold acts in the role of City Director.
Chehalis is twinned with Inasa , Japan .
Economy and Infrastructure
traffic
- Road traffic
Chehalis is connected to the Interstate Highway System by the I-5, which was completed in 1969 . In the urban area of Chehalis, I-5 has four lanes and runs west of the city center in a north-south direction. Chehalis has three entrances and exits to and from I-5. These are (described from north to south): Exit 79, Chamber of Commerce Way, Exit 77, Main Street and Exit 76, Parkland Drive. The section of the I-5 in the urban area of Chehalis also bears the designation "United States Highway 12" ( US 12 ). Washington State Route 6 leaves the city to the west .
- Bus transport
There is a local bus service between Chehalis and the neighboring city of Centralia to the north , as well as some settlement areas in the immediate vicinity of both cities. The buses are operated by "Twin Transit" and run every half hour on weekdays and only every hour on weekends
- Air traffic
In the northwest of the city of Chehalis is the regional and business airport Chehalis-Centralia (Chehalis-Centralia Airport).
education
Chehalis is located in Lewis County School District 302. In October 2005 the school district had 2594 students. There are seven schools (four types of schools) in Chehalis.
- William F. West High School (high school)
- Chehalis Middle School (Middle School)
- RE Bennett Elementary School (Elementary School)
- Cascade Elementary School (Elementary School)
- Olympic Elementary School (Primary School)
- Green Hill Academic School (special school)
- Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center (Special School)
All of the city's schools are in the area south of Main Street and South Market Boulevard.
sons and daughters of the town
- Seton I. Miller (1902–1974), screenwriter and producer
- Ralph Towner (* 1940), jazz guitarist
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Pat Jones: Music and Art festival highlights Chehalis. In: The Chronicle: Southwest Washington 2003 Tourism Guide. Centralia, Washington 2003, p. 70.
- ↑ US Census Bureau: 2005 Population Estimates. factfinder.census.gov
- ^ A b Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce: 2003-2004 Membership Directory and Buyers Guide. Spokane, Washington 2003, p. 8.
- ↑ Ted Bainbridge (Ed.): Centralia, Chehalis & Lewis County. Bend, Oregon 2003, p. 4.
- ^ Lewis County Historical Museum
- ↑ Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce: 2003-2004 Membership Directory and Buyers Guide. Spokane, Washington 2003, p. 4.
- ↑ Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce: 2003-2004 Membership Directory and Buyers Guide. Spokane, Washington 2003, p. 9.
Web links
- Official site of the City (English)
- Entry in the Washington encyclopedia HistoryLink (English)
- Lewis County Historical Museum in Chehalis
- Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce ( Memento from February 1, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- The Chronicle (local newspaper)