Packwood (Washington)
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 As seen from Packwood, Mount Rainier and Butter Creek Canyon dominate the view to the north. |
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| Location in Washington | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Washington | ||
| County : | Lewis County | ||
| Coordinates : | 46 ° 36 ′ N , 121 ° 41 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 ) | ||
| Residents : | 1,330 (as of: United States Census 2010 ) | ||
| Height : | 321 m | ||
| Postal code : | 98361 | ||
| Area code : | +1 360 | ||
| GNIS ID : | [1] 1524132 | ||
 Location of Packwood in Lewis County |
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Packwood is an unrecognized community in the far east of Lewis County , Washington state . Packwood is at the intersection of US Highway 12 and Gifford Pinchot National Forest Road 52 (Skate Creek Road) between Mount Rainier National Park to the north and Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to the south.
geography
Packwood is located at 46 ° 36′14 "N / 121 ° 40′40" W. Although Packwood is not a local authority, the small town and surrounding areas (particularly the residential communities of High Valley and Timberline) have an estimated 1,330 residents; Packwood itself is home to 342 people.
The Tatoosh Wilderness , the Goat Rocks Wilderness and the William O. Douglas Wilderness lie to the north, southeast and northeast with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest as a buffer in all directions. Packwood is located in the upper Cowlitz Valley, just below the confluence of the Muddy and Clear Fork of the Cowlitz Rivers . The White Pass Ski Area and the main ridge of the Cascade Range mark the eastern limit of the Packwood area, the small town of Randle the western limit, and extensive forest, park and wilderness areas the northern and southern borders.
Packwood is located in the White Pass School District, which, in addition to Packwood, covers the small towns of Randle and Glenoma and the vast forested area in the far east of Lewis County, which ends at the Cascade Range and the border with Yakima County there. In 2004 the school age population fell below a threshold, so that the six-grade elementary school was closed; the building continues to be used as an outpost of the county sheriff's police station, as well as a local history museum and community hall.
climate
According to the Köppen & Geiger climate classification , Packwood has a warm summer Mediterranean climate ("Csb" for short).
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Packwood
Source: Western Regional Climate Center
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history
Packwood was founded as Sulfur Springs.
The name Packwood, used for the place, a mountain pass and a lake, honors William Packwood, a Virginia-born pioneer and explorer of Oregon and Washington. William Packwood and James Longmire were hired by the Washington Territory Legislature to map a low pass over the Cascade Range after several delegates died on their trip to the first legislature. As a sign of the success of their mission, the mapped pass - the Packwood Saddle - is still not used by any road, rail, trail or other means of transport as a connection between the east and west sides of the cascades.
economy
Packwood historically had an economic base of forestry production, public servants (employees of the National Forest and National Park Services ) and seasonal tourism. In the late 1990s, the Forest Service began to merge many ranger stations, so that many of the jobs relocated to Randle and the new Cowlitz Valley Ranger Station. Shortly thereafter, several factors led of logging on federal land and the falling timber prices to close the local sawmill, the Packwood Lumber Mill including the Asian financial crisis to the fall. Because of the limited economic opportunities are the summer homes of so-called "snowbirds" , homes of pensioners and Cabins the majority of buildings in Packwood. However, the influx of retirees and the decision to stay longer have led to a cultural revival in the place. Several local organizations are trying to market the tourist offers and the holiday homes in the village and are planning a long-term revitalization of the place. The decade-old annual Packwood Flea Market today draws tens of thousands during Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. The recently expanded White Pass Ski Area generates a steady influx of visitors during the otherwise tourist-poor winter months. A new art gallery, together with the local history museum in the old school building, is an indicator of the growing diversity and economic revitalization in the area.
traffic
Packwood is accessible year round by private vehicle on US Highway 12, and seasonally on Washington State Route 123 and several Forest Service roads. Packwood Airport, approved for general aviation , is located three blocks west of Highway 12 in Downtown Packwood, and the LEWIS Mountain Highway Transit offers various public transport connections to Centralia and Chehalis on weekdays, including connections to an Amtrak station (in Centralia) and a Greyhound -Lines.
Individual evidence
- ^ Packwood in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
- ↑ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990 . United States Census Bureau . February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ Climate Summary for Packwood, Washington
- ↑ PACKWOOD, WASHINGTON (456262) . Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ Edmond S. Meany: Origin of Washington Geographic Names . In: Washington University State Historical Society (Ed.): The Washington Historical Quarterly . XII, 1921, p. 65. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
- ↑ LEWIS Mountain Highway Transit map . White Pass Community Services Coalition.
