Traveling the RV Parks and some sites

Washington

2015 and 2013

Chehalis, Washington

Halfway between Seattle and Portland, on the way to the beach or the mountains, Chehalis is in the heart of the Great Northwest. Our community is a safe place to retire or raise your family, a profitable place to do business, and a charming place to visit.

Chehalis-Centralia Railroad is ready to transport you back in time for an experience you will never forget. All aboard for a train ride through the beautiful Lewis County countryside.

Chehalis, the seat of Lewis County and long a commercial center for area farmers and loggers, grew out of claim settled in 1850 by Schuyler (1810-1860) and Eliza (1826-1900) Saunders near the confluence of the Newaukum and Chehalis rivers. Known then as Saunders' Bottom because of its marshy ground, Chehalis gained footing as a town once the Northern Pacific Railroad established a depot there in 1873. Over the years, local residents have built a town with a varied economy, relying on logging, mining, farming, small industry, retail, and residents and businesses that Interstate 5 brought to town. Adaptation to changing circumstances has been a strength of the community, particularly in the last 50 years as the economy has experienced a fundamental shift away from relying on natural resources. (Note that the name Chehalis was given to a Washington county organized in 1854. In 1915 that county was renamed Grays Harbor County.)