Lower Columbia Economic Development Council P. O. Box 243, Cathlamet, WA 98612 Phone: 360.795.3996 | Fax: 360.795.3944 lcedc@cni.net Home Business Resources Community Profile Tourism and Recreation LowerColumbiaEDC.org     Welcome to the Lower Columbia River in scenic Southwest Washington... ...where you'll experience a special blend of history and nature Wahkiakum County and Naselle, WA invite you to visit the Lower Columbia region, where six communities wait to welcome you. Click on the LCEDC brochure image to learn more about all there is to see and do in Wahkiakum County and the Lower Columbia Region. Quick Links for Visitors and Tourism Information Regional Calendar of Events Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce WelcomeToWahkiakum.com Visitor Center Lodging / Accomodations in the Area Town of Cathlamet Parks and Recreation Southwest WA Fishing Reports Wahkiakum Chamber Business Directory Wahkiakum/Naselle Brochure: Page 1 Wahkiakum/Naselle Brochure: Page 2 Lewis & Clark Trail Map Puget Island-Oregon Ferry Schedule Take a Scenic Loop Tour A Bit of History WAHKIAKUM COUNTY (wuh-KI-uh-kuhm), the 37th largest county in Washington, was created by the territorial legislature in 1854. The name comes from a Kathlamet Indian village located on the north bank of the Columbia River near the present town of Cathlamet. Chief Wakaiyakam, whose name the village took, is buried in Pioneer Cemetery in Cathlamet. Wahkiakum means “tall timber” in Chinook. CATHLAMET (cath-LAM-et), county seat of Wahkiakum County, got its name from the Kathlamet Indians, a Chinook tribe. The tribal name comes from the Chinook word “calamet,” meaning “stone” and was given to the tribe because they lived along a stretch of rocky river bed. Cathlamet was sighted in 1792 by Lt. W.R. Broughton, while verifying Capt. Robert Gray’s reported discovery of the Columbia River. Lewis & Clark found the Kathlamet and Wahkiakum tribes living here during their Northwest Expedition, which passed the area in 1805. James Birnie of Hudson Bay Company settled here in 1846 and named the area Birnie’s Retreat. The name was later changed to Cathlamet in 1851. PUGET ISLAND, connected to Cathlamet by the Puget Island Bridge, was discovered in 1792 by Lt. W.R. Broughton and named after his friend Lt. Peter Puget. The 27 miles of roads on the two islands are excellent for bicycling and touring with picturesque views of historic churches, boat moorages, dairy farms, and gillnetting boats. SKAMOKAWA (ska-MOCK-a-way), located seven miles west of Cathlamet, was the site of an Indian village over 2,000 years ago. The name comes from an Indian word meaning “smoke over the water,” referring to morning fog at the confluence of Skamokawa Creek and the Columbia River. The first white settlers arrived in 1844 and established a trading post. From 1890 to 1910, logging, commercial fishing and dairy farming were major contributors to the Skamokawa economy. The first co-op creamery was established here in 1898. Skamokawa was named a National Historic District in 1976. GRAYS RIVER, nineteen miles west of Cathlamet, was named for Captain Robert Gray, who discovered the Columbia River. It was settled in 1868 by the Sam Walker Family. ROSBURG, twenty-one miles west of Cathlamet, was named after the first postmaster, Christian A. Rosburg DEEP RIVER, twenty-five miles west of Cathlamet, was first settled in 1867 and its first post office was established in 1877. Deep River was named “alimicut” by the Indians, which in Chinook means “deep river”. NASELLE, a Finnish Village, was settled in 1878. Click on the image of the Naselle Lutheran Church for a brochure about Naselle. Recreation and Tourism: A Few Highlights of Things to See and Do The LCEDC area provides four county and city parks with restroom facilities, picnic tables and playgrounds. There are four recreational vehicle parks, one nine-hole golf course, and an outdoor swimming pool located in Cathlamet. Print Page 1 of the Wahkiakum/Naselle Brochure Print Page 2 of the Wahkiakum/Naselle Brochure The Elochoman Slough Marina provides monthly and transient moorage along with launch and fuel, new restrooms, showers, an RV park, and a covered area with barbeque. The marina is a short walk to the Wahkiakum Historical Museum, the downtown Cathlamet shopping area and historic Pioneer Church. The Skamokawa area and Vista Park are listed on the State and National registers of historic places. The Grays River area is site of Meserve Park and the photogenic Grays River Covered Bridge built in 1905, the oldest remaining covered bridge over a public roadway in Washington State. Lion’s Club Park in Naselle offers tennis and volleyball courts, a baseball diamond, and a perfect spot for a barbeque. Other points of interest include the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbia white-tail deer, Riverlife Interpretative Center at Redmen Hall, Elk Interpretive Center, and the Cathlamet Ferry ‘Wahkiakum’, the last remaining ferry on the lower Columbia River. Biking, fishing, hunting, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, canoeing, kayaking and windsurfing are popular activities in the Lower Columbia EDC area. Need More Information? If you didn't find the information you are looking for, please call 360.795.3996 or email us at lcedc@cni.net     Lower Columbia Economic Development Council, P. O. Box 243, Cathlamet, WA 98612 Phone: 360.795.3996 | Fax: 360.795.3944 | e-mail: lcedc@cni.net Website Design and All Original Text, Photographs, or Other Images are Copyright © 2005, 2006 by LowerColumbiaEDC.org All Rights Reserved.