Incorporated May 21, 1890, the city of Hoquiam is located on Grays Harbor at the mouth of the Hoquiam River and has a population of 8,726 (as of 2010). The word Hoquiam is said to come from a Native American word that means "hungry for wood." The word references the vast forest that once surrounded the town. It is sometimes referred to, along with neighboring Aberdeen, as one of the "Twin Cities" of Washington. White settlement in the area began in 1859 and by 1867 a post office was established. Beginning in 1880, development of the town depended on the lumber industry. George H. Emerson, considered the "Father of Hoquiam" established a mill. Early leaders of the town were primarily important lumber barons.
In the 1880s-90s, Alex Polson and his brother Robert established Polson Brothers Logging Company, which had massive lumber camps in the area.
The Lytle brothers, George and Robert, established Hoquiam Lumber and Shingle Company in 1902. The company became the world's largest producer of cedar shingles.
In the 1920s, local mills produced lumber at a high-rate and the region become the world leaders lumber production and shipping. By 1930, production slowed as the lumbermen now had to go 30 to 50 miles into the hills to find trees to harvest.
Declining volumes of trees, economic conditions and federal timber harvesting environmental legislation all contributed to the town's decline, resulting in a very high unemployment rate and an exodus of much of the county's population. Today Hoquiam continues to celebrate it's historic link with logging by way of the annual "Logger's Playday," a logging competition held each September that features competitors from around the world.
Hoquiam contains several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including the 
Main Post Office, Hoquiam's Castle (a Victorian mansion owned by a lumber baron) and Olympic Stadium.
Note: Click a photo to enlarge
City Hall |
Railroad Depot |
Hoquiam's Castle |
Olympic Stadium |
Main Post Office |