Kelso Station - Kelso, Washington
N 46° 08.541 W 122° 54.797
10T E 506697 N 5109867
This is a full service Amtrak Station that also serves the City of Longview, just across the Cowlitz River.
Waymark Code: WM4FG8
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 08/17/2008
Views: 107
Kelso Station was built in 1911 and renovated in 1995. The project architect for the renovation was Merritt + Pardini from Tacoma, WA, a unit of Parametrix (
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The waiting room is comfortable and clean. There is no ticket agent on duty, but there is a ticket vending machine. In addition to Amtrak passenger train service, the station also serves Greyhound Lines (
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The following is derived from an excerpt from "About Kelso" by Camilla Summers, 1982, Railroads, page 34, as excerpted from the City of Kelso web site (
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The railroad first came to Cowlitz valley in 1871-72. The Northern Pacific Railway Company built a single track line from Kalama to Commencement Bay (Tacoma). Later, it became part of the transcontinental railway system.
When the line was in operation it carried freight and passengers both ways. This gave the community on the east bank of the Cowlitz River the advantage in transportation accommodations. At that stage the train stop was called Crawford's or Crawfordville. The Crawford family donated 3.5 acres for a station house in November 1886.
The first small depot was a wooden structure in the 100 block of Front or First Avenue in Kelso. By 1906 townspeople petitioned the Northern Pacific Railroad for a better passenger and freight depot. This was granted and a new, brick passenger and a wood freight depot were built. A grand opening reception was held February 12, 1912. Although the interior of the building has been changed several times and passenger travel is diminishing, the depot agents give good service to the public. The station holds an envious location in that it faces the beautiful Cowlitz River in a view of the large and impressive Longview Hall of Justice on the west shore of the Cowlitz as well as the J. Livingston Restaurant and the Bridge Bender Tavern. The station is in the heart of old Kelso.
The old freight station, office and warehouse was located north of the present passenger depot. At one time Oak Street extended west almost to (Front) First Street. There was a "jog" in First Street in order to skirt the freight depot and ramp. Part of the block they occupied is now the parking lot behind the Cowlitz Hardware store and part of the north corner of the now-vacated Safeway parking lot. The ramp, near the depot, was turned the opposite direction then. It allowed train cars to be side-tracked and freight unloaded onto the platform in front of the freight station and north of the depot.
In July of 1928 the City of Longview was granted permission to bring passenger service to Longview. A large brick station and waiting room was constructed with a clock tower that could be seen for blocks. Their passenger service did not last long, however, for the December 1933 flood washed out their tracks and they never tried to get service again. Amtrak now serves Kelso through the Burlington Northern Railway Company.