This sign is loacated near the Lewis County Historical Museum in downtown Chehalis.
Marker Name: Chehalis
Marker Text: The Influence of the Railroad
Construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad through Lewis County began in 1870. The route ran from Kalama north toward Tacoma. By 1872, the tracks reached the new community of Centralia, bypassing Claquato, the established county seat. Towns located along the railroad thrived, while bypassed communities struggled -- some eventually disappeared.
Recognizing the potential prosperity of railroad towns, railway superintendent General J.W. Sprague, purchased 40 acres on Newaukum Hill near Napavine. Here; he planned to establish a regulation railroad stop with a township, and then sell property to locals for a great profit. The citizens of Chehalis, however, believed their town was a better location for a depot -- especally since the county seat had moved from Claquato to Chehalis in 1873. Chehalins unsuccessfully lobbied Northern Pacific for a depot. Knowing that railroad regulations required engineers to stop trains when red flags were waved along the track, citizens persistently flagged down trains until the railroad finally relented and made Chehalis a regular stop.
With the completion of the Northern Pacific’s first northern transcontinental route in 1883, settlers flooded into Washington Territory. By 1912, the wooden depots in Chehalis and Centralia were too small to handle the traffic, and new brick buildings were constructed -- they still stand today.
The Centralia Depot, renovated and restored to its original grandeur in 1995, still operates. Burlington-Northern closed the Chehalis Depot in 1973, but in 1979 the Lewis County Historical Society museum moved into the historic building.