Wahkiakum County County
Wahkiakum County (wuh-Ki-uh-kuhm), the 2nd smallest county in Washington based on population, was created by the territorial legislature out of Cowlitz County on April 25, 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.
Mapped Location
Wahkiakum County: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on Wahkiakum County
- Feature Type: County
- County Seat: Town of Cathlamet
- Established: Thursday, April 24, 1845
Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Wahkiakum County
A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Wahkiakum County | Official |
| Wakiacum County | Historical |
Origin Notes and History of Wahkiakum County
References to Wahkiakum County that document the origin of its place name
WAHKIAKUM, a county in the southwestern part of the State near the mouth of the Columbia River, derives its name from a tribe of Indians. "Their territory adjoined that of the Chinook and extended upstream toward Oak Point. According to Stuart (1821) they were an offshoot of the Chinook who had separated from the main body about two generations before under Chief Wahkiakum and were afterwards known by his name. In 1805, Lewis and Clark estimated their number at 200. They have been lost sight of as a tribe since about 1850, when Gibbs referred to their chief as almost the last survivor of the tribe. Their principal village seems to have been near Pillar Rock, a short distance above Grays Bay. According to Boas, they had two villages near Pillar Rock -- Tealegak, a little below the rock, and Chakwayalham, farther down the river." (Bureau of American Ethnology, Handbook of American Indians, Volume II., page 890.) There have been many spellings of the word. The county was organized by act of the Territorial Legislature dated April 25, 1854. In that original law the name was spelled "Wakiacum."
Related Catalog Titles
A Bibliography for Wahkiakum County, County
Beach of heaven a history of Wahkiakum County by Irene Martin
Beach of Heaven is a history of the earliest settled areas in Washington. As the birthplace of both the state's canned salmon industry and the cooperative extension movement, as well as Congresswoman Julia Butler Hansen, Wahkiakum County has a historical significance far beyond its borders. Today it stands at the cusp of major change as the rural occupations of fishing, farming, and logging, upon which the country has traditionally depended, suffer from outside influences and demographic shifts. Beach of Heaven documents these changes and looks ahead to future possibilities. This book is much more than a county history. It is a story of the development of a place, of the settlement of ethnic groups, of the establishment of social and transportation networks that made life livable in a wild and forested country. As Irene Martin writes, Beach of Heaven is "an emotional engagement with the place we call home." It will resonate for all who have a passion for the little places, the rural areas, the community values that are gradually passing into history.
xiii, [1], 178 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 23 cm
CIRC [ 1 ]
Postmarked Washington Pacific and Wahkiakum counties by Guy Reed Ramsey, Alan H. Patera
This volume is also a history of postal operations in these 2 counties
148 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
CIRC [ 1 ]
Cottardi Station, Wahkiakum County, Washington by Carlton E. Appelo
By Carlton Appelo: Whenever the local phone book was printed there was always a wonderful historical book in the back. This one is about Cottardi Station, Washington located on the north side of the Columbia River near Altoona. Now just a memory not even a Ghost Town.
80 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
CIRC [ 1 ]
Deep River the C. Arthur Appelo story : Wahkiakum County, Washington by Carlton E. Appelo
Altoona, Wahkiakum County, Washington by Carlton E. Appelo
Pillar Rock, Wahkiakum County, Washington by Carlton E. Appelo
Brookfield the Joe Megler story (Wahkiakum County) Washington by Carlton E. Appelo
Cathlamet on the Columbia Recollections of the indian people and short stories of early pioneer days in the valley of the lower Columbia river. by Thomas Nelson Strong
Published in 1906, Thomas Nelson Strong’s Cathlamet on the Columbia provides a vivid historical account of early pioneer life along the lower Columbia River during the mid-to-late 19th century. The book chronicles the foundational days of the Cathlamet settlement in Washington State, highlighting the complex interactions between incoming settlers and the indigenous Chinookan tribes. Through personal recollections and short stories, Strong documents the region's cultural shifts, the tragic decline of local Native American populations due to disease, and the rugged realities of frontier survival. It remains a valuable primary source for understanding the social and environmental transformation of the Pacific Northwest prior to heavy industrialization.
xv, 170 pages, 1 unnumbered leaf of plates : colour, mounted illustration ; 21 cm
ONLINE CIRC [ 1 ] CIRC [ 1 ]
Related Online Resources
Wahkiakum County
- Altoona
- Brookfield
- Carlson Landing
- Town of Cathlamet
- Dahlia
- Deep River
- Eagle Cliff
- East Cathlamet
- Eden
- Flandersville
- Grays River
- Oneida
- Rosburg
- Skamokawa
- Sleepy Hollow
- State Camp
- Svensens Landing
- Waterford
Political Boundaries
Last updated: 2017-06-29