Brigham City (historical) Pacific County, Washington
BRIGHAM CITY: Abandoned settlement on Hawks Point near North River on Highway 105. Capt. David K. Weldon and wife came to Shoalwater Bay from San Francisco in 1852 and built a home and store on Weldons Point (Hawks Point). Weldon laid out a town around his store and called it Brigham City. The name was bestowed in honor of Weldons partner, another early bay visitor, Captain Brigham. In 1854 the state legislature created Chehalis County (renamed Grays Harbor County in 1915) and designated Weldons place in Bruceville as the first county seat. Weldon was elected county treasurer. The county seat designation was changed to the stockade at Bruceville (Bruceport) later in the year when it was discovered that Weldons place was not in Bruceville. Weldon had another partner, Chehalis County Commissioner George Watkins, who built the first sawmill on Shoalwater Bay, on the banks of North River and Salmon Creek, near Brigham City. The partners were soon arguing over the ownership of the mill and went to court. The lawsuit, a fever epidemic at the mill, and a freshet which nearly destroyed the mill, were the end of Brigham City. Weldon returned to San Francisco, Brigham was lost at sea bringing supplies to the settlement, Watkins moved to the Cascades where he was killed by Indians, and the remains of the mill were dismantled and sold. Brigham City disappeared from maps of the bay. John Hawks and family were the only settlers found living on the abandoned settlement site in 1858. Weldons Point is now known as Hawks Point.
“A Name for Every Place Around Pacific County, from A to Z.” Chinook Observer, 13 May 2013, https://chinookobserver.com/2013/05/13/a-name-for-every-place-around-pacific-county-from-a-to-z/.
Mapped Location
Brigham City (historical): The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on Brigham City (historical)
- Feature Type: Place
Pacific County
- Balevile (historical)
- Bay Center
- Bay Center Junction
- Bedford
- Breakers
- Brigham City (historical)
- Brooklyn
- Bruceport
- Burt
- Camp Brix (historical)
- Chinook
- Davis
- Dexter by the Sea
- East Raymond
- Elk Creek
- Firdale
- Fort Canby
- Frances
- Frankfort
- Globe
- Heather
- Hilda
- Hines
- Holcomb
- Holman
- City of Ilwaco
- Klipsan Beach
- Knappton
- Lebam
- City of Long Beach
- Loomis
- McGowan
- Megler
- Menlo
- Middle Nemah
- Moores Corner
- Nahcotta
- Nallpee
- Naselle
- Nemah
- Nemah Junction
- North Cove
- North Nemah
- Ocean Park
- Oceanside
- Oceanview
- Oysterville
- Pacific City (historical)
- Pluvius
- City of Raymond
- Rhodesia Beach
- Seahaven (historical)
- Seaport (historical)
- Seaview
- City of South Bend
- Stringtown
- Sutico
- Swem
- Tokeland
- Upper Salmon Junction
- Venice
- Willapa
Political Boundaries
Last updated: 2026-09-27