Mineral, Washington
Encyclopedia
Mineral is a small town in Lewis County, Washington
just off State Route 7 near the Pierce/Lewis county line. Mineral originally began as a mining town. Prospecters searching the area for gold instead found coal and arsenic. Though the mines failed early in Mineral's history the town found new life as the site of a logging camp and sawmill, both of with are no longer in operation. Today, Mineral's main industry is tourism, primarily through recreational fishing. Mineral has an event center, a post office, two churches, one general store, one tavern, a cafe, a log lodge (in the National Register of Historic Places
) a resort with fishing docks and boat/pontoon rentals and two bed and breakfast facilities. Mineral is the location from which the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad
now operates.
.
Mineral is most noted as a fishing destination. The lake is stocked yearly with rainbow trout
and other fish species. On the opening weekend of Washington's fishing season, the town more than triples in population due to the influx of anglers. As many as 200 boats easily fit on the lake. The local catch-phrase is "Mineral Lake, home of the 10 pound trout".
Mineral is the location where one of the tallest specimens of Douglas Fir was recorded, measuring at approximately 120 meters high.
Mineral is also located near the location of the famous Kenneth Arnold
UFO sighting in 1947
.
Lewis County, Washington
Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2010, the population was 75,455. The county seat is at Chehalis, and its largest city is Centralia....
just off State Route 7 near the Pierce/Lewis county line. Mineral originally began as a mining town. Prospecters searching the area for gold instead found coal and arsenic. Though the mines failed early in Mineral's history the town found new life as the site of a logging camp and sawmill, both of with are no longer in operation. Today, Mineral's main industry is tourism, primarily through recreational fishing. Mineral has an event center, a post office, two churches, one general store, one tavern, a cafe, a log lodge (in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
) a resort with fishing docks and boat/pontoon rentals and two bed and breakfast facilities. Mineral is the location from which the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad
Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad
The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad is a steam-powered heritage railroad operating in Washington State between Elbe and Mineral. The railroad travels on tracks that pass through thick forest just south of Mount Rainier. The depot, gift shop and ticket office are located in Elbe...
now operates.
Natural features
Mineral affords views of Mount RainierMount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
.
Mineral is most noted as a fishing destination. The lake is stocked yearly with rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
and other fish species. On the opening weekend of Washington's fishing season, the town more than triples in population due to the influx of anglers. As many as 200 boats easily fit on the lake. The local catch-phrase is "Mineral Lake, home of the 10 pound trout".
Mineral is the location where one of the tallest specimens of Douglas Fir was recorded, measuring at approximately 120 meters high.
Mineral is also located near the location of the famous Kenneth Arnold
Kenneth Arnold
Kenneth A. Arnold was an American aviator and businessman. He is best-known for making what is generally considered the first widely reported unidentified flying object sighting in the United States, after claiming to have seen nine unusual objects flying in a chain near Mount Rainier, Washington...
UFO sighting in 1947
Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting
The Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting was an incident on June 24, 1947, where private pilot Kenneth Arnold spotted a string of nine, shiny unidentified flying objects flying past Mount Rainier at then unheard of supersonic speeds that Arnold clocked at a minimum of 1,200 miles an hour...
.