Packwood, Washington
Encyclopedia
Packwood is an unincorporated community located in easternmost Lewis County, Washington
.
Packwood is located at the intersection of US Highway 12 and Gifford Pinchot National Forest Road 52 (Skate Creek Road). It is located between Mount Rainier National Park
to the north and Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to the south. Tatoosh Wilderness
, Goat Rocks Wilderness
, and William O. Douglas Wilderness
are to the north, southeast, and northeast respectively, with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
as a buffer in all directions. Packwood is located in the upper Cowlitz valley, just downstream of the confluence of the Muddy and Clear forks of the Cowlitz. The White Pass Ski Area and Cascade Crest demark the eastern edge of the Packwood area, the town of Randle the west, and large expanses of forest, wilderness, and parkland the north and south.
Packwood was established as Sulphur Springs.
46°36′14"N 121°40′40"W (46.6040008, -121.6778664).
Although Packwood itself is unincorporated, the town and surrounding areas (especially the residential communities of High Valley and Timberline) have an approximate population of 1,330.
Packwood is located in the White Pass School District, which, in addition to Packwood, covers the small towns of Randle
and Glenoma, Washington and the vast forested expanse in extreme eastern Lewis County, terminating at the Cascade Mountains and the county border with Yakima County, Washington. In 2004, the town's school-age population dropped to the point that the local K-6 elementary school was shuttered, although the building is still used as a county Sherrif's substation, a local historical museum, and for hosting other community events.
, retirement homes, and vacation cabins. The influx of retirees and determination of long-time locals has led to a recent civic revival in the town, however. Several local organizations seek to promote the tourism opportunities of the town, improve tourist and vacation infrastructure, and plan for the long-term economic revitalization of the town. The decades-old Annual Packwood Flea Market now attracts tens of thousands during the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, and the recently expanded White Pass Ski Area
provides a steady flow of visitors during the otherwise tourism-slow winter months. A new art gallery, along with a heritage museum housed in the old school building, are indicative of increasing diversity and economic revitalization in the area.
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....
.
Packwood is located at the intersection of US Highway 12 and Gifford Pinchot National Forest Road 52 (Skate Creek Road). It is located between Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. It was one of the US's earliest National Parks, having been established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States. The park contains...
to the north and Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to the south. Tatoosh Wilderness
Tatoosh Wilderness
The Tatoosh Wilderness, located in Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and protects . In 1984 it was officially designated as wilderness by Congress....
, Goat Rocks Wilderness
Goat Rocks Wilderness
Goat Rocks Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in Washington, United States. Consisting of portions of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the crest of the Cascade Range south of U.S...
, and William O. Douglas Wilderness
William O. Douglas Wilderness
The William O. Douglas Wilderness is a designated wilderness located in central portion of the U.S. state of Washington. It includes 168,232 acres located between the U.S. Route 12 and State Route 410 and is jointly administered by the Snoqualmie National Forest and the Gifford Pinchot National...
are to the north, southeast, and northeast respectively, with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in southern Washington, USA. With an area of 1.37 million acres , it extends 116 km along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. It includes the 110,000 acre Mount St....
as a buffer in all directions. Packwood is located in the upper Cowlitz valley, just downstream of the confluence of the Muddy and Clear forks of the Cowlitz. The White Pass Ski Area and Cascade Crest demark the eastern edge of the Packwood area, the town of Randle the west, and large expanses of forest, wilderness, and parkland the north and south.
Packwood was established as Sulphur Springs.
Geography
Packwood is located at46°36′14"N 121°40′40"W (46.6040008, -121.6778664).
Although Packwood itself is unincorporated, the town and surrounding areas (especially the residential communities of High Valley and Timberline) have an approximate population of 1,330.
Packwood is located in the White Pass School District, which, in addition to Packwood, covers the small towns of Randle
Randle, Washington
Randle is an unincorporated community in extreme eastern Lewis County, Washington, United States. Randle is located on U.S. Route 12 and is notable as the northeastern access point to the Mount St. Helens Windy Ridge viewpoint, by way of forest service roads that cut through the Gifford Pinchot...
and Glenoma, Washington and the vast forested expanse in extreme eastern Lewis County, terminating at the Cascade Mountains and the county border with Yakima County, Washington. In 2004, the town's school-age population dropped to the point that the local K-6 elementary school was shuttered, although the building is still used as a county Sherrif's substation, a local historical museum, and for hosting other community events.
History
The name Packwood, used for the town, a mountain pass, and a lake, honors William Packwood, a Virginian pioneer and explorer of Oregon and Washington. Packwood and James Longmire, were tasked by the Washington Territorial Legislature to chart a low pass over the Cascade Mountains, this necessitated by the deaths of several delegates in their journey to the first legislative session. As a mark of their successes in this venture, the charted pass - called the Packwood Saddle - is still unused by any road, trail, or other conveyance to pass between the east and west sides of the Cascades.Economy
The town of Packwood has historically relied on the forest products industry as an economic engine, supplemented by government employment (via the National Forest and Park Services) and seasonal tourism. In the late 1990s, the Forest Service began consolidation of many ranger stations, with the result that Forest Service jobs moved to the town of Randle and the new Cowlitz Valley Ranger Station. Shortly thereafter, several factors, including the Asian financial crisis, decreased logging on federal lands, and depression in lumber prices, brought the closing of the Packwood Lumber Mill. Due to the limited economic opportunity, the town's housing consists heavily of summer housing for snowbirdsSnowbird (people)
The term snowbird is used to describe people from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, or Canada who spend a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States,...
, retirement homes, and vacation cabins. The influx of retirees and determination of long-time locals has led to a recent civic revival in the town, however. Several local organizations seek to promote the tourism opportunities of the town, improve tourist and vacation infrastructure, and plan for the long-term economic revitalization of the town. The decades-old Annual Packwood Flea Market now attracts tens of thousands during the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, and the recently expanded White Pass Ski Area
White Pass Ski Area
The White Pass Ski Area is a ski area at White Pass, Washington, located 50 miles west of Yakima on US-12, and 110 miles east of Tacoma.- Alpine Skiing :...
provides a steady flow of visitors during the otherwise tourism-slow winter months. A new art gallery, along with a heritage museum housed in the old school building, are indicative of increasing diversity and economic revitalization in the area.