168- Kalama on the Mighty Columbia

The History Of The Evergreen State

Cowlitz County's Kalama is a small city situated beside the Columbia River. By the 1850s, non-Indian settlers were moving into the region. The town had prosperity after becoming the Cowlitz County seat in 1872, but then the Northern Pacific Railway relocated its corporate headquarters from Kalama to Tacoma, causing a severe economic setback. July 16, 1890, saw the incorporation of Kalama. The Port of Kalama was founded in 1920 and subsequently went on to rank among the top five ports on the West Coast for the shipment of dry bulk cargo. Kelso became the county seat in 1922, which was yet another setback for the town. Kalama experiences frequent floods; the worst happened in 1948, when three feet of water submerged downtown shops.
Listen now to learn more about the former County Seat of Cowlitz County!
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