1958 Map of Hoquiam

About this map

The Columbia River forms a massive liquid border at the base of this survey, where the Coast Range meets the Pacific tides at Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay. This mid-century landscape is defined by its deep timber and river commerce, showing the Burlington Northern rail lines connecting timber towns like Hoquiam, Aberdeen, and Centralia. The map captures the extensive public lands of the era, from the Capitol State Forest near the state capital to the vast reaches of the Snoqualmie National Forest and Gifford Pinchot National Forest in the east. Of particular interest to historians is the detailed depiction of the Nisqually Ind Res and the military grounds of Fort Lewis Mil Res, alongside numerous rural landings and crossings like Cathlamet and Skamokawa that once served as vital hubs for the local river-and-rail economy.