1962 Map of Hoquiam

About this map

Mt St Helens stands as a prominent landmark in the southeastern corner of this landscape, decades before its 1980 eruption changed the surrounding topography. The region is defined by the convergence of the Chehalis River and Hoquiam River at Grays Harbor, where the industrial and maritime hubs of Hoquiam and Aberdeen are established. To the east, the twin cities of Centralia and Chehalis anchor the Interstate corridor, surrounded by the agricultural stretches of the Cowlitz River valley. The map reveals a dense network of early transportation, including the tracks of the Northern Pacific RR and Union Pacific RR that facilitated the timber and shipping economies. From the timberlands of Capitol State Forest to the coastal reaches of Willapa Bay, the survey captures the mid-century infrastructure of Southwest Washington, including the sprawling Fort Lewis Military Reservation and numerous rural burial grounds like Grand Mound Cem.