Skamokawa - Washington Ghost Town

SKAMOKAWA

NAME: Skamokawa
COUNTY: Wahkiakum
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 6
CLIMATE: Cool winter and summer.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime.

COMMENTS: On S.R. 4, semi-ghost.
REMAINS: Many original buildings.

A peculiarity of the labyrinth of waterways and creeks that intersect the area funnels fog into the town and caused the original Indian inhabitants to name it Skamokawa, which means "Smoke-on-the-water." Another peculiarity is until the year 1915 the town had no land connection with the outside world being surrounded on three sides by rocky cliffs and dense virgin timber and on the fourth by the broad lower Columbia River. Since there have been Indians, there has been some sort of village there, so its difficult to say just when the town got started. It reached its peak in the early 1900s with a population around five hundred in 1910. A fine hotel and schoolhouse were built and three large shingle mills operated around the clock. Sidewheelers and sternwheelers visited the town several times a day. But when river traffic died, so did something in Skamokawa. The town will probably never be a true ghost town which makes it a most interesting place to visit. There is much to enjoy at Skamokawa. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.

A peculiarity of the labyrinth of waterways and creeks that intersect the area funnels fog into the town and caused the original Indian inhabitants to name it Skamokawa, which means "Smoke-on-the-water." Another peculiarity is until the year 1915 the town had no land connection with the outside world being surrounded on three sides by rocky cliffs and dense virgin timber and on the fourth by the broad lower Columbia River. Since there have been Indians, there has been some sort of village there, so its difficult to say just when the town got started. It reached its peak in the early 1900s with a population around five hundred in 1910. A fine hotel and schoolhouse were built and three large shingle mills operated around the clock. Sidewheelers and sternwheelers visited the town several times a day. But when river traffic died, so did something in Skamokawa. The town will probably never be a true ghost town which makes it a most interesting place to visit. There is much to enjoy at Skamokawa. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.

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