Chelatchie, Washington
Unincorporated community in Clark County, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chelatchie is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Washington.
Chelatchie | |
|---|---|
Tumtum Mountain, visible from Chelatchie | |
  Chelatchie Location within the state of Washington  Chelatchie Chelatchie (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 45°55′40″N 122°22′46″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Clark |
| Elevation | 509 ft (155 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Area code | 360 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1517652[1] |
Chelatchie is located about 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Vancouver, Washington in the Chelatchie Prairie (or Chelatchie Valley) area, and consists of several homes, a general store, and a United States Forest Service visitor center for the Mount St. Helens Volcanic National Monument. It is one of the more remote communities on Washington State Route 503, and serves as a gateway into the Siouxon Creek area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
History
The area was first settled around 1860, and was among the first settlements in the area.[2] The name was derived from "ch'álacha,"[3] a Klickitat word describing a valley with tall ferns.[4]
The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad was extended to the area in 1948, with the International Paper Company opening a plywood mill at the end of the line in 1960,[5] which operated until 1979.
