Littell is an unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington, United States, located off Washington State Route 6 between the towns of Adna and Claquato.[1]

Littell, Washington
Willapa Hills Trail pedestrian bridge, Littell, Washington 2023
Willapa Hills Trail pedestrian bridge, Littell, Washington 2023
Littell is located in Washington (state)
Littell
Littell
Littell is located in the United States
Littell
Littell
Coordinates: 46°38′12″N 123°02′07″W / 46.63667°N 123.03528°W / 46.63667; -123.03528
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyLewis
Elevation
[1]200 ft (61 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
zip code
98532
Area code360

The Willapa Hills Trail passes thru the area.[2]

History

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Downtown Littell, ca. 1911

Two versions of who created the town exist. A manager of the Hill Logging Company, Harry J. Syverson, asserted in 1912 to have founded the town[3] however there are sourced claims that a local businessman, Curt Littell, agreed to call the post office under his name in 1902.[4] A post office was moved from the nearby town of Claquato in 1903 and an opera house was built in the town in 1904.[5]

The community was known for its timber production, having two sawmills during its peak at the beginning of the 20th century. Littell grew large enough to contain a school and church, and had a large Japanese population, many of which were employed by the mills. After a destructive fire to one mill in 1911, the second mill closed eventually thereafter and the town began to wane, leaving a few residents. Most of the original buildings and its downtown core are lost.[6]

A pedestrian bridge in Littell was built starting in 2021. The span would allow users of the Willapa Hills Trail to pass over the highway to lessen vehicular accidents.[7] The $3.3 million project[8] was completed in June 2023 and the overpass was named in honor of the community.[9]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Littell, Washington". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "Willapa Hills State Park Trail". parks.state.wa.us. Washington State Parks.
  3. ^ "To Start New Town In County". The Centralia Daily Chronicle. November 15, 1912. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  4. ^ "Miscellaneous Business". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. Vol. 29, no. 42. April 18, 1902. p. 10. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  5. ^ "Chehalis and Vicinity". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. Vol. 21, no. 45. May 6, 1904. p. 10. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  6. ^ "Littell, Once Thriving Town, Is No More". The Centralia Daily Chronicle. July 15, 1961. p. 12. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Brown, Alex (March 28, 2019). "Proposed House Budget Funds $5 Million Willapa Trail Bridge Over State Route 6". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  8. ^ Hammock, Dan (September 29, 2021). "Overpass Construction Begins on Willapa Hills Trail". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  9. ^ "Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Planned for New Willapa Hills Trail Bridge". The Chronicle. June 13, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  10. ^ Mittge, Brian (July 17, 2015). "Commentary: The Father of 'Maverick' and 'Rockford' Was Born in Lewis County". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  11. ^ 'State Senator Wright Dies,' Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, December 22, 1911, pg. 15