A History of Castle Rock
By Curt Cunningham

Castle Rock is a large volcanic outcropping about 190 feet high and resembles an old castle. This large rock located at the south end of a bend in the Cowlitz river has been a navigational beacon for the Cowlitz canoemen and the Hudson's Bay Trappers long before the settlers arrived in the 1850's. The rock is now a park located within the city of Castle Rock, about 11 miles north of Longview. There is a place to picnic next to the river and a trail that climbs up to the top of the rock.

The first settlers to the area were William Huntington and his wife Eliza Jane Huntington, who took a claim near the large rock in 1853, and filed their claim on August 1, 1865. John Beek, who arrived at about the same time, took a claim at the north end of town. Beek filed his claim on November 6, 1861.

William Huntington, who was better known as "Uncle Billy," named the large rock next to his cabin "Castle Rock," and for many years he and his wife along with John Beek, were the only residents living near the rock on the east side of the river. The Huntington's were like most of the early settlers, very hospitable and they welcomed all travelers to their home, which became sort of an impromptu stopping place. The Huntington's never refused anyone, even if they could not pay for their accommodations.

Uncle Billy wore many hats during his life on the river; he was a Postmaster from 1857-1861, and from 1872-1887, a United States Marshal of Washington Territory from 1861 to 1869, a member of a the Territorial Legislature in 1856, and a member of the upper branch of the Legislature in 1872. Uncle Billy also served as an elder in the Christian Church for 45 years before his death on April 19, 1894.

In 1857, Uncle Billy established a post office at his home that was given the name Castle Rock and Uncle Billy became its first postmaster. An old settler of Castle Rock told a story about Uncle Billy the postmaster back in 1903; "The first post office at this place was kept in a kind of tea box looking house, down by the river. I remember once of going for the mail and Mrs. Huntington came to the door. 'Well, now,' said she, 'Mr. Huntington has gone out to his work, I do believe he had a letter by that name in his pocket. My son went up to Silver Lake, and he took a bunch of letters with him.' You see they would take the letters out to settlers when they knew them, and very few would get lost."

Also in 1903, John Robin, a Castle Rock resident who founded the Robin Shingle mill, tells an interesting tale about old Uncle Billy Huntington; "The old pioneer was a typical New England postmaster, and as he grew old his eyes grew dim. On several occasions he would stop as he was sorting the mail, and exclaim to his wife, as he held the bit of pasteboard before him: "Gosh, Susan! I ain't got my specs; read this postal card, will you?" "Gosh, Susan!" became a favorite byword among the residents of Castle Rock and surrounding country. 

After 4 short years in 1861, the V & S Military Road was completed and the post office was moved across the river to the Jackson Inn and Henry Jackson took over as postmaster. After the railroad came through Castle Rock in 1871, all the passenger, mail and freight on the Military Road shifted over to the railroad. This change resulted in the post office at Jackson's to be moved back over the river to Uncle Billy's place and he resumed the role of postmaster, and held that position until he resigned in 1887. 

In 1871, the Northern Pacific built its line through Castle Rock, and Uncle Billy built a public house alongside the track for travelers and railroad workers to use free of charge. His home was not far from the public house and the guests would come over to his home asking him for something to eat, nobody was ever refused. There used to be a sign along the tracks about a mile from the Huntington place with the following inscription; "You can always get something to eat of the old man who lives behind the Rock."

In 1876, George and Sarah Pyle arrived at Castle Rock and purchased the Beek place. George then built the first milled lumber home in the county and Sarah became a school teacher at Silver Lake. Sadly, in 1882, George contracted chronic bronchitis and passed away. After George's death, Sarah opened a store in her home and along with her daughter Laura, sold goods and served meals. This was the first store and restaurant in the area.

In 1886, Sarah laid out a town that she called Castle Rock, which was incorporated in 1890. A. H. Goddard was the first mayor, and in 1903 the mayor was G. L. Buland. The first shingle mill in the state was established at Castle Rock in 1883 by John Robin, who shipped the first carload of shingles east of the mountains on July 4, 1885. The capacity of this mill in 1903 was 130,000 shingles daily, and employed 40 people.

The King of the Smugglers

On March 13, 1891 the notorious smuggler Larry Kelly was arrested in Castle Rock with 33 pounds of opium. Larry Kelly was said to be one of the most successful smugglers in the Pacific Northwest and was arrested at Castle Rock aboard a train bound for Portland. The trap to capture Kelly was set as he boarded the train in Tenino with a big satchel. Customs Inspector Mulkey of Tacoma, and Inspector Fox, of Portland, were on the train waiting. Mulkey recognized Kelly and they waited until the train stopped at Castle Rock to make the arrest.

In Kelly's big satchel were 65 half-pound cans of opium. That evening in Castle Rock, Mulkey and his prisoner caught the train for Tacoma, and the next day had Kelly arraigned before United States Commissioner Ayers. George Davis, a passenger on the train, was held as a witness. Larry Kelly was the owner of the 4-ton sloop Alert and the 8-ton Katy Thomas which he admitted to be in the smuggling business exclusively. Kelly's headquarters was at Cottonwood island on the Columbia river. The inspectors had been on his trail for months when the trap was set for his capture.

Kelly smuggled anything that would fetch a buck, though he preferred unstamped opium. He worked alone from 1865 until he retired in 1911. In 1878 Kelly married Lizzie Cootes, who was from the Musqueam tribe that lived at the mouth of the Fraser river. He fought for the Confederates during the Civil War and had once boasted that he would never earn an honest living under the Stars and Stripes. It is said he moved to Louisiana in 1912 and was never heard from again.

The Insurance Fraud

During December of 1894, L. B. Henderson who was selling life insurance policies around the Castle Rock area ran off with the money he had received. Henderson, along with his partner Mr. Lamont, were canvassing the county for the Massachusetts life insurance company. D. B. Skelly, the proprietor of the Central Hotel was left with a unpaid bill of $60 as a memento of his stay there. He disappeared with about $400, leaving Lamont to borrow money so he could get back to Seattle. Henderson was said to have ran off to North Carolina with his wife and child. An attempt was made to return him to Seattle to face charges of obtaining money under false pretenses. It is unknown what ever happened to him.

Castle Rock a Thriving Metropolis

On June 18, 1899 the Seattle Post Intelligencer printed an article describing Castle Rock as a thriving city. They said that the metropolis of Cowlitz county had a population of 1,000 in a new county larger than the state of Rhode Island, and having less than 10,000 people. Cheap fertile land awaited the sturdy producer, where the failure of crops was unknown. There was state, school and railroad land which sold for $2.50 to $5.00 an acre. Improved farm land sold for $5 to $50 an acre. Castle Rock of 1899 had a good water system and electric lights.

The schools employed 5 teachers and the city had the only high school in the county. There were 3 comfortable churches, 2 hotels, 2 drug stores, a meat market, 2 restaurants, 2 lodging houses, a photo gallery, 2 millenary and ladies' furnishing goods stores, a grocery store, a dry goods store, a hardware and furniture store, a sporting goods store, a notion store, 2 bicycle shops, 2 blacksmith and wagon shops, 2 shoe shops, a harness shop, 2 barber shops, 2 saloons and a livery stable.

There were plenty of doctors, dentists and lawyers and a newspaper called the Advocate. The manufacturing industries consisted of; 4 shingle mills, 2 saw mills, and a boot and shoe factory, that were all substantial and prosperous businesses. The payroll of Castle Rock that year was $12,000 a month. Castle Rock in 1899 was one of the liveliest places in Western Washington.

The Fool Abroad

On September 27, 1901 the "Fool Abroad" wrote about a trip on the train from Seattle to Castle Rock; "On board the train today bound for Winlock and aided by a four-bit piece I happened to have with me, I was able to vacate my seat in that Plebian coach and give it to a lady with 3 babies and 2 large satchels, so I could ride along with the real people, those who travel for the fun of it, which was permitted by the official who took my money. I saw all kinds of nice people there."

"Among them were 2 ladies who were looking out the window trying to see between the broken clouds the top of Mount Rainier. One of them was looking at a map for the name and I suppose, with a sort of vague idea that if she could easily find it on the map she could better find it among the clouds. She remarked that she couldn't find it but saw the name Mount Tacoma. To which the other one explained, that the mountain was called by that name years ago but the name had been changed to Rainier."

"She said she didn't know why they changed the name, unless it was because the name Rainier sounded more Frenchy. The next day they arrived at Castle Rock, which is situated 85 miles from Tacoma and has a population of 1,000. Castle Rock is furnished with a water system, a telephone system, an electric light system, and with all these modern appliances looks quite like a city. It has four denominational churches, five saloons, a jail, and a school house. This school house is situated almost in the business center of the town, where there is no room for playgrounds and where the noise and movement of the commercial doings come to disturb and distract the pupils."

"There is a daily attendance of about 260 children at this school. The site of this town is very pretty, being in a picturesque valley with a river winding gracefully along, surrounded by high hills covered with forests. The industries that support the town are logging, shingle mills and farms. It is estimated that more farm products are shipped from this place than from any town of its size in Western Washington. The people seem to be a thrifty, industrious class of folk who are doing a good business on business principles."

"But like all who live apart from the great centers of commerce, are inclined to take life as it comes. Having lived together, most of them for twelve years as fellow citizens, they know each other well, also each other's business. But the strife for place does not seem to have disturbed them much, principally perhaps, because the places are not worth much money."

"They have officers of course but they are known and addressed as Johnnie, and Billie, and Sammie, and Tommy, and so on. Carrying such badges of familiarity, what honor is there in Mayor or Chief of Police? Each public official goes forth at even tide and calls out toward the meadow for the cow that gives him milk for his porridge and cream for his coffee. Such humble dignitaries as these do not create much rivalry."

The Flood of 1903

At the beginning of 1903, Western Washington was hit by the worst flood in over 25 years. Bridges were washed out from Everett to Vancouver and trains were idled. By January 4th the situation at Castle Rock had improved somewhat. The flood reached its highest point at 11pm Saturday the 3rd, and had receded about 20 inches the next day when the rain stopped. It was estimated that about 12,000 cords of shingle bolts had gone down the river. The center span of the Toledo wagon bridge was gone and many smaller bridges as well.

Communication with the country districts was almost impossible. The Wright mill boom gave way on the 4th, letting out several hundred cords of bolts. All the piling recently driven for a bridge across the Cowlitz at Castle Rock was washed away. The steamer Joseph Kellogg arrived at 9 o'clock the morning of the 4th with the mail from the south and after 2 hours, the steamer loaded the stranded Northern Pacific passengers who were going to Portland. A work train soon arrived and a large gang who began to clear the track, which was covered with mud and rock 2 feet deep for a distance of about a mile and a half at intervals. 

At 3pm the afternoon of the 4th, another train arrived at Castle Rock with mail and passengers from the north. The steamer Northwest had also just arrived. Captain Dulude was under orders to return at once to Kelso with the stranded train passengers that had just arrived, but the railroad officials did not seem to understand what was going on, and 200 travelers were delayed at the depot. Supplies were becoming scarce, and restaurants started to raise prices. Among the train passengers, was Fred S. Howe, mascot of company "C" Ninth Infantry, who had been wounded during battles at Santiago, the Philippines and China. The electric light plant was partially out of the water, and the homes and streets continued to be lit. The railroad was cleared and opened on Monday evening the 5th.

Castle Rock in 1903

Being one of the newer towns along the river, Castle Rock by the end of 1903, was the largest city in Cowlitz county, with a population numbering around a thousand. The town became the gateway to the rich mining regions of Mt. St. Helens, and its principal industries were lumber, shingles, mining and agricultural. There were numerous churches, lodges and social societies, and they still had the only high school in the county at the time. 

The schools at Castle Rock were a source of pride in the community. The pupils enjoyed the facilities of a well equipped laboratory and the assistance of 9 carefully selected and well qualified instructors. The school was also the possessor of the Moses Brown Library, which gave it a great advantage over the schools in the smaller cities of the state.  

The steamers, Northwest and the Joseph Kellogg, ran a tri-weekly passenger and freight service between Portland and Toledo, beginning in the 1880's and made stops at Castle Rock. The steamers, which began to ply the river in the 1860's, had to compete with the railroad after the 1870's. By the late 1910's, as the auto was becomming more reliable, spelled the end of the steamer era.

The Great Flood of 1906

On November 15, 1906, the Cowlitz river became a raging torrent and overflowed its banks and flooded the entire Cowlitz Corridor, carrying houses, barns, logs and other debris down the river. Many families were homeless and lost everything. The Cowlitz river was 18 feet above the usual height. Castle Rock was in a state of chaos. The electricity went out and the town marshal closed the saloons for the public's safety. Rumors came in that the river was falling above town, and the people were hoping that the worst had past, although it was still raining hard. 

Their hopes were soon dashed, for at about midnight the river began rising more rapidly than ever, and breaking over the low places on the banks and began running across the city in several places and many houses that had escaped the first flooding became entirely surrounded by water. The residents in those homes were awakened by the sound of rushing water and found that they were in danger of being washed away.

The waters had cleaned out every log boom in the vicinity except the one at Swift's mill above the mouth of the Toutle. The Robin boom still stood, though emptied of the bolts, causing the heavy drift to sheer off and not cross the town. This saved more than half the residences in the city, that would have otherwise been carried away. Many homes were destroyed and a number of them were washed away. The residents of the homes that were spared, carried what they could upstairs and many went to bed thinking the river would not reach them, only to awaken later that night to the fact that, they were in great peril, and had to be taken out in boats with little more than the clothes on their backs. 

At the lower end of town, although many had heeded the warning and moved away, others felt that, although the water was backing up to them, there was no particular danger, as they did not anticipate that the water would run over at the north end of town. That's exactly what it did and it broke over just above the Black Diamond Paint & Shingle Company's mill at about 2pm, and not long after, at least 2/3rds of the town was now a sea of swiftly running water. 

Many were glad to escape with only their lives, leaving everything behind them, and quite a number had lost everything. Many narrow escapes were reported, but happily no lives were lost. F. E. Hatch lost his house and nearly all its contents. Sam Cornelius lost his house and contents and a number of fine fowls, in fact everything he owned. Others had lost heavily in furniture and personal effects. The train from Portland was 3 hours late and became stuck at Castle Rock. The high ground in back of town provided a place of safety. Dee Blackwell of Castle Rock walked down the tracks to Kelso and he reported that the lower portion of town was under 7 to 10 feet of water. Many homes were submerged to their eaves.

Bridge over the Cowlitz Opens

On Saturday November 5, 1910, a new 300 foot bridge over the Cowlitz river was opened and a celebration took place with much pomp and ceremony. The event was attended by an immense, multitude of people coming by train and wagon from all parts of the county, and from adjoining counties. The program was carried out almost to the letter, and though the day turned out to be stormy and cold, everyone seemed determined to have a good time. There was a dinner, which was served to all who cared to partake, and over a hundred people sat down to a fine meal.

Dozens of chickens, pies and cakes and other good things by the ton, were brought in by the good farmers. In the tug-of-war between teams from Kelso and Kalama, rivals in the county seat fight, Kelso won after a long hard pull, and was presented with a miniature wooden courthouse. In the football game, Kelso lost to Chehalis by a score of 16 to 0. The festivities closed with a grand ball that evening, which was largely attended and an excellent time was had by all.

The Big Cut

In 1911, the Northern Pacific began construction of a new double track line from Portland to Tacoma. This new road straightened out many of the curves by digging cuts through the hills along the Cowlitz river. In 1871, at Castle Rock, the railroad originally built the line through town on what is now Huntington Avenue. The new double track line was built to the east and required a large cut over a mile long. This cut severed the wagon road at the north end of town, which required the railroad to bridge the gap.

On September 23, 1911, the Northern Pacific began to run trains through the cut over the new double tracks east of Castle Rock. The new depot, which was not yet built, was going to be almost a quarter mile away from the old depot, and outside of the city limits. At first, the railroad officials were housed in boxcars, and work on the new 30,000 square foot depot was just beginning construction. The residents were complaining why the trains were diverted onto the new tracks before the depot was finished, and making them wait out in the weather.

The Pacific Highway

During May of 1913, Governor Lister and the state highway commissioners along with other notables, took a trip from Olympia to Vancouver to inspect the new Pacific Highway. The trip was made for two purposes. First, so that each member of the commission could personally see the condition of the road for themselves; and, second, to go over the ground with county and city authorities so that the different interests can work together for the best results. At the Cowlitz county line, a delegation of county representatives met the Lister group and guided them down the highway to town, where they had a meeting at the Castle Rock Hotel. At the conclusion of the tour, the delegates felt assured from the reception they received along the route, that the trip was of a great benefit.

On January 17, 1915, S. R. Maffet, good roads booster from Castle Rock, made the following statement; "In this section along the Pacific Highway the residents are trying to complete the road as fast as possible and that by early next spring the highway in Washington will be finished, depending on Clark county. All along the highway people are preparing for the tourists, which they are sure will come to town."

"A new hotel, the Savoy, has been opened up at Castle Rock and this is one which will no longer necessitate either staying at or making a dash all the way to Seattle. We will have a great many side trips to interest the tourist. The highway to Mount St. Helens and Spirit Lake is now in fair shape and we will operate an auto stage into that country next summer. Part of the highway is closed to everything except light cars, and many of them can't get through. It was distinctly the weight of the Ford which saved us some weeks ago. We had to use some planks to get up a bank which had washed out the road. Had the Ford weighed another 10 pounds more it would have broken the plank and I am sure it would nave remained there until spring."

Construction Begins to Improve the Highway

Permanent Highway No. 6, extended from Castle Rock north along the Pacific Highway for a distance of 6.67 miles. This was one of the worst sections of the highway in the county. With its steep hills and muddy bottoms, it tested the patience and fortitude of many a motorist. On September 15, 1919, Henry & McFee of Seattle began construction on the improvement of this section of the highway as Federal aid project No. 32. The contract called for a graveled road, including an overhead structure 147 feet long over the tracks of the Northern Pacific Railway at the north end of Castle Rock, the estimated cost being $285,951.05. The bridge and grading work was completed by December 19, 1920.

The Castle Rock Auto Camp

On July 30, 1921, the Castle Rock auto camp opened to the traveling public. The park was situated on the Pacific Highway just north of "the Rock." The park comprised 5.5 acres, and had running water that was piped from the city water reservoir located at the top of the rock. The park was administered by the Commercial Club and was free to all motorists. The park could comfortably accommodate 30 cars and there were 5 brick ovens with tops made from circular saws, and 8 tables with a seating capacity of 80 people.

Paving Begins

In 1922, the state highway department began paving work at Castle Rock. The old Northern Pacific right-of-way through town (Huntington Avenue) was to be used for the new highway. This work along with the paving between Kelso and Toledo, made a continuous paved highway in Cowlitz county by the end of 1927.

The End of an Era

Castle Rock was bypassed in 1953, when the 4-lane Castle Rock-Highway 99 expressway was completed. This expressway, a precursor to the freeway, ran between exit 46 and exit 57 on Interstate-5, and was the beginning of the end of the nostalgic days of the Pacific Highway.

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Sources;

The Coast - by Honor Wilhelm - Published in 1903

The Huntington Family in America: A Genealogical Memoir of the Known Descendants of Simon Huntington From 1633 to 1915 - Published in 1915

Historic Oregon Newspapers - University of Oregon