Castle Rock Wins Heart of Visitor
Citizens Described as Home Loving and Ban on Drink Has been Kept Enforced
By Addison Bennett
The Oregonian
October 17, 1915

Castle Rock stands at the gateway of the western entrance to Spirit Lake and Mount St. Helens. On this road, and only four miles from here, there is another smaller and less noted body of water, Silver Lake. It is a fine summering place and many go from here every year to enjoy the good fishing, the freedom from flies and the grand scenery. Some of the Castle Rock people have Summer cottages there, but more occupy tents. However, the place draws visitors from all over Western Washington, many stopping there on their way to or from Spirit Lake and Mount St. Helens, the greater attractions farther to the east.

Castle Rock gets its name from a peculiar mound just in the southern edge of the town. It may be a rocky formation, but it is not a huge rock, as the name implies. Anyhow, Nature, I guess, placed it there for a purpose, for upon its top is the reservoir for the city water supply. I supposed perhaps the old rock had been used by the Indians in early days as a look out. I asked one of the natives if there were any legends of that or any sort known to him. He told me there were lots of lies about the little old mound and if I cared to spin a new one or two he would stand sponsor for my truthfulness. I refused to be a party to such a campaign.

In more ways than one Castle Rock is a beautiful and picturesque little city of  something more than 1000 people. Lately the city has done a lot of paving and the streets and side walks are in prime condition. There are a number of fine fireproof buildings in the city, one especially fine block occupied by the bank and other business houses. There is also a good brick hotel and a couple of fine garages.

The Cowlitz River runs through town from north to south. The three railroads running from Portland to Seattle pass through here and about 15 passenger trains make this a regular stopping place each day. The great Pacific Highway also passes through here. There is quite an area of farming land surrounding the city and a number of prosperous farmers. But there are large areas of good land awaiting settlers. 

Most of the tracts for sale are of the logged off sort, the stumps still standing. But as a rule the clearing is  not of an expensive order and the stumps can be removed by charpitting, which method is much in vogue in Cowlitz, as well as in Lewis County. Once cleared, these lands are about as good as can be found anywhere on earth. For dairying no better location exists than this Cowlitz river country. 

With the mild winter climate, the winter pasture, the great yield of green foods  for winter feed, the ease with which silo plants, particularly corn, can be raised and the large yields per acre and the great shipping facilities all of these combine to make this an ideal dairy country, and a mighty good start has been made, the whole country being dotted over with some of the best milk stock. The law regarding the sale of liquor that goes into effect January 1 does not mean anything to this little city.

The saloons were closed a long time ago and even if the state had gone wet as a whole. Castle Rock would have remained dry, in fact, as well as in theory. This is a home-loving town. The people as a rule own their own homes and wish to keep the standard of citizenship high. And they have done so. The schools are as rood an can be found in the state, no matter how large the town or how costly the school buildings. Professor Kalmbach has charge of the schools and is a very efficient officer.

There are five churches in in town, Methodist Episcopal. Christian, Presbyterian,  German Lutheran and Roman Catholic Rev. Frank Sutton  is in charge of the Methodist. Rev. David Norcross preaches for the Christians. Rev. Charles E. Botts for the Presbyterians and Rev. William Rhode for the German Lutherans. The Roman Catholic charge is looked after by pastors from Toledo and Kelso. 

One of the leading citizens told me that he thought the town had as high an average church attendance as any city in the state. Like most of the section lying north of the Columbia river and south of Tenino, in the Cowlitz and Chehalis river valleys, there is coal under the hills all around Castle Rock. It is true  this coal as a rule is of the lignite order and too young to be successfully used for household purposes, but it does well for steam purposes. 

Recently a company of Castle Rock people has been experimenting with briquettes made from coal found just in the edge of town, and it is said that the results have been satisfactory.  It is generally known that compressed coal makes a large amount of ash, so that it is difficult to keep the fire clean. The briquettes being tried at Castle Rock are said to carry less ash than others. There is but one mill in Castle Rock, and that is a shingle mill. 

But there are a number of saw and shingle  mills In the woods near town, from which the trades people derive the same benefit as though the mills were in the city limits. There are two hotels in the city. I stopped at the Savoy and can say from experience that you will find mighty few places as good along the Pacific Highway as the Savoy is, Paul Knautz is the proprietor, but Mrs. Knautz presides over the kitchen.

There is another hotel there which is said to be very good the Castle Rock Hotel, kept by Mrs. C. A. Dennis. The Cowlitz County Advocate is the name of a newspaper run  by G. F. McClane. a well known newspaperman of Oregon and Washington. He went to Castle Rock about a dozen years ago and bought the leading paper, which was established in 1885, and has made a signal success of it. Under the title of his paper "Mc." keeps this line standing "For God. and Home, and Native Land." And the editor lives up to his motto in all the walks of life. 

Mrs. E. W. Fletcher conducts the Independent, which is now in its fifth year. Mrs. Fletcher is also a worker and a hustler. I was very sorry to learn that she was ill, so I did not meet her. But she takes an active interest in the affairs of the community, particularly in the Commercial Club, which is composed of women. There is also a club for the men folks, the Boosters Club, of which Dr. O. K. Wolf Is president. There is but one bank in Castle Rock, but that is a strong and safe one. It has a capital of  $25,000 and surplus of $25,000. J. A. Byerly is the president and G. L. Buland cashier.