CW Historical Society Invites All to Camas Mill Interpretive Center

Camas-Washougal, WA – The Camas-Washougal Historical Society is inviting members and the community to take a closer look at the fascinating history of the Camas Mill.  They are hosting a private access event at the Camas Mill Interpretive Center on Saturday, November 16 at 2 pm. The center opened around eight years ago and is located at 401 Adams Street, Camas.

Curator Ron Hawkins will host the presentation that includes a video featuring paper mill processes (as of six years ago) and an interview with local historian Virginia Warren.  Attendees will also learn about the Koch family and Georgia-Pacific as well as enjoy interactive displays.

Hawkins, a Washougal High School graduate, moved to the area in 1969 and worked 43 years at the paper mill. The last 20 years he was the senior environmental air technician, as well as a team leader for the technical operations group. He retired five years ago.

“I caught the (history) fever years ago by listening to the old timers talk about their experiences,” said Hawkins. “I researched for about a year to get the exact day they broke ground. I try to make some of the exhibits more interactive, so the youth enjoy the museum as well.  The mill was built six years before Washington became a state so there is a lot to talk about.”

Hawkins currently catalogs photos and documents and has collected over 1,000 issues of the original mill newsletters, “Making Paper,” which he hand-scanned at the Clark County Historical Museum.

The mill’s history dates back to 1883 when Henry Pittock, who owned The Oregonian weekly newspaper, formed a company called the Lacamas Colony Company. Under Pittock’s leadership, the business purchased 2,600 acres of land in and around what is now the town of Camas and began construction of a paper mill that would supply newsprint for the now daily Oregonian.

Crews began clearing land, building dams, and constructing a sawmill. During that same time, the town site of Lacamas was laid out and platted, and the town’s first store was opened for business. Camas was born!

At the November CWHS event, light refreshments provided by mill management will be served, and a short society business meeting will be held.