Salkum, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Salkum, Washington
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Salkum Timberland Library in Salkum, WA
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 Salkum, Washington
Location in Washington (state)
Salkum, Washington
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Lewis |
| Elevation | 558 ft (170 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| zip code |
98582
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| Area code(s) | 360 |
Salkum is a rural unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington. The town is located on U.S. Route 12 and is 2.1 miles (3.4 km) west of Silver Creek.
History
The area was a village of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. Salkum is a Cowlitz Indian word meaning "boiling water" or "boiling up", a reference to a nearby series of waterfalls on Mill Creek.
The first non-Native settlers built a grist mill at Mill Creek in 1881, beginning the town's future. A post office was established in 1882 and moved in 1890, shifting the town's center two miles north. Salkum would become a timber community, producing lumber until the 1930s when the sawmills shut down.
Salkum opened its first library, as part of the Timberland Regional Library system, in 1986 as a test to expand library services to rural communities. Proving successful, the community refurbished an unoccupied gas station and the library was moved into the larger building in 1993.
Infrastructure
Salkum is among 8 locations that are part of an EV installation project on the White Pass Scenic Byway. The program will stretch from the White Pass Ski Area to Chehalis and is run in partnership with Lewis County PUD, Twin Transit, state government agencies, and local community efforts. The venture began in 2023 from two grants totaling over $1.8 million.
See also
In Spanish: Salkum (Washington) para niños
