Discovering Onalaska's Iconic Smokestack (Pacific Northwest History)

In this episode of Searching for History, Erin, our White German Shepherd Dog, Thora and I visit the Onalaska Smokestack (the Carlisle Lumber Company Sawmill site). The story of Onalaska, Washington, is the story of a small town that grew up around a sawmill. Today’s Carlisle Lake was once a mill pond. The mill pond, the smokestack and the nearby ruins are all that is left of the once booming Carlisle Lumber Company Sawmill. This was once the largest lumber mill in Lewis County, producing as much as 150,000 board feet of lumber every day. Onalaska at one time was a diverse community, with many Japanese Americans working at the sawmill. Sadly, Onalaska did not escape the unfortunate history of World War II Japanese internment camps and the one-time Japanese community that worked at the sawmill was sent to California internment camps and never returned. Please join us as we make a quick stop at the Onalaska Smokestack and ponder its history.
#onalaskasmokestack
#onalaska
#lewiscounty
#japaneseamericans
#washingtonstate
#travelwashingtonstate
#washingtonstatehistory
Music Attributions
Song 1: To the Top by Silent Partner (UA-cam Audio Library License, no attribution is required)
Song 2: Keep On Movin’ by King Canyon (UA-cam Audio Library License, no attribution is required)