The little town I live in has quite a history. It was a booming logging town about 100 years ago. Now that I am reading the history it says that only a few individuals profited off of the lumber industry. The boom and bust cycles, and exploitations bred unemployment, poverty, and scores of industrial accidents.
I will write more about the history of Hoquiam and the lumber industry in another article. The town is extremely poor now and has hardly any work with empty buildings in town that use to be stores.
The current wood mill I walk by for part of my Actifit walk is located about a mile from my home and called Dahlstrom Lumber.
Dahlstrom Lumber Hoquiam WA
Dahlstrom Lumber Hoquiam WA
On the other side of the street is a beautiful view of Grays Harbor. Grays Harbor does not have much of a beach. If you walk on it you sink into mud!! LOL!
Grays Harbor when the tide is out
The tide is out in the picture above and it looks like a strange planet with the old pilings from a pier that once existed. That reddish brown whale-shaped thing is a log that looks like a dead whale!
Piled up logs waiting to be sent to the saw mill
The lumber yard stretches way down the road with piles of logs waiting to be sent to the saw mill. It is an interesting site to be seen with a sense of beauty to it.
Grays Harbor across the street from Dahlstrom Lumber
The view of the harbor on a gray day can look quite desolate with a grave of logs that were washed onto the beach then dried and bleached from the sun. There is also a unique, natural beauty of the grasses and the exposed sand (mud) with the gray clouds slowly moving across the dim lit sky.
The weather can also be quit chilly and ice-feeling with a stiff breeze. I really bundle up before going outside.
Mountains of sawdust way down the street about a mile or so called Willis Enterprises Woodchip Manufacturing
The mountains of sawdust are sitting on another business yard called Willis Enterprises Woodchip Manufacturing. The scenery truly looks like a Mars scape fantasy. It's kind of cool looking and weird at the same time! Next time I walk here I'll take a picture of myself in front of the woodchip dunes to show the size of the mountains.
I will have to make a Part 2 to this post. It's getting late now and I need to rest.
Bye for now!
Barb :)