Few People Realize How Much History Is Preserved In The Small Town Of Oysterville, Washington
In the southwest corner of Washington, in beautiful Pacific County, lies a tiny town you may not have heard of. With a population of fewer than 120 people, when we say tiny, we truly mean teeny-tiny. Oysterville is a lovely coastal hamlet, but few people realize how much history is preserved in this small Washington town.
Long before pioneer settlers arrived at the area now known as Oysterville, Indigenous Chinook Indians harvested oysters from Willapa Bay, which was abundant with these succulent shellfish.
Consequently, the town became the county seat for Pacific County with a church, a school, saloons, and a newspaper, but interestingly enough, no bank was ever established.
With no banks in town, residents found less conventional ways of hiding their gold which could be found stashed under mattresses or buried in tin cans. Fun fact; it is said that at that time, Oysterville housed more gold than any other West Coast city besides San Francisco.
Unfortunately, in the late 1880s, the native oysters became sparse, and the much-anticipated railroad line ended in Nahcotta, a disappointing four miles from Oysterville.
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Sherri Adams is a writer, photographer, and travel enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. She has always been passionate about writing and the opportunities for connection through the written word. When she’s not writing, you can often find her at the seashore with her toes in the sand and her nose in a book.
