Littell is an unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington, United States, located off Washington State Route 6 between the towns of Adna and Claquato.[1]
The Willapa Hills Trail passes thru the area.[2]
History
Two versions of who created the town exist. A manager of the Hill Logging Company, Harry J. Syverson, asserted in 1912 to have founded the town[3] however there are sourced claims that a local businessman, Curt Littell, agreed to call the post office under his name in 1902.[4] A post office was moved from the nearby town of Claquato in 1903 and an opera house was built in the town in 1904.[5]
The community was known for its timber production, having two sawmills during its peak at the beginning of the 20th century. Littell grew large enough to contain a school and church, and had a large Japanese population, many of which were employed by the mills. After a destructive fire to one mill in 1911, the second mill closed eventually thereafter and the town began to wane, leaving a few residents. Most of the original buildings and its downtown core are lost.[6]
A pedestrian bridge in Littell was built starting in 2021. The span would allow users of the Willapa Hills Trail to pass over the highway to lessen vehicular accidents.[7] The $3.3 million project[8] was completed in June 2023 and the overpass was named in honor of the community.[9]
Notable people
- Roy Huggins, producer, screenwriter, creator of television series The Rockford Files, The Fugitive and Maverick; born in Littell.[10]
- James A. Wright, Wisconsin state senator and lumberman, was president of the Wisconsin Lumber Company located in Littell; Wright organized the company in 1904.[11]
References
- ^ a b "Littell, Washington". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Willapa Hills State Park Trail". parks.state.wa.us. Washington State Parks.
- ^ "To Start New Town In County". The Centralia Daily Chronicle. November 15, 1912. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ "Miscellaneous Business". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. Vol. 29, no. 42. April 18, 1902. p. 10. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ "Chehalis and Vicinity". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. Vol. 21, no. 45. May 6, 1904. p. 10. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ "Littell, Once Thriving Town, Is No More". The Centralia Daily Chronicle. July 15, 1961. p. 12. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Alex (March 28, 2019). "Proposed House Budget Funds $5 Million Willapa Trail Bridge Over State Route 6". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ Hammock, Dan (September 29, 2021). "Overpass Construction Begins on Willapa Hills Trail". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Planned for New Willapa Hills Trail Bridge". The Chronicle. June 13, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ Mittge, Brian (July 17, 2015). "Commentary: The Father of 'Maverick' and 'Rockford' Was Born in Lewis County". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ 'State Senator Wright Dies,' Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, December 22, 1911, pg. 15
Municipalities and communities of Lewis County, Washington, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Flooded towns | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |