Frankfort, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frankfort, Washington
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 Frankfort, Washington
Location in Washington (state)
Frankfort, Washington
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Pacific |
| Homesteaded | 1876 |
| Population
(1960)
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| • Total | 2 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Frankfort is a ghost town located in Pacific County, Washington. It sits right at the mouth of the Columbia River, near a spot called Portuguese Point. A ghost town is a place where most or all people have left, leaving behind empty buildings and a quiet history.
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Frankfort: A Washington Ghost Town
Frankfort was once a hopeful community. It was first settled in 1876 by people who claimed land to live and farm on, a process called "homesteading."
How Frankfort Began
In 1890, two men named Frank Bourne and Frank Scott had a big idea. They planned a new community and divided the land into lots for sale. They named the town "Frankfort" by combining parts of their own first names. Their dream was to create a fun resort town in this beautiful location.
At that time, there were no roads leading to Frankfort. The only way to get there was by boat. Bourne and Scott sold land by promising that a railroad would eventually come through the town. This would make it easy for people to visit or live there.
Life in Early Frankfort
For a while, Frankfort grew. People built a post office, a general store, and even a saloon. There was also a sawmill to process wood and a hotel for visitors. The town even had its own newspaper, called the Frankfort Chronicle.
However, a big financial problem hit the country in 1893. This event, known as the Panic of 1893, made it hard for people to invest money. This stopped new people from moving to Frankfort and slowed down its growth.
Why Frankfort Disappeared
After the financial panic, Frankfort mostly survived as a logging town. People worked cutting down trees and processing timber. But the promised railroad line never arrived. Without easy access, the town slowly started to fade away.
The post office closed in 1918, which was a sign that fewer people were living there. In 1953, a logging company bought Frankfort. The very last person living in the town passed away in 1964.
What's Left Today?
Today, there isn't much left of Frankfort. You might find a few old, broken-down buildings or just their foundations. It's very hard to visit because there are no public roads that go directly to the area. Getting there on foot is also extremely difficult. Frankfort remains a quiet reminder of a town that once hoped to be a bustling resort.
