Onalaska, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Onalaska, Washington
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 Onalaska, Washington
Location in Washington (state)
Onalaska, Washington
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Washington | |
| County | Lewis | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1.60 sq mi (4.15 km2) | |
| • Land | 1.60 sq mi (4.15 km2) | |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.0 km2) | |
| Elevation | 515 ft (157 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 657 | |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) | |
| ZIP code |
98570
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| Area code(s) | 360 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2586742 | |
| FIPS code | 53-51410 | |
Onalaska is a small community in Lewis County, Washington, United States. It is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a specific area the government counts for population. In 2020, about 657 people lived there. Onalaska is located along State Route 508.
Contents
The Name Onalaska
The name "Onalaska" comes from a poem called "The Pleasures of Hope." This poem was written by a Scottish poet named Thomas Campbell. The poem mentioned a place called Oonalaska.
This name was first used for a successful lumber town in Arkansas. After that, the next lumber operation in Wisconsin was also named Onalaska. The name became a tradition for the company. Today, towns like Onalaska, Wisconsin and Onalaska, Texas still exist with this name.
History of Onalaska
Onalaska grew around a large lumber mill. The Carlisle Lumber Company built this mill in 1909. It started producing lumber in 1914.
The Carlisle Lumber Company Mill
At its busiest in 1929, the company had over 20 million board feet of lumber. This was enough wood to stretch all the way to the Panama Canal. The Carlisle family closed the mill in the late 1940s. They left the town because of issues with workers forming unions.
A tall, 225-foot smokestack from the company still stands near Carlisle Lake. It was built around 1920. This smokestack is the last sign of one of Washington state's most successful mid-sized sawmills. In May 2021, this site was added to the Washington Heritage Register. This list recognizes important historical places.
Japanese American Community
The mill employed many Japanese and Japanese Americans. They lived north of today's State Route 508. Their streets had names like Oriental Avenue, Nippon Avenue, and Tokyo Avenue.
During World War II, many Japanese Americans were forced to move from their homes. This included those living in Lewis County. They were sent to places like Camp Tulelake in California. They helped build this camp, where they were then held for the rest of the war.
The Lewis County Museum in Chehalis has an exhibit. It honors the Japanese and Japanese American people who were interned.
Recent Developments
In 2014, Governor Jay Inslee gave $20,000 to Onalaska Wood Energy. He praised the company for its work in "biofuel technology." However, by 2020, the company had left behind a large amount of waste. In 2021, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) started a cleanup. They spent about $0.9 million to remove the waste.
Geography of Onalaska
Onalaska is in the west-central part of Lewis County. It sits in the valley of the South Fork of the Newaukum River. State Route 508 goes through the community. This road leads west about 9 miles to Napavine. It goes east about 24 miles to Morton. Chehalis, which is the main city of Lewis County, is about 14 miles northwest of Onalaska.
The Onalaska CDP covers an area of about 4.2 square kilometers (1.6 square miles). All of this area is land. The South Fork of the Newaukum River forms the southern edge of the community. Carlisle Lake is on the western edge. The Newaukum River flows west to the Chehalis River at Chehalis.
Arts and Culture
Onalaska hosts an annual community event called the Onalaska Apple Harvest Festival. It started in 2009. This festival usually takes place in late September or early October.
Apple Harvest Festival Highlights
Fun activities at the festival include an apple pie contest and a parade. There are also farm tours and a community church service. Visitors can enjoy different foods and watch high school alumni sports games. There are also canoe and kayak races. A "royal court" bingo tournament is also a popular event.
Money raised from the festival helps fund community projects in Onalaska. The Onalaska Alliance group organizes this festival. They also put on a yearly Easter egg hunt in the town.
Parks and Recreation
The community is home to Carlisle Lake Park. The non-profit group, Onalaska Alliance, bought the park in 2012. They have added paved trails, parking, and bathroom facilities. As of 2024, the alliance owns the park, and it is free to use. The lake itself is privately owned. However, visitors can still go onto the water and fish there.
Education in Onalaska
The Onalaska School District provides education for the community. This includes preschool programs.
Schools in Onalaska
- Onalaska Elementary/Middle School (OEMS)
- Onalaska High School
Special Programs at Onalaska High School
The high school offers several "workplace-style" classes. One unique program is an aquaculture program. In this program, students work with local Native American communities. They operate a fish hatchery. As of 2017, it was the only school in the state to do this.
This program started in the early 1990s. It was a partnership with a coal plant. In 2023, students released 135,000 young coho and steelhead fish. They released them into Gheer Creek, above a dam on Carlisle Lake.
Students can also take a natural resource class. This class teaches skills for working in forests and fields. There are also courses for working with wood and metal. A school club teaches outdoor skills too.
Ed Herold Observatory
Onalaska is home to the Ed Herold Observatory. It is named after an amateur astronomer who helped raise money for it. Community volunteers built the telescope. It is the second largest public telescope in Washington state. An after-school astronomy program uses this telescope.
College Success
In 2017, every single student in the Onalaska High School graduating class was accepted into a college. That's 43 students! This 100% acceptance rate was part of a statewide plan. The school district used a required class called "Senior Success" to help students achieve this.
Sports in Onalaska
The Onalaska School District has teams in many sports. These include football, basketball, track, and volleyball. Teams representing Onalaska are usually called the Loggers. The high school football team won the Class 2B State Championship in 2019.
Infrastructure
Onalaska is close to two privately-owned airfields. About four miles east of Onalaska is the Burnt Ridge Airstrip (WN74). It has a 2,000-foot runway. Directly south of the community is Nelsons Nitch Airport (WN59). This airport has an 1,850-foot landing strip.
See also
In Spanish: Onalaska (Washington) para niños
