Tokeland, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tokeland, Washington
CDP
Post office in Tokeland
Location of Tokeland, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Pacific
Area
• Total	0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)
• Land	0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	158
• Density	320/sq mi (122/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98590
Area code(s)	360
FIPS code	53-71680
GNIS feature ID	1512729

Tokeland is a small community in Pacific County, Washington, United States. It is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is a special area defined by the government for counting people.

In 2020, about 158 people lived in Tokeland. This was a small increase from 151 people in 2010. The town got its name from Chief Toke, an important Native American leader from the 1800s.

History of Tokeland

Tokeland is named after Chief Toke of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe. Chief Toke used this area as a summer home for his family. The first time his presence was written down was in 1788. This happened when Lieutenant John Meares met Chief Toke in his canoe near Willapa Bay.

In 1854, a person named J. F. Barrows settled in the area. However, he left a few years later. The next known settler was George Brown, who arrived in 1858.

Early Buildings and Businesses

In 1885, George Brown's daughter, Lizzie, and her husband, William Kindred, built a home. This home later became the Kindred Inn, and then the famous Tokeland Hotel. When the town's first post office opened in 1894, the Kindreds ran it for 17 years. Lizzie Kindred also owned part of the Tokeland Oyster Company when it started in 1905.

Tokeland became a popular place to visit. In 1910, some investors from Portland, Oregon wanted to build a large amusement park there. They hoped it would be like Coney Island, but these plans never happened.

Changes Over Time

Just like other towns near Willapa Bay, Tokeland faced problems with the land washing away into the sea. This is called coastal erosion. Also, the country's economy struggled during The Great Depression. These issues caused fewer tourists to visit Tokeland in the 1930s and 1940s.

Things started to get better in the 1950s. More people came for boating and fishing. Also, the number of oysters grew again, which helped local businesses. Because of this, the Port of Willapa Harbor made many improvements in 1974. These included a new jetty (a wall built into the water), places for boats to dock, a boat ramp, and a place to buy fish.

Tsunami Evacuation Tower

The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe built a special tower in 2022. This tower is 50-foot tall (15 m) and is designed to keep people safe during a tsunami. It cost $5 million to build. The tribe paid $1.2 million, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided $3.8 million.

This tower is the first of its kind in the United States. The tribe gave it the nickname "Auntie Lee." This was to honor a tribal elder who helped make the project happen.

Geography of Tokeland

Tokeland is located in Willapa Bay. It is near where the Cedar River flows into the bay. The area covers about 0.5 square miles (1.3 square kilometers), and all of it is land.

Tsunami and Flooding Risks

Before building the tsunami evacuation tower, studies were done. These studies showed that a tsunami could hit Tokeland. It could be 10-foot tall (3.0 m) and arrive very quickly. This might happen within 10 to 22 minutes after a big earthquake.

Climate in Tokeland

Tokeland has warm, but not hot, and dry summers. The average monthly temperatures do not go above 71.6 °F (22 °C). This type of weather is called a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. On climate maps, it is known as "Csb."

Population and People

As of 2020, there were 158 people living in Tokeland. There were also 171 homes and 70 families. Most people were White (116 people). There were also 17 Native Americans, 3 Asians, and 1 African American. Some people were from other races or from two or more races. About 11 people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

The average age of people in Tokeland was 37 years old. About 24.9% of the people were older than 65.

Arts and Culture

Tokeland is home to the Tokeland Hotel. This hotel is known as the oldest hotel in the state of Washington. It was built in 1899 as an addition to an old farmhouse. The hotel was first called the Kindred Inn. In 1978, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a special building protected for its history.

See also

In Spanish: Tokeland (Washington) para niños