SKAMAKOWA, WA

SKAMAKOWA (Wahkiakum Co.) is located along SH 4, eight miles northwest of Cathlamet and nestled along a shallow backwater of the Columbia River.

Skamakowa, now a small, sleepy, former boomtown was once a center for salmon fishing, canning and logging. It was founded in the mid 1800s and its only access was via riverboat.

In 1900, a major fire destroyed the wharf and buildings of Silverman's Landing. An old photo shows a large two-story white building on the wharf jutting out into the river.

The town reached its zenith around 1910 when as many as 500 folks lived here. The town had a co-operative creamery, a huge wooden three-story hotel, meat market, saloons, a school, three shingle mills, a steam ship office, and other businesses along a quarter mile long line of wharf supported structures.

In 1915 the state highway (now SH 4) reached Skamakowa, but the community was on the downslide. Today the cabins, shacks and historic structures are watched over by a handful of folks.

This was our GHOST TOWN OF THE MONTH for September 2004.

***************

Visit Ghost Town USA’s WASHINGTON Ghost Town Pages

Also visit: Ghost Town USA’s

Home Page | Site Map | Ghost Town Listings | Photo Gallery | Treasure Legends

CURRENT Ghost Town of the Month | PAST Ghost Towns of the Month

Ghost Towner's Code of Ethics | Publications | Genealogy | License Plate Collecting

A few LINKS to outside webpages:

Ghost Towns | Treasure Hunting | License Plate Collecting | Genealogy

***

E-mail Us

***

THIS PAGE

FIRST POSTED: Sep 03, 2004

LAST UPDATED: Mar 20, 2005

**************