"Mother of All Counties"

Oregon Territory Map

Lewis County was created on December 19, 1845, by the provisional government of Oregon Territory, named after the pioneer explorer, Meriwether Lewis.


Visually, Lewis County was once so large geographically that it has become known as the “mother of all counties” – spanning all the land west of the Cowlitz River and north to present-day Sitka, Alaska.

For a chart of creation for Western Washington Counties >>click here

 

Historical Maps

Metro Lewis County MapMetro Lewis County Map

This map shows the metro area of Lewis County.

 

 

 

Ghost Towns of Lewis County

Compiled from the maps of Lewis County in the reference book
>>Postmarked Washington by Guy Reed Ramsey, 1978

Ghost Towns are a plenty in this county of Washington!

 

 

Vintage Photos of Lewis County

Some of the images below are shown in the slide show on our home page, which will refresh as new courtesy photos are submitted by our Lewis County Genealogical Society Members.

Centralia 1920 1943 1899 1902
Centralia, circa 1920 Centralia, circa 1943 Chehalis, circa 1899 Chehalis, circa 1902
1906 1907 1908 circa 1920
St. Helen's Hotel 1906 Chehalis, circa 1907 Downtown Chehalis Cascade School 1920
circa 1921 circa 1922 1923 1916
Chehalis, circa 1921 Chehalis, circa 1922 Chehalis, circa 1923 Onalaska, circa 1916
1917 1918 1939 1940
Onalaska, circa 1917 Onalaska, circa 1918 Onalaska, cicra 1939 Onalaska, circa 1940
1942 1949 1950 1918
Onalaska, circa 1942 Onalaska, cicra 1949 Onalaska, circa 1950 Cheahlis, circa 1918
1919 1920 1921 1922
Chehalis, circa 1919 Chehalis, circa 1920 Chehalis, circa 1921 Chehalis, circa 1922
1923 1928 1941 Mrs. Washington 1957
Chehalis, circa 1923 Chehalis, circa 1920 Chehalis, circa 1921 Mrs. Washington 1957
Parnell Boys 1944 Parnell Girls 1944 Top Ten Finalist, 1957 Mrs. Lewis County 1957
Parnell Boys, 1944 Parnell Girls, 1944 Ten Finalists, 1957 Mrs. Lewis Co. 1957

 

Penny Postcards of Lewis County

>> View the Postcards from yesteryear!

Penny Postcard

Pedigree ChartQueries
& Questions

Research Cost is $10.00 per hour plus copy fees and postage. Please send your research request and $10.00 check or money order to:

Lewis County Genealogical Society
Attn: Margie Lloyd
P. O. Box 782
Chehalis, WA 98532

Include all pertinent information i.e. Date of Birth, Date of Death, Place of Death, First Name, and Last Name.

A SASE would speed up the process.