Centralia | |
|---|---|
 Centralia downtown historic district | |
 Flag  Logo | |
| Nicknames: Hub City, City of Azaleas[1] | |
 Show Centralia Show Lewis County Show Washington Show the United StatesInteractive location map of Centralia | |
| Coordinates:46°43′54″N122°58′10″W / 46.73167°N 122.96944°W /46.73167; -122.96944 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Lewis |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Kelly Smith Johnston[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.81 sq mi (20.22 km2) |
| • Land | 7.62 sq mi (19.74 km2) |
| • Water | 0.19 sq mi (0.48 km2) |
| Elevation | 164 ft (50 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 18,183 |
• Estimate (2024)[6] | 19,061 |
| • Density | 2,385.7/sq mi (921.12/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 98531 |
| Area code | 360 |
| FIPS code | 53-11160 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409429[4] |
| Website | cityofcentralia |
Centralia (/sɛnˈtreɪliə/) is a city inLewis County, Washington, United States. It is located alongInterstate 5 near the midpoint betweenSeattle andPortland, Oregon. The city had a population of 18,183 at the2020 census.[5] Centralia istwinned withChehalis, located to the south near the confluence of theChehalis andNewaukum rivers.
The area was first settled by theUpper Chehalis people with the first non-indigenous settlers arriving in 1845.[7] In 1850, J. G. Cochran and his wife Anna were led there via theOregon Trail by their adopted son,George Washington, a freeAfrican-American. The family feared Washington would be forced into slavery if they stayed inMissouri after the passage of theCompromise of 1850. Cochran filed a donation land claim near the Borst Home in 1852 and was able to sell his claim to Washington for $6,000 because unlike the neighboringOregon Territory, there was no restriction against passing legal ownership of land to African Americans in the newly formedWashington Territory.[8] The new community was connected to the Columbia and Puget Sound regions via the first major road in the area in 1857.[7] In the 1850s and 1860s, Centralia's Borst Home, at the confluence of the Chehalis and Skookumchuck Rivers, was the site of a toll ferry, and the halfway stopping point forstagecoaches operating betweenKalama, Washington andTacoma.[citation needed]
Upon hearing of the imminent arrival of theNorthern Pacific Railway (NP) in 1872, Washington and his wife, Mary Jane, filed a plat for the town of Centerville, naming the streets with a Biblical theme, and offering lots for $10 each with one lot free to buyers who built houses. Washington also donated land for a city park, a cemetery, and a Baptist church.[9] Responding to new settlers' concern about a town in Klickitat County with the same name, the town was renamed Centralia by 1883, as suggested by a recent settler fromCentralia, Illinois, and officially incorporated on February 3, 1886.[8] The town's population boomed, then collapsed in thePanic of 1893, when the NP went bankrupt; entire city blocks were offered for as little as $50 with no takers. Washington (despite facing racial prejudice from some newcomers) made personal loans and forgave debt to keep the town afloat until the economy stabilized; the city then boomed again based on the coal, lumber and dairying industries. When Washington died in 1905, all businesses in the town closed, and 5,000 mourners attended his funeral.[8] The city bestowed an honor to Washington in 2023 by declaring August 15, his recognized birthday, as Centralia's Founder's Day.[10]
A large fire on June 26, 1908, part of a string of arson attempts spanning between the Twin Cities that month, decimated a block in the city's downtown district. The early morning blaze, which began at the Star Saloon, caused the loss of twelve buildings but only one person was reported injured.[11]
On November 11, 1919, theCentralia Massacre occurred. Spurred on by local lumber barons, American Legionnaires (many of whom had returned from WWI to find their jobs filled by pro-union members of theIndustrial Workers of the World (IWW)), used theArmistice Day parade to attack the IWW hall. Marching unarmed,[12] the Legionnaires broke from the parade and stormed the hall in an effort to bust union organizing efforts by what was seen to be a Bolshevik-inspired labor movement. IWW workers including recently returned WWI veteranWesley Everest, stood their ground, engaged and killed four Legionnaires. Everest was captured, jailed and then brutally lynched. Other IWW members were also jailed.[citation needed] The event made international headlines, and coupled with similar actions inEverett, Washington and other lumber towns, stifled the American labor movement until the economic devastation of the 1930sGreat Depression changed opinions about labor organizations.[13]
The town's name was originally a reference to the town's location as the midway point betweenTacoma andKalama, which were originally the NP's Washington termini. This central moniker continued to have longevity when it became the midpoint betweenSeattle andPortland, Oregon after the constructions of Interstate 5 and its predecessor, U.S. Route 99.[14]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.56 square miles (19.58 km2), of which, 7.42 square miles (19.22 km2) is land and 0.14 square miles (0.36 km2) is water.[15]
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Located off Interstate 5 is Plummer Lake, a small body of water caused by the excavation ofglacial rock for gravel purposes beginning in 1910. The lake is named after Sydney Plummer, owner of the quarry and excavating company at the time. As of 2017[update], Plummer Lake is privately owned.[16]
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Centralia has awarm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[17] Temperatures are usually quite mild, although Centralia is generally warmer in the summer and colder in the winter than locations further north along the Puget Sound.
| Climate data for Centralia, Washington, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) | 75 (24) | 85 (29) | 93 (34) | 98 (37) | 107 (42) | 107 (42) | 103 (39) | 100 (38) | 92 (33) | 75 (24) | 73 (23) | 107 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 57.1 (13.9) | 60.8 (16.0) | 69.3 (20.7) | 77.8 (25.4) | 84.8 (29.3) | 88.0 (31.1) | 93.7 (34.3) | 93.1 (33.9) | 87.6 (30.9) | 76.0 (24.4) | 62.3 (16.8) | 56.1 (13.4) | 96.8 (36.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.1 (7.8) | 49.5 (9.7) | 54.1 (12.3) | 59.5 (15.3) | 66.6 (19.2) | 71.1 (21.7) | 77.5 (25.3) | 78.2 (25.7) | 72.6 (22.6) | 61.1 (16.2) | 50.7 (10.4) | 45.0 (7.2) | 61.0 (16.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 40.2 (4.6) | 41.7 (5.4) | 45.0 (7.2) | 49.3 (9.6) | 55.5 (13.1) | 60.1 (15.6) | 65.2 (18.4) | 65.5 (18.6) | 60.5 (15.8) | 51.9 (11.1) | 43.9 (6.6) | 39.4 (4.1) | 51.5 (10.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.2 (1.2) | 33.9 (1.1) | 35.9 (2.2) | 39.1 (3.9) | 44.4 (6.9) | 49.1 (9.5) | 52.9 (11.6) | 52.8 (11.6) | 48.4 (9.1) | 42.7 (5.9) | 37.1 (2.8) | 33.9 (1.1) | 42.0 (5.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 22.8 (−5.1) | 23.2 (−4.9) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 35.3 (1.8) | 41.8 (5.4) | 45.9 (7.7) | 45.8 (7.7) | 39.8 (4.3) | 31.1 (−0.5) | 25.2 (−3.8) | 22.2 (−5.4) | 17.3 (−8.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −4 (−20) | 0 (−18) | 13 (−11) | 20 (−7) | 27 (−3) | 31 (−1) | 33 (1) | 35 (2) | 24 (−4) | 20 (−7) | 5 (−15) | 0 (−18) | −4 (−20) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.85 (149) | 4.24 (108) | 4.39 (112) | 3.24 (82) | 2.44 (62) | 1.53 (39) | 0.50 (13) | 0.84 (21) | 1.59 (40) | 4.00 (102) | 6.53 (166) | 6.44 (164) | 41.59 (1,058) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.4 (8.6) | 1.4 (3.6) | 0.5 (1.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.9 (2.3) | 6.6 (16.8) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 21.7 | 17.6 | 19.5 | 17.1 | 12.1 | 8.9 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 8.1 | 15.6 | 21.1 | 22.1 | 172.3 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 3.4 |
| Source 1: NOAA[18] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[19] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 2,026 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,600 | −21.0% | |
| 1910 | 7,311 | 356.9% | |
| 1920 | 7,549 | 3.3% | |
| 1930 | 8,058 | 6.7% | |
| 1940 | 7,414 | −8.0% | |
| 1950 | 8,657 | 16.8% | |
| 1960 | 8,586 | −0.8% | |
| 1970 | 10,054 | 17.1% | |
| 1980 | 11,555 | 14.9% | |
| 1990 | 12,101 | 4.7% | |
| 2000 | 14,742 | 21.8% | |
| 2010 | 16,336 | 10.8% | |
| 2020 | 18,183 | 11.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 19,061 | [6] | 4.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20] 2020 Census[5] | |||
As of the2010 census,[21] there were 16,336 people, 6,640 households, and 3,867 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 2,201.6 inhabitants per square mile (850.0/km2). There were 7,265 housing units at an average density of 979.1 per square mile (378.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.1%White, 0.6%African American, 1.4%Native American, 1.0%Asian, 0.3%Pacific Islander, 7.4% fromother races, and 4.1% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino people of any race were 16.1% of the population.
There were 6,640 households, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% weremarried couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.06.
The median age in the city was 34.8 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 22.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.
As of the2000 census, there were 14,742 people, 5,943 households, and 3,565 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,990.6 people per square mile (768.1/km2). There were 6,510 housing units at an average density of 879.0 per square mile (339.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.76%White, 0.44%African American, 1.25%Native American, 0.94%Asian, 0.30%Pacific Islander, 4.94% fromother races, and 2.38% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino people of any race were 10.22% of the population.
There were 5,943 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% weremarried couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,078, and the median income for a family was $35,684. Males had a median income of $31,595 versus $22,076 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,305. About 13.6% of families and 18.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Founded as a railroad town, Centralia's economy was originally dependent on such industries as railroads and timber,[7] as well as coal and agriculture. At one time, five railroad lines crossed in Centralia, including theUnion Pacific Railroad,Northern Pacific Railway,Milwaukee Road,Great Northern Railroad and a short line.[citation needed]
The explosion ofMount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, devastated the local lumber industry, as 12 million board feet of stockpiled lumber and 4 billion board feet of salable timber was damaged or destroyed.[22] Unemployment surged to double digits, and the town lost most of its retail base.[23]
In 1988,London Fog opened the firstfactory outlet store in the Northwest, choosing the location because it was the midpoint between major northwest cities. Their success spawned the region's first factoryoutlet center, creating a tourist shopping destination. This led in turn to the redevelopment of the vintage downtown marketplace as an antique, art and specialty store destination.[24]
The Port of Centralia, created in 1986 and located northwest of the city center nearFords Prairie, is a complex of industrial and mixed-use economic development in the municipality.[24] Developed during the 1980s decline of the city's dependable lumber-based economy, the port began constructing its base of operations in 1988 and the first tenant arrived in 1990. It won an award for port of the year in 1994 and became part of aforeign-trade zone in conjunction with other local counties in western Washington. The port expanded into a second phase in 2003. As of 2016[update], the Port of Centralia is composed of a mix of three zones with 30 tenants that employed 800 people.[7]
Chehalis Mints was founded in the city in 1994 and produces various mint and mint chocolate candies, with a specialty in butter mints. The company's products are sold primarily in the Pacific Northwest.[25]
As extractive industries faced decline, Centralia's development refocused on freeway oriented food, lodging, retail and tourism, as well as regional shipping and warehousing facilities, leading to 60 percent growth in population since the 1980s.[when?][citation needed] Additional development of regional distribution and transportation facilities, along with in-migration from retirees from more populated counties to the north, have helped diversify the economy, though unemployment remains stubbornly high and per-capita income well below the state average.[citation needed]
On November 28, 2006, it was announced thatTransAlta, the largest employer in Centralia and operator of theCentralia Coal Mine andCentralia Power Plant, would eliminate over 550 coal mining jobs; the coal mine was the last operational mine in the state. The mine, which spread over 14,000 acres (5,700 ha), had been owned by TransAlta since 2000. The company offered land donations to the city, as well as financial contributions to the local community to offset economic losses, in the wake of the closure.[26] Despite fears that the city would suffer economically from the closure,[26] there was little noticeable economic effect upon the City of Centralia as a result. Data indicated that Centralia was experiencing growth both in its light industrial areas as well as its core business district, the historic downtown Centralia.[27] The mine has since undergone a reclamation to fill, regrade, dredge water sources, and plant new trees. As of 2023[update], half of the reclamation project was considered complete. The site has been determined as a potential recreation area once the recovery processes are complete.[28] During the mine's opening, 160,000,000 tonnes (2.5×1010 st) of coal were extracted and used at the plant.[29]
The power plant, completed in two unit stages in the early 1970s and owned by TransAlta since 2000, is Washington state's last energy factory powered by coal. At its peak, it generated energy ample enough to powerLos Angeles. The plant is situated on 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) and is expected to permanently close in 2025 based on an agreement reached with the state in 2011. The first phase of the shutdown was completed in 2020. The energy produced until its closure is used byPuget Sound Energy (PSE) and according to 2022 figures, 14.5% of PSE's electric load came from the TransAlta coal plant, enough to supply power to 300,000 homes. Future plans include the operating of severalgreen energy facilities, including generating power via hydrogen and fusion, and the decommissioning of the Centralia Coal Mine is expected to incorporate renewable energy machinery as the coal plant closes.[28]
During the closures, TransAlta created a $20 million fund for training and educational work programs for remaining employees of the plant.[28] Part of a larger Centralia Coal Transition Grants initiative, other grants include millions for energy efficiency and technology for nearby communities and schools. The land at the site has slowly been reclaimed for public and commercial use, including the planting of trees and maintaining wetland areas.[29]
Centralia has hosted the annual Hub City Car Show since the early 2000s. The one-day event, usually held in late summer, is held in the downtown district, shutting down the main artery through the historic center of the city.[30][31]
The Centralia Campout is an annual, week-long gathering of folk musicians that takes place between the second and third weekends in August. The campout centers around AmericanOld-time music, played in jam circles round the clock. Attendees engage in daily dances, workshops, and musical fellowship.[32]
The Centralia Lighted Tractor Parade has been an annual winter holiday event since 2009. Hosted by the Centralia Downtown Association in early December, the parade begins at Centralia College and traverses through the core downtown district. The festival nominates a local resident, recognized for their contributions to the community, as aGrand marshal.[33][34]
Girls Night Out is a bi-annual business and shopping event. Begun in 2008, the event supports the downtown economy while raising funds for local charities.[35]
The Carnegie Library[36] is located in Washington Park and was originally built in 1913 followed by a remodel in 1977–78. The library is now part of theTimberland Regional Library system.[37]
Centralia Union Depot was built in 1912 and features red brick architecture, vintage oak benches, and internal and external woodworking throughout. The renovated depot, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is currently served byAmtrak.[38]
Located in Fort Borst Park are the Fort Borst blockhouse and the Borst Home. The blockhouse is a log structure that was built in 1856 and was used as grain storage during local wars with Native Americans. Originally constructed near the confluence of the Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers, the building was moved twice, in 1915 due to an alteration of the Chehalis River's course, and then in 1922 to its present-day site in the park. Joseph Borst, anOregon Trail migrant, purchased the blockhouse from the U.S. government in 1857 and his family would use the building as a residence until he built the Borst Home next to the structure in 1864. The house was constructed near a toll ferry crossing that existed at the time and the home site contains a replicated one-room schoolhouse and a church. The Borst Home, but not the blockhouse, is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP).[39]
Centralia is host to various other NRHP sites including the George E. Birge House, the Hubbard Bungalow, and the Wesley Everest Gravesite. The NRHP-listedCentralia Downtown Historic District is home to McMenamin'sOlympic Club Hotel & Theater[40] a registered historic hotel and restaurant that opened in 1908.
Additional buildings of note include the one-room Salzer Valley Schoolhouse. Situated southeast of the city on a donated land claim from the Salzer family, it was built in 1894 and existed as school until 1944.[41][42]
The city was once home to the Twin City Drive-In, located immediately north of the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.[43] It began in 1933 as a single-screen outdoor theater,[44] with a reopening in 1961 after a transfer of ownership.[45] During the 1950s, the outdoor screens were known locally to show risque movies, such asBaby Doll and the nudist film,Garden of Eden.[46][47] Thedrive-in had a train ride for children on the property; the ride was purchased by a local enthusiast and rebuilt for use at the 2015 fair.[48] The premises installed a second screen but eventually the venue fell into disuse and the grounds left to decay. In 2002, a prior resident of Chehalis purchased the neon entrance sign to the drive-in with plans to display it as a highway memorial to graduates from the area; he would donate the sign later to an agriculture museum located in Centralia.[49][50] Damages from windstorms decimated the screens and a fire in 2023, declared to be most likely arson, burned down the remaining building on the property, the ticket booth that also housed the projectors.[44][51] As of 2023[update], the theater grounds are mostly bereft of any immediately visible remnants and are covered in brush.[52][53]
Seattle-basedrock bandHarvey Danger used Centralia as ametaphor in its song "Moral Centralia," found on the 2005 albumLittle by Little.
Murals are found throughout historic downtown Centralia. Examples include murals depicting the founder of Centralia (Centerville) named George Washington, Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show and an abstract mural depicting the 1919 Armistice DayCentralia Massacre, also known as the Wobbly War.
Centralia is part of the ARTrails of Southwest Washington initiative. The cooperative, begun in 2003, showcases local artists, art studios and galleries throughout the region, and holds an annual autumnal studio tour that incorporates events in smaller towns within Lewis County.[54][55] ARTrails opened a gallery for its members in the city in 2015[56] and the Centralia Train Depot is used as the nexus of the tour.[57]
The city has been home to the Evergreen Playhouse since 1959. Beginning as a troupe performance at a ballroom of the local historic Lewis and Clark Building, it raised funds by selling $5 non-redeemable stock to patrons for its first production,Sabrina Fair.[58] The organization eventually purchased its own theater in 1972 for $16,000.[59][60] During theCOVID-19 pandemic, the 130-seat playhouse underwent a renovation, including removing the original seating, but saved three of the original wood-backed chairs to be used in a display.[61] As of 2023[update], the Evergreen Playhouse, a non-profit, volunteer-run theater,[62] has achieved to operate without a financial loss during its entirety, and has remained at the same location near the downtown district on Center Street.[59]
Centralia once hosted a minor league baseball team in the early 20th century. The team moniker varied, going under the names ofMidgets, Pets, and Railroaders. The ballclub won the 1911 Washington State League championship. Similar to theChehalis teams, the Centralia team folded in 1912, and the city has not had an official minor league team since. The team played its home games at Riverside Park.[63]
A bicycle event for local residents in the Twin Cities, known as the Centralia to Chehalis Bike Ride, was held continuously from the late 20th century into the3rd millennium. The "C to C" route meandered from George Washington Park, to around the Chehalis–Centralia Airport, through residential neighborhoods, and finishing at theRecreation Park Complex in Chehalis.[64]
The Centralia parks system is classified into distinct areas categorized as natural areas or open space corridors, neighborhood parks, or community parks.[65] Recreational areas include sports related ballfields or water parks, and the city designates certain locations, such as buildings and other open spaces, as special facilities.[66]
George Washington Park, in Centralia's downtown district, is home to the Centralia Timberland Library. The park contains the statue,The Sentinel, and the Freedom Walk War Memorial, both honoring Centralia soldiers who lost their lives duringWorld War I. The statue is also a remembrance to the deaths of American Legion members that occurred during the city's 1919Armistice Day Riot. It was placed in 1924[67] and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[68] A bronze plaque honoring the deaths of members of theIWW "Wobblies" during the Centralia Tragedy was installed next to the statue in 2023.[67] The Freedom Walk was built in 1993 and presents the individual names of veterans who perished in military combat since the First World War.[69]
A preserve encompassing over 80 acres (32 ha), known as the Seminary Hill Natural Area, was once the home of a seminary. The grounds contains over two miles of trails.[70][71]
Along theSkookumchuck River, near Hayes Lake in the shopping district, lies the 4.5-acre (1.8 ha) Riverside Park. The land, originally developed by a localrotary club, was donated to the city in 1983. The park contains a 44,000 square feet (4,087.73 m2) skate park and a covered playground.[72] The Fort Borst blockhouse was temporarily relocated to the site in the late 1910s.[73]
A sports complex known as Bob Peters Field is situated at the Centralia College campus. Named after a long-serving athletic director at the school, the 4.0-acre (1.6 ha) site hosts fields for baseball, softball, and soccer. It was completed in 2023 and was built, in part, by using over $3 million of student fees.[74]
A community pool, known as the Veteran's Memorial Pearl Street Pool, was built in the 1950s in Centralia's downtown district,[75] it once contained a bathhouse.[76] The city owned and oversaw operations of the facility until the 1980s when it was transferred to a local nonprofit. Centralia would regain possession of the pool in 2008 but closed it in 2011 due to a combination of expensive repairs and maintenance, lack of funds, and a decrease in staffing.[75] Since its 2011 cessation, various city and community groups have made improvements to the recreation parcel by adding a playground and spray park.[77] Unable to cover approximately $5 million renovation and rebuild costs, the city council, in 2023, decided to permanently cease operations at the pool.[76] The city would fill the pool with dirt, for liability and injury concerns, months later.[78] A second community pool, known as the Centralia Community Pool, was created by a bond passed in the 1970s and is run under a joint contract between the city, the school district, and a local fitness company. Open to all residents, children and school activities are given priority at the facility.[79]
Centralia's largest park is Fort Borst Park located at the junction of the Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers. The 101.0-acre (40.9 ha) park provides 2.1 miles (3.4 km) of paved trails in a forested setting. The site includes a dog park and a large picnic area. Visitors can fish from the river banks or access the waters via a boat launch, or at the park's Borst Lake, which is stocked with rainbow trout.[80]
The park contains the original Borst Home, a reproduced schoolhouse, and a replicated pioneer church from the 1860s that was completed in 2021.[81][82] Surrounding the homestead is the Borst Park Arboretum, created in 1960. The arboretum contains the Borst family cemetery, almost 200 trees and a large number ofrhododendrons.[83] The park hosts an annual Christmas-themed "Fort Borst Park Drive-Through Lights" that includes afood drive and also raises funds for the park department.[84]
Located within Fort Borst Park is Centralia's NW Sports Hub. Officially opened in 2014, the 76,500-square-foot (7,110 m2) complex is owned by a various group of Centralia government bodies and businesses. The hub contains enclosed buildings that house numerous volleyball and basketball courts and fields for indoor baseball and soccer. An attached outdoor component encompasses a mixture of previously builtLittle League and adult baseball fields, tennis courts, additional soccer fields, and the Centralia High School track stadium that can seat 3,500 people. In 2023, the outdoor fields received new lighting and turf, with special attention to Wheeler Field, based on funds from theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[85] The use of the complex is given first priority to the community over events held by private entities[86] but the sports compound hosts various tournaments for high school sports, competitions for the Greater Seattle League, and planned college scouting events for local athletes.[87]
Centralia is a non-charter code city with acouncil–manager form of government. The City Council consists of seven members with positions one through three being at-large positions.
Although slightly less so than Lewis County as a whole, Centralia isconservative and leansRepublican.
Students and their education are overseen by theCentralia School District.
Centralia College is the oldest continuously operatingjunior college in the state of Washington, and was founded on September 14, 1925.[88]
Centralia's leading newspaper isThe Chronicle, ranked seventeenth in the state based on weekday circulation,[89] and serves most ofLewis County. There are also several community-based newspapers that are published bi-weekly, such asThe Lewis County News andThe East County Journal.
The Centralia area is served by two AM radio stations,KELA - 1470 AM andKITI - 1420 AM. The FM station,KCED - 91.3 FM operates from within the city. Radio broadcasts are accessible from nearby Chehalis stationsKMNT - 104.3 FM andKACS - 90.5 FM. Centralia is able to pick upWinlock stationKITI-FM - 95.1 FM as well as the transmission ofKZTM - 102.9 FM from Olympia.
Centralia is served by theChehalis–Centralia Airport. The city, beginning in 1961, was once a co-owner of the airfield[90] but withdrew from the joint operating agreement in 2004 due to concerns over contract violations, liability, andcost-benefits.[91][92] Centralia was once home to the Centralia Municipal Air Field located near Fort Borst Park. Opened in August 1927 to 10,000 spectators and an aerial performance, the airport quietly folded by the mid-1930s reportedly due to hardships caused by theGreat Depression.[93]
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service toCentralia station, stopping at the town's renovated 1912 railroad depot. Amtrak train 11, the southboundCoast Starlight, is scheduled to depart Centralia at 11:45am with service to Kelso-Longview,Portland,Sacramento,Emeryville, California (with bus connection toSan Francisco), andLos Angeles. Amtrak train 14, the northbound Coast Starlight, is scheduled to depart Centralia at 5:57pm daily with service toOlympia-Lacey,Tacoma andSeattle.AmtrakCascades trains, operating as far north asVancouver,British Columbia and as far south asEugene, Oregon, serve Centralia several times daily in both directions. BNSF trains in Centralia's downtown rail yard and on the mainline serve local and regional shippers, but can affect the timeliness of Amtrak service and are a noisy reminder of the days of the town's heyday as the crossroads of four major railroads (Union Pacific,Milwaukee Road,Great Northern andNorthern Pacific).
Bus service is provided byLewis County Transit. Routes originating in Centralia serveOlympia,Chehalis,Castle Rock, andKelso, among other locations.[94]
Centralia is situated alongsideI-5, and it is located almost exactly halfway betweenPortland andSeattle on this highway. Its primary exit is at mile marker 82, with mile 0 being the Portland city limits and mile 164 being near Downtown Seattle.[95]U.S. Route 12 passes through Centralia while it isconcurrent with I-5.Washington State Route 507 originates in Centralia, terminating inPierce County viaTenino andYelm.
The first telephone operations in Centralia began in 1891 when the city was connected to the Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Company (STTC) located on Tower Avenue. The first customer was a neighboring pair of attorneys. The STTC recorded 23 subscribers the following year, falling to only six in 1893, but began to slowly rebound at the turn of the century. By 1910, over 500 customers subscribed to the line, serving approximately 1,000 customers in the Twin Cities when the STTC was renamed in 1916 as the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company . By the mid-1960s, the area was served byPacific Northwest Bell and had a subscriber list of over 12,000 between Centralia and Chehalis.[96]
As of 2023[update], Centralia Public Works was granted $85,000 to fund searches for lead pipes in the city, the only water utility in Washington state to accept monies from a $63 million federal bill passed in 2021 meant to help find and replace lead piping. In 2018, the city investigated the use of lead pipes in the municipal water system, specifically for homes built from the 1920s through the 1940s. The city has found only fivepigtail connections made of lead since the late 1970s.[97]
Centralia built awastewater treatment facility beginning in 2001 that is located on 300 acres (120 ha) in the Ford's Prairie neighborhood near theDiscovery Trail. Begun from aWashington Department of Ecology loan that eventually cost almost $27 million, the facility replaced an at-capacity treatment plant built in 1951 near Mellen Street. As of 2024[update], the facility processes up to 10,500,000 US gallons (40,000,000 L; 8,700,000 imp gal) of wastewater per day.[98]
PDF combined with city board meeting agenda and minutes; scroll down to Park Plan
While Wheeler Field is used by the school district as well, Smith Johnston (Centralia Mayor) added the priority is to keep it a community field first. She wanted community use of the field prioritized over any private industry events. "I understand the value of the tournaments for our city and I support them, but I do believe our parks are a community resource that the community needs to have priority over," Smith Johnston said.
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