Experience Local History with The Downtown Chehalis Historic Walking Tour
What is the secret to “small town charm?” Part of it may be the legacy of intentional care poured into a town by its community. The Downtown Chehalis Historic Walking Tour celebrates our town’s beginnings and growth, and calls to attention the enduring personal investment of Chehalis’s residents. Each interest point along the tour shares a story and honors the hands that upheld our legacy. When woven together, these stories reveal a vibrant picture of the people, businesses, changes, and investments that helped form Chehalis into the inviting town as we know it today.
The Downtown Chehalis Historic Walking Tour is approximately 1.3 sidewalk miles, takes about one hour to complete, and is comprised of 42 historical interest points. It spans several city blocks, beginning at the Lewis County Historical Museum on Front Street, drifting six blocks south toward Main Street, meandering back toward Market Street, and then moseying up and down the downtown Chehalis corridor. During the tour, you’ll witness the stirring interplay between local history and thriving modern life. The tour is free and self-guided. Printed guides can be found at the kiosk next to Book ‘n’ Brush on Market Street or at the museum. You can also follow along on your phone!
Interspersed with fresh, colorful murals along your walk, you might spy peeling advertisements from an age long gone. You may notice elaborate masonry bordering chic window displays or recognize the corner of a building from a black-and-white shot you once saw in the Lewis County Historical Museum. In these glimpses of our past, you can begin to piece together the story of our town. Following our convenient guide, you will learn about our oldest buildings, the early pioneers and founders of Chehalis, local business, and more. Discover that Chehalis, Washington is more than a pin on the map. Our small town is a living mosaic of the past, present, and future, held together by precious memories and the timeless commitment of its founders and residents.
As businesses come and go, our town’s history continues to unfold every day. Old traditions may fade or evolve, and new events will spark new stories. The murals and streetscapes are continuously transforming and adding color to our downtown corridor. These changes are inevitable, hence why Experience Chehalis continues to update the Downtown Chehalis Historic Walking Tour every year. You might learn something new or spot new shops or artwork each time you complete the tour! Soon, new historic plaques are coming to refresh and distinguish each point along the tour, and audio walkthroughs are in progress. We hope to celebrate our town’s history and encourage community involvement in increasingly accessible ways, so keep revisiting the tour as it expands!
As the weather warms up, the walking tour is also a fabulous way to get outside and connect with locals and businesses. Whatever your motivation, we welcome you to partake in the ever-changing story of Downtown Chehalis, whether that looks like attending one of our many events, volunteering at our annual cleanup effort, following the walking tour, or simply choosing to spend your time in one of our local shops or attractions. Come stretch your legs and see what the small-town appeal is all about. This brief stroll into our past will show you what it means to be a part of Chehalis’s story.
Written by Chelsea Sonnenberg