Lewis County Historical Musuem

We have a ton of fantastic historical treasures from Lewis County. Our exhibits change regularly. Located in the historic 1912 Northern Pacific Railway depot this museum offers interesting displays depicting the early settlements and pioneer life in Lewis County, the oldest county in Washington State. Explore exhibits reflecting the area’s logging and rail history as well as a children’s hands-on area. The Northern Pacific Railroad (NP) reached the Chehalis River in 1872 from Kalama on the Columbia and the line reached Tacoma the following year. Regular service between the river and Tacoma began in January 1874. Just four months later, as many as 30 people per day were getting off at stations between the Columbia and the Sound. Residents of Saundersville built a warehouse to induce the Northern Pacific Railroad to build its line through Chehalis. The idea worked and Saundersville was renamed Chehalis in 1879. Today, the Lewis County Historical Museum is housed in the historic, 1912 turn of the century, Northern Pacific Railway Depot.