Welcome to Skamania County The USGenWeb Project logo

Skamania County was formed in 1854 from Clark County.

My name is Marie Gale and I am your County Coordinator. I would really like to see this site grow, so please send me your information and I will include it here. I am accepting anything of a genealogical or historical nature and if you have a personal family website that you would like linked, please let me know.

Skamania County is part of one of the most beautiful areas of our immense country. Located in the Columbia River Gorge it has wonderous scenery and a rich heritage. In 1805 Skamania county was explored by Lewis and Clark. They spent the winter on the Columbia River. There is certainly a lot to do in Skamania county, and for your convenience, I am adding a link to the Chamber of Commerce's Calender of Events.  The meaning of Skamania pretty much says it all.  It is Indian, meaning 'Swift Waters" and was organized on 9 Mar 1854.  The county seat is Stevenson.

The Cascade Chinook Indians settled where the Columbia River cut a path through the Cascade Mountains. They had the traits of both the Coastal and the Plateau Tribes which were on either side of them. They were here 10,000 years ago and the county is named for the Chinookian word meaning "swift water."


Photo Courtesy of Bryan Swan
For more of his beautiful photography see:
Waterfalls of the Northwest


Mt. Saint Helens
Before the Eruption
Photo from: USGS Prof. Paper 1250

Located in the county is Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument,The Pacific Crest trail and an abundance of wilderness areas in which to enjoy the great outdoors.

Mount. St Helens is the only volcano to erupt in the Continental United States in the last 20 years or more. With the explosive terrain is it any wonder that Bigfoot decided to make the county his home. It is one of forty volcanoes located in the United States. It still emits steam and ash on a daily basis. Some say that it could erupt again in the this century, therefore it is monitored on a daily basis.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a paradise for the Outdoorsman. There is hiking, fishing, camping and skiing in abundance. There are over 1,100 miles of trails for your pleasure. Or if you would perfer a good old fashioned hotel, here is a list of places to stay.

So, when you come to Skamania County to do your Genealogy Research, you might also consider taking a few days just to hang out, enjoy the scenery and have loads of fun.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the new site and send me the information you have about your ancestors and I will include it on the site.


Photo Courtesy of Bryan Swan
For more of his beautiful photography see:
Waterfalls of the Northwest



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WAGenWeb State Page
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The WAGenWeb Project In March and April, 1996, a group of genealogists organized the Kentucky Comprehensive Genealogy Database. The idea was to provide a single entry point for all counties in Kentucky, where collected databases would be stored. In addition, the databases would be indexed and cross-linked, so that even if individuals were found in more than one county, they could be located in the index.

At the same time, volunteers were found who were willing to coordinate the collection of databases and generally oversee the contents of the Web page. This grew into The USGenWeb Project.

For information on how you can be a part of the WAGenWeb Project, contact the State Coordinator Mike Sweeney. For information on how you can be a part of the Skamania County GenWeb Project, contact the County Coordinator, Marie Gale.

Adjacent Counties

Lewis

 

Cowlitz

map of Washington counties
Map courtesy of Mike Sweeney

Yakima

Clark

Klickitat

Oregon - Multnomah

Oregon - Hood River

Past Skamania Coordinators: Candy Grub 1997-1998, John Ashmund 1998-2000, Annette Peebles 2000-2003, Katy Hestand 2003-2007

This page was last updated  Tuesday, 20-Mar-2018 07:04:19 CDT

This Site maintained by Marie Gale