Talk:Kalama, Washington

strange edit
Today most of the railroad bussinuss has right and kalama is know a host town.

this edit seems borderline vandalism. The poor english and spelling don't speak well of it, and the accurancy seems in doubt as well.Rvannatta 00:46, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

As a Kalama resident this is indeed very incorrect. Kalama is a thriving town of loyal residents. The article was edited to reflect this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.206.95.183 (talk) 05:05, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

External links modified
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External links modified
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Totem Pole?
The article on totem poles lists "Kalama, Washington—149 feet (45 m), carved from a single pole by Lelooska" and this seems like the kind of thing that the town's article should mention. Is that correct? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2603:3004:6D7:2000:8C4F:4796:DA1D:BEE7 (talk) 00:34, 20 February 2019 (UTC)

Pronunciation given is incorrect
It should be kuh-LAM-muh, not kaw-law-maw. 69.42.21.9 (talk) 16:12, 11 April 2023 (UTC)

Etymology of Town Name
The Town Name ... The name "Kalama" is an Tribal name meaning "beautiful", "stone", or "pretty maiden". The name "Kalama" was first mentioned in 1806 in the Lewis and Clark Journals ("Cath la haws Creek", "CalamsRiver", and "Calamas") in their reference to what is now known as the Kalama River. And then LATER in 1811 by Gabriel Franchere ("Thlakalamah") in his "Narrative of a Voyage to the Northwest Coast of American, 1811-1814".

The name has no clear connection to the often stated belief the name came from a Hudson's Bay Company employee John Kalama, a native Hawaiian who arrived in 1837 and worked at Fort Nez Perce, Fort Nisqually, Fort Vancouver, and at the Cowlitz Farm, and settled in the Nisqually area in the late 1800s.

Need to find a good/better reference for the above information which is posted on this website at: columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/kalama.html. Although this site seems very complete with references. Likely will find journals of Lewis and Clark for more info. PNWTransportHistory (talk) 02:08, 22 December 2023 (UTC)


 * The name Kalama is usually given to a Boy. And we are pleased to let you know that we found the meaning of your name, torch. The origin of the name lies in Hawaiian. Kalama is pronounced as kah-LAH-mah
 * We searched the entire web for you to find the meaning of the name Kalama not only the meaning but also other characteristics such as gender, origin, pronunciation and much more...
 * More info
 * Kalama originates in Hawaiian language and means "tree of ebony". It can be used as both feminine and masculine given names, more frequently given to girls. Kalama was the name of the 19th century Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii. It functions as a surname as well.
 * Summary
 * Meaning
 * torch
 * Origin
 * Hawaiian
 * Gender
 * Boy
 * Pronunciation
 * kah-LAH-mah
 * https://www.meaningofthename.com/kalama PNWTransportHistory (talk) 02:36, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

Port of Kalama economic impact on the Town of Kalama
Likely should include history of the Port of Kalama, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1920. It has had a significant impact on the economy of Kalama.

In March 1920, the people of Kalama voted to establish the Kalama Port District, hoping to attract ocean-bound vessels with a large public dock. The dock was constructed on six city blocks on the waterfront. From the 1920s until the early 1960s, the timber industry dominated the activity at the Port. Companies exporting logs and manufacturing shingles, ties, or veneer made up the principal leases for the first 40 years of Port history.

During the 1920s, the Port leased property to business people from the local fishing, strawberry, and timber industries. Bob Barr, who opened a shingle and tie mill and built a ramp from his mill to the Port dock, became the first successful businessman who leased property from the Port of Kalama. At one point in 1927, the Barr mill loaded five million shingles onto a steamship. Barr closed the mill in the late 1920s, but ready to take its place was the Blue Ribbon Shingle Mill, one of the first electric mills ever built. A Kalama resident, Walter McClelland, built the mill after asking for public subscriptions from Kalama businesses and a loan from the Kalama State Bank.

In the mid-1930s, the river current destroyed the supporting pilings of the Port dock, causing the whole structure to collapse. Fortunately, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) took on the project of rebuilding the dock.

During World War II, the Port of Kalama leased its dock to a Seattle salvaging company assigned at one point to strip the Spanish-American-War era battleship Oregon to its hull. The salvaged iron was used in the war effort.

In 1948, the Columbia River flooded the Port’s property at the foot of Kingwood Street, sweeping most of its property along with its old dock away.

In 1963, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began dredging and diking activities for an improved navigation channel on the Columbia River and to deepen the channel to at least 40 feet. With the new river channel depth, Kalama could consider itself to be a deep-draft port.

The lumber industry remained an important part of Kalama’s economy in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1972, a man named Bob Sanders opened a remodeled, more efficient mill and renamed the company RSG Forest Products. The mill produced dressed lumber, Douglas fir studs, and cedar fencing. The mill quickly became one of Kalama’s largest employers.

Above is my summary based on Reference: HistoryLink.org Essay 9736 PNWTransportHistory (talk) 02:16, 22 December 2023 (UTC)