Aberdeen

Aberdeen had its beginning when, in 1868, Samuel Benn married Martha Redmond and traded his Melbourne property for his father-in-law's 160 acres on the west side of the Wishkah River and the north side of the Chehalis River.  Theirs was the first recorded marriage in this area.  Benn was set to provide butter and meat for the miners headed to Canada.  He was joined by Alexander Young and James Stewart who had the same plan.  The families depended on the neighboring Indians to transport their goods to market.

Common means of transport (before the first road in 1858) was by raft, scow, or an Indian cedar canoe.  The boatmen had to avoid gravel bars and log jams.  These jams, created before logging, were caused by blow-downs and old rotting trees drifting down the river.

A.J. West built the first sawmill in Aberdeen, the third in the County.  The Wilson brothers and J.M. Weatherwax were also early sawmill operators and leaders in Aberdeen.  George Hume built a salmon cannery at the mouth of the Wishkah River.

Early settlers in Aberdeen were the James B. Stewarts, who arrived in September, 1875.  The Stewarts, Scottish immigrants, are said to have persuaded Benn to name his new town site Aberdeen, which means "confluence of two rivers."  It was incorporated in 1889.

There are many notable people from Grays Harbor; most commonly known is probably Kurt Cobain, from the 90's rock band Nirvana.  You may visit a website put together and maintained by two local web builders called Kurt Cobain Memorial.  Tom Quigg, from the Aberdeen Windermere office has authored a publication talking about many other notables from the Harbor.  This can be viewed by going to his website "Culture of Success".

POINTS OF INTEREST

• A Harbor View Bed & Breakfast and Aberdeen Mansion Inn are beautiful turn of the century mansions operating today as Beds & Breakfasts.  Aberdeen Museum of History: Special exhibits feature photos, artifacts, furnishings, and implements; and include a home, general mercantile, and a one-room schoolhouse, circe 1880 to 1920.

• Grays Harbor College Watershed Project - Encompassing approximately 20 acres of forested land on the Grays Harbor College campus, the Lake Swano trails in this model watershed project go through a second growth forest land historically mined and logged.  Nearby in the adjacent John P. Smith Aquaculture building, the visitor may view an exhibit of a student run fish hatchery.

• Grays Harbor Historical Seaport - An historical shipyard is home to the flagship of Washington State, The Lady Washington.  Built in Aberdeen, it is an historic reproduction of hte ship sailed by Captain Robert Gray, on his first northwest voyage.  Captain Gray is the first American to "discover" Grays Harbor.  He was also the first American to circumnavigate the world.

• Historical Homes Walking Tour - Learn the historical details of the beautiful Broadway Hill area.  Tour books available at A Harbor View Bed and Breakfast and the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center.

• Historical Murals - More than 40 historical murals grace the sides of buildings throughout the County.

• Johns River Game Area - A controlled game preserve southwest of Aberdeen where the camera buff may observe and photograph elk and other wildlife in a second and third growth forest.

• Lake Aberdeen - A lovely spot, just a few minutes east of downtown Aberdeen, accommodating facilities for swimming, fishing and picnicking, as well as a fish hatchery.

• Morrison River Front Park - On Aberdeen's waterfront hosts a beautiful log pavilion and offers a spectacular walk along the river with picnic and barbecue areas.  It affords a look across the Chehalis River toward our largest industry - logs and lumber.

• The Compass Rose - Located at the confluence of the Chehalis and Wishkah rivers, this public art has every point of the compass and is 40' across.  It shows both true North and magnetic North.  It also offers a wonderful vantage point for the shipping commerce passing by that point.

• Parks - Many parks have been prepared for our enjoyment.  Explore the infinite variety, trails, gardens, playgrounds and picnic areas of Stewart, Sam Benn, Pioneer, Zelasko, Fitch, Morrison Riverfront, and 13 other parks in Aberdeen.

The Grays Harbor Chamber of Commerce Purpose is to make Grays Harbor a better place to live, visit and transact business; by providing Advocacy, Business assistance, Connections, and Data: thus creating a positive business climate in which firms can earn a fair profit, create jobs, and improve the quality of life.