Centralia Washington WA Warrant Search

Centralia, Washington Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 14,742 at the 2000 census. History In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran, coming from Missouri with a young African-American free man named George Washington, filed a donation land claim on the townsite. Later, Cochran freed his slave, adopted him as a son, and in 1852 sold him his claim for $6,000. The new owner built a home and filed a plat for the town of Centerville, offering lots for $10 each, with one lot free to buyers who built houses. CIn 1891, the population, over 1,000, found its mail confused with that of another Centerville in the state, and the name of the town was changed to Centralia. (Washington - A guide to the Evergreen State, WPA American Guide Series, Washington State Historical Society, 1941). It was officially incorporated as Centralia on February 3, 1886. The city was the site of the infamous Centralia Massacre in 1919.The 1940 population of Centralia was 7,414. December 2007 flood On average, there are 136 sunny days per year in Centralia. Due to flooding from the December 2007 Pacific Northwest storms, a twenty-mile (32 km) stretch of Interstate 5, which runs through Lewis County near Centralia, was closed between exits 68 and 88 for several days. The economic cost of the I-5 closure was roughly $4 million a day. To redirect water away from the freeway, WSDOT breached a dike to allow the water to drain back into the Chehalis River.According to Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond, the damage done to Interstate 5 was not as bad as previously believed. Transportation workers were able to start repairs while the waters receded from the roadway.At the height of the storm, at least 75,000 customers in Washington lost electric service. Near downtown Centralia, twenty square blocks had been flooded. The December 2007 Pacific Northwest storms and flood were blamed for at least eight deaths and billions of dollars of damage to the area. Economy and employment On Nov. 28, 2006 it was announced that TransAlta Corp., the largest employer in Centralia and operator of the Centralia Coal Mine, would eliminate 600 high-paying coal mining jobs. The nearby coal-fired Centralia Power Plant is not affected, except the coal to fire the plant will now come from Wyoming and Montana. Source: Daily Olympian articleRecent reports indicate, however, that there has been no noticeable economic effect upon the City of Centralia as a result (except the addition of homes to the real estate inventory, but are being absorbed), though it was greatly speculated upon. Data indicates that Centralia is experiencing growth in all three sectors with new job growth on a regular basis; both in its light industrial areas as well as its core business district, Historic Downtown Centralia.Unemployment rate is the highest in the state and has been for a long time; it was reported to be at 9.9% as of December, 2008. There is a community college in Centralia. It is called the Centralia College. Geography Centralia is located at 46°43′14″N 122°57′41″W / 46.72056°N 122.96139°W / 46.72056; -122.96139 (46.720484, -122.961429).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.3 km²), of which, 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.67%) is water. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 14,742 people, 5,943 households, and 3,565 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,990.6 people per square mile (768.1/km²). There were 6,510 housing units at an average density of 879.0 per square mile (339.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.76% White, 0.44% African American, 1.25% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander, 4.94% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.22% of the population.There were 5,943 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.02.In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.The median income for a household in the city was $30,078, and the median income for a family was $35,684. Males had a median income of $31,595 versus $22,076 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,305. About 13.6% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over. Intercity rail transportation Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Centralia. Amtrak train 11, the southbound Coast Starlight, is scheduled to depart Centralia at 11:45am with service to Kelso-Longview, Portland, Sacramento, Emeryville, California (with bus connection to San Francisco), and Los Angeles. Amtrak train 14, the northbound Coast Starlight, is scheduled to depart Centralia at 5:57pm daily with service to Olympia-Lacey, Tacoma and Seattle. Amtrak Cascades trains, operating as far north as Vancouver, British Columbia and as far south as Eugene, Oregon, serve Centralia several times daily in both directions. Government and politics Centralia is a noncharter code city with a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council consists of seven members with positions one through three being at-large positions.Although slightly less so than Lewis County as a whole, Centralia is conservative and fairly Republican. Media outlets Print Centralia's leading newspaper is The Chronicle and is ranked seventeenth in the state based on weekday circulation and serves most of Lewis County. There are also several community-based newspapers that are published bi-weekly, such as The Lewis County News and The East County Journal.The Chronicle The Lewis County News The East County Journal AM RadioKELA - 1470 AM KITI - 1420 AM FM RadioKCED - 91.3 FM KMNT - 104.3 FM KACS - 90.5 FM KITI-FM - 95.1 FM Points of interest Carnegie Library is located in Washington Park and was originally built in 1913 followed by a remodel in 1977-78. The building houses a large chandelier taken from the old Centralia High School. The library is now part of the Timberland Regional Library system. During the month of December it is the site of the annual Christmas Tree Lighting.Centralia Factory Outlets is an outlet mall that hosts tenants such as Aéropostale, Bass, Bath & Body Works, Billabong, Christian Outlet, Claire’s, Coach Eddie Bauer, Helly Hansen, Lane Bryant, Nike Clearance Store, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Quiksilver, Van Heusen, VF Outlet, Volcom, and others.Centralia Farmer’s Market is held Fridays, May thru September and has been in existence since 1996. The market features locally grown produce, annuals and perennials, baked goods, and handcrafted items.Centralia Park System consists of a variety of 15 beautiful parks, trails, and recreational and outdoor areas of interest scattered across 240 acres of combined space. Fort Borst Park is the largest of these areas with over 100 acres of park space. It is home to Borst Lake, nearby Chehalis and Skookumchuck Rivers, and adjoining outdoor sports facilities. Within the park you can also find the historic 1860’s Borst Mansion, the iconic old Fort Borst Blockhouse, and a replica of the original Borst One Room Schoolhouse.Centralia Union Depot was built in 1912 and features red brick architecture, vintage oak benches, and internal and external woodworking throughout. In 1996 restoration projects were started and finished in 2002. The depot is currently served by Amtrak as the midpoint between Kelso, Washington and Lacey, Washington. The depot is also served by connections to the Twin Transit Transportation system and is located within walking distance to Carnegie Library, Historic Fox Theater, McMenamin’s Olympic Club Hotel & Theater, Santa Lucia Coffee Company as well as various eateries, shops, and antique vendors.Country Cousin is a local country themed restaurant, lounge, and gift shop. At the front door customers are greeted by a door activated crowing rooster sound and seated by wait staff. Throughout the restaurant the country theme continues with farm implements, antique kitchen utensils, and folk art paintings displayed on walls and hanging throughout. Each booth includes various pages from farmers almanac, newspaper clippings, vintage photographs and other local history saved on the tabletops. Unique food items include yak meat and sour cream blackberry pie.Fox Theater originally opened on September 5, 1930. It was built with approximately 1,200 seats over three seating levels. The first film seen by the public was Buster Keaton in Dough Boys. In 1982 the theater underwent renovations and separated the main stage into three smaller screening areas. The theater closed in 1998 and was purchased by Opera Pacfica in 2004 and underwent initial stages of restoration. In 2007 the City of Centralia bought the theater and it is currently being further restored by the Historic Fox Theatre Restorations. Limited film performances began again in 2009.McMenamin’s Olympic Club Hotel & Theater opened in 1908 followed by an extensive remodel in 1913. Since then much of the building has remained unchanged. The hotel hosts 27 European-style guestrooms. Each room is named after a person of interest, including Roy Gardner a trainer robber caught behind the hotel in 1921. The club was originally only frequented by gentlemen but has been opened to families for many years. The theater shows second run films, musical and comedy performances, and some televised sports events. The theater has replaced theater seating with various chairs and couches throughout. The pub serves Terminator Stout, Hammerhead, Ruby, and other beverages and food items. Adjoining the pub and dinning area is a 6 table poolroom and snooker table that was recently rated in the top 5 for “Best Pool Hall in Western Washington”. Every April or May the Olympic Club host its annual Brewfest, where local, import, and guest brews are highlighted.Murals are found throughout historic downtown Centralia. Examples include murals depicting: The founder of Centralia (Centerville) named George Washington, Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show, and an abstract mural depicting the 1919 Armistice Day Centralia Massacre also known as the Wobbly War.Santa Lucia Coffee Company is a locally owned coffee house, featuring locally roasted coffee, bottled beverages, pastries, sandwiches, local artists and musicians, and complimentary wi-fi internet. Notable residents Notable natives of Centralia include Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay, cable television and early mobile phone entrepreneur Craig McCaw, CFL offensive lineman Calvin Armstrong, modern dancer Merce Cunningham, video game designer and programmer Soren Johnson, Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard, former MLB outfielder Bob Coluccio, and Metropolitan Opera soprano Angela Meade. Longtime NBA player Detlef Schrempf attended Centralia High School as an exchange student from the former West Germany (1980–1981), starring in basketball. 2 Star General USAF Clyde CD Moore (class of 76). Gen. CD Moore Culture Seattle-based rock band Harvey Danger uses Centralia as a metaphor in its song 'Moral Centralia,' found on the 2005 album Little by Little....Seattle-based underground rock band Tuna mentions ' Centralia's sweet Sampson ' in their song Krazy Kat