In 1853 Josiah Keller, William Talbot, and Andrew Pope, lumbermen from Maine, built a mill to take advantage of the abundant forests that they found along the Washington coast. A small company town with a distinctively New England flavor grew near the mill. Everything was built and owned by the company and, even now that the mill has been closed and dismantled, the town is still owned and cared for by Pope Resources.
The entire town consists of just a few streets. The larger houses are shops. Interpretive signs are located in front of many of the buildings so a short walking tour gives a bit of history. Most of the smaller houses of the mill workers are no longer standing and some of the houses are private homes.
The historic museum is in the basement of the general store. It’s tiny with beautifully constructed displays about the owners of the lumber company but hardly anything about the workers and their lives. There’s also a sea creature and seashell museum on the second floor balcony area of the general store.
The historic museum, except for the bank vault display room, is accessible but getting to the entrance involves going down a steep hill. There’s a handicapped parking spot at the entrance where a small RV might fit. The seashell museum is not accessible. All of the shops have good ramps and the sidewalks and curb cuts are in good condition.
The best place to park a large vehicle is along Puget Way. Museum
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