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Cedar Creek Grist Mill: A Gathering Place Since 1876

Cedar Creek Grist Mill: A Gathering Place Since 1876

If you’ve had the chance to visit Yacolt or Amboy in northern Clark County, you might have noticed the charm and gorgeous forest setting of these small towns, each with about 1,500 to 2,000 residents. You probably never would have guessed, however, that at one time, these towns were bigger in population than Vancouver.

In the late 1800s, Yacolt, Amboy, and even tinier Etna, were at the heart of the logging boom. Old growth trees were being felled with axes wielded by 20 lumberjacks per tree. Giant logs were moved and positioned using teams of animals with their handlers and lumber was transported to the mill down rivers using more people to stage and move the logs.

The lumbermen worked up mighty appetites. And when they were hungry, they ate flapjacks. Lots of flapjacks. Chances were, flour for all those flapjacks was milled at the Cedar Creek Grist Mill in Woodland, Washington. Farmers in the area brought wagonloads of grain or “grist” to the mill to have it turned into flour, cornmeal or animal feed. The mill was a gathering place; a place to exchange news, socialize and listen to music. Sometimes, the mill even became a dance hall.

To read more, pick up a copy of the October 2015 issue at any of these locations, or view the digital archive copy here.

To learn more about Cedar Creek Grist Mill, visit www.cedarcreekgristmill.org.

Afton Nelson is a wife and mother of three boys, and a writer who loves exploring the Pacific Northwest with her family. Get to know her better at www.aftonnelson.com.

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