Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a436db81d9710d7f

Jump to content

Mays, Washington

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mays, Washington
Former planned community; ghost town
Planned community advertisement, Chehalis Bee-Nugget, 1914
Planned community advertisement, Chehalis Bee-Nugget, 1914
Mays is located in Washington (state)
Mays
Mays
Location within Washington (state)
Mays is located in the United States
Mays
Mays
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 46°38′9.37″N 123°10′36.5″W / 46.6359361°N 123.176806°W / 46.6359361; -123.176806
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyLewis
EstablishedMarch 1914
Elevation
[1]
243 ft (74 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code360
GNIS feature ID1514889[1]

Mays is a former planned community in Lewis County, in the U.S. state of Washington. Considered a populated place, the town was located near the Chehalis River and off Washington State Route 6 (SR 6), east of Dryad and immediately west of Meskill.

Mays was formed in 1914 by the Baker-May Lumber Company; the company oversaw timber operations in the nearby area since the early 1900s and operated a sawmill in the community. Along with a real estate company, the community was planned to be a "people's town" and not a standard company town. A townsite was rapidly constructed during its opening year, including the build of a 35-room hotel, a theater, and a town hall. Plots of cleared land over 5 acres (2.0 ha) were available for sale to prospective buyers.

In 1915, the Baker-May Lumber Company was declared bankrupt and the sawmill was closed. No known depot or post office had been established, and mail delivery to the community ceased approximately in 1916.

Etymology

[edit]

The community was named after the owner of the Baker-May Lumber Company.[2][a]

History

[edit]

The Baker-May Lumber Company opened a sawmill at what later became the community of Mays "shortly after 1900".[2] Mays became a railroad stop on the South Bend branch of Northern Pacific Railroad by 1913, and the company planned opening a station in the town that was also to include a ticket office.[3] A brothel was in existence that same year[4][b] and a grade school had already been established near the townsite.[5]

The beginning of Mays as a planned community was officially announced in March 1914 and was a cooperative effort between Baker-May Lumber Company and real estate firm, B.A. Bartholomew & Company. The location, off what was then called the National Park Highway, was noted to be "very advantageously situated" due to the intersecting or parallel rail lines of the Milwaukee Road, Northern Pacific, and the incorporated Meskill and Columbia River Railroad. Already cleared land around the townsite was platted for sale, with plots no smaller than 5 acres (2.0 ha). The new community was to be known as "the bungalow town" as two-five room bungalows, and a store matching the same architectural style, were planned to be built.[5][6] Seven lots had been sold by mid-April.[7][c]

The town underwent rapid expansion into July 1914, with the construction of a 35-room hotel,[d] general store, a "moving picture house", pool room, and a town hall. Offices for the Baker-May sawmill were also completed.[8] The hotel was known as the Hotel Mays.[9] Additional planned buildings included a drug store and a meat market, and land for the planned depot was to be donated by the developers. The townsite was to be lighted electrically, the power generated by Baker-May's operations.[5]

The planned community was to be a "people's town" and not a standard company town. The only oversight of the community by Baker-May was the electrical current provided to the townsite.[5]

Baker-May Lumber Company was declared bankrupt in May 1915.[10] By April 1916, the mill was noted to be closed.[11]

Post office

[edit]

The post office in nearby Meskill had been without a postmaster by late 1913 and a new office was planned to be established in Mays.[12] Within three days of the initial news, a letter from Congressman Albert Johnson announced that a new postmaster was to be appointed at Meskill and the Mays office "will not go through".[13] Mail delivery was discontinued approximately around 1916.[2][e]

Geography

[edit]
Additional advertisement, The Chehalis Bee-Nugget, 1914

Mays is considered a populated place, and potentially an unincorporated place, by the Geographic Names Information System. The town was located roughly 12 miles (19 km) west of Chehalis,[6] near the Chehalis River and off Washington State Route 6 (SR 6), east of Dryad and approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) west of Meskill.[1][8]

Parks and recreation

[edit]

The Willapa Hills Trail passes near Mays.[14] Rainbow Falls State Park is west of the former community.[15]

Economy

[edit]

Mays grew out of an established sawmill company town. The Baker-May Lumber Company constructed a "big sawmill" and shingle mill in the town by 1914.[8] The shingle factory was owned by brothers, C.A. and J.C. Butler.[16]

Education

[edit]

A schoolhouse was located between Mays and Meskill and was part of Lewis County School District No. 118.[17]

Infrastructure

[edit]

A bridge was relocated from Adna, Washington to Mays in 1921 and was expected to "last for many years there". Shortened to fit the crossing over the Chehalis River, the move was made possible due to the construction of a new span at Adna that was "heavier".[18] The 130 foot (40 m) steel bridge was rebuilt at a cost of over $11,000 (equivalent to $198,554 in 2025).[19] Within a week after the contract had been awarded, foundation piers were being constructed.[20] The first Mays Bridge was completed and "accepted" by the Lewis County commissioner board in January 1922.[21]

The second Mays Bridge was constructed by the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad in 1924. The span was one of three railroad bridges built over the Chehalis River by the company around the time, which included bridges connecting to the rail station at Ruth and the city of Chehalis. The overpass was a wood Howe truss that spanned 156 feet (48 m) and contained approximately 110,000 board feet of timber.[22]

The current Mays Bridge, and the third iteration, was completed in 2016. The 200 foot (61 m) crossing was an upgraded replacement for the nearby Leudinghaus Bridge after severe floods during the Great Coastal Gale of 2007 destroyed the trestle. The Chandler Road Bridge, also in proximity, was likewise demolished during the same flood; the span was replaced in 2010.[23][24][25]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Sources do not give a first name for the namesake of the community; the owner is only referred to as "Mr. May". See sources throughout the article.
  2. ↑ Residents of Mays planned to tar and feather the female owner of the "house of ill repute" and have her ridden out of town by rail. During the threats, the woman married a Meskill man, referred to in news reports as "a Greek", and ultimately, the county sheriff's department could not procure enough evidence against her.[4]
  3. ↑ Reports on the numbers of lots and acreage sold varies per the source. By early May 1914, a news listing in the San Juan Islander reported six parcels sold.[6] See other sources from 1914 in the article.
  4. ↑ The hotel was listed to have had an L-shaped footprint, the main section being 32 ft × 90 ft (9.8 m × 27.4 m) and the dimensions of the extension were 32 ft × 50 ft (9.8 m × 15.2 m).[7]
  5. ↑ A few sources written later in the 20th century mention a post office in Mays, but no definitive evidence of an established office has been found to support the statements. See sources throughout the article.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mays, Washington
  2. 1 2 3 "Town of May Only Memory". The Daily Chronicle. August 26, 1941. p. 7. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Sawmill Resumes Running". The Daily Chronicle-Examiner. November 3, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Immoral Woman Is Married". The Daily Chronicle-Examiner. November 4, 1913. p. 6. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Preparing For New Townsite". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. March 20, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "Acreage at New Town Sold". San Juan Islander. May 1, 1914. p. 2. Retrieved September 2, 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Progress at Mays". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. April 17, 1914. p. 6. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "New Town Is Springing Up". The Daily Chronicle-Examiner. July 6, 1914. p. 5. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  9. ↑ "B.S. Powell, Well Known Here, Is In Trouble Again". The Daily Hub. May 3, 1915. p. 1. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  10. ↑ "First Meeting Of Creditors". The Daily Chronicle-Examiner. July 16, 1915. p. 1. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  11. ↑ "May Operate Old Mays Mill". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. March 31, 1916. p. 6. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Ticket Office at Mays". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. November 7, 1913. p. 8. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  13. ↑ "To Appoint Postmaster At Meskill". The Daily Chronicle-Examiner. November 10, 1913. p. 5. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Willapa Hills State Park Trail - Full Map" (PDF). Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Rainbow Falls State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Shingle Mill at Mays". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. June 12, 1914. p. 4. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Notice of Special Election". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. September 28, 1917. p. 5. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Moving The Adna Bridge". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. July 22, 1921. p. 5. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Bridge Contract Awarded". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. August 19, 1921. p. 3. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  20. ↑ Bush, J.C. (August 26, 1921). "News Of The County". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. p. 4. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Mays Bridge Completed". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. January 27, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Framing New Bridge". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. April 4, 1924. p. 8. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  23. ↑ The Chronicle staff (February 5, 2016). "Leudinghaus Bridge Set to Open Thursday". The Chronicle. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  24. ↑ Spurr, Kyle (August 9, 2016). "Leudinghaus Bridge Project Underway Near Doty". The Chronicle. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  25. ↑ The Chronicle staff (December 8, 2017). "10 Years Later, Lewis County Still Waiting on $1M in FEMA Funding for 2007 Flood". The Chronicle. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mays,_Washington&oldid=1373685773"