Ethel, Washington
Ethel, Washington | |
|---|---|
  Ethel Location within Washington (state)  Ethel Location within the United States | |
| Coordinates: 46°31′56.8″N 122°44′49.4″W / 46.532444°N 122.747056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Lewis |
| Elevation | 479 ft (146 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| zip code | 98542 |
| Area code | 360 |
Ethel is an unincorporated community located along U.S. Route 12 in east Lewis County, Washington, United States.[1] It sits between Mary's Corner and Salkum.
History
[edit]A post office called Ethel was first established in 1886.[2][3] The town's moniker was intended to be "Lacamas", after a creek that flowed through the town, however the Postmaster General at the time, William F. Vilas, declared that too many towns in Washington state were named after Native tribes, and choose Ethel, without an explanation. The reason and origins for the Ethel name, despite several theories, remains obscure.[3][4][5]
Ethel's early economy was derived by the logging of old growth timber and farming. Education was provided at the Hopewell School, a one-room schoolhouse featuring eight different grade levels. The school would become the location for the Ethel Grange Hall. The town also formed teams to participate in Grange League baseball.[3]
The community's post office, opened continuously since it was first established, was closed by the end of May 2026 under orders from the United States Postal Service (USPS). The branch closure was noted by the USPS to be caused by "lease expiration". The post office, which had been located in a country market store for several decades, had been upgraded by new owners of the business beginning in 2025. The proprietors had attempted to renegotiate with the USPS over an existing $200 per month lease. The Onalaska Post Office began serving Ethel residents.[6]
Arts and culture
[edit]Located on US 12 in Ethel is the Hadaller (Onalaska-Ethel Grains) Barn, a heritage barn listed under the Washington State Heritage Barn Register (WSHBR). The structure was built in 1932 and contains a brick silo, a rare feature that was possibly added to the site in the mid-20th century.[7]
Government and politics
[edit]| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008[8] | 68.0% 453 | 29.3% 195 | 2.7% 18 |
| 2012[9] | 66.4% 466 | 29.9% 210 | 3.7% 26 |
| 2016[10] | 71.9% 2016 | 23.7% 100 | 4.4% 10 |
| 2020[11] | 71.7% 654 | 25.4% 232 | 1.7% 26 |
| 2024[12] | 71.4% 638 | 24.5% 219 | 4.0% 36 |
Politics
[edit]As Ethel is an unincorporated community, there are no defined bounds, and the precinct may be incongruous with the census boundaries.
Third parties that received ballots in the 2020 election include 15 votes for the Libertarian Party and 4 votes for the Green Party. There were 5 votes for write-in candidates.[11] In the 2024 election, there were 9 votes cast for write-in candidates and 16 votes were tallied for Robert F. Kennedy Jr..[12]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Ethel". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ↑ "Post Offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Mittge, Brian (March 30, 2002). "If Towns Could Talk : The town on the Ethel plateau lasts". The Chronicle. p. 27. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
- ↑ Meany, Edmond S. Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 81.
- ↑ Dickason, Glen (January 12, 1976). "Nobody knows how Ethel was named". The Centralia Daily Chronicle. p. 12. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
- ↑ Sexton, Owen (July 29, 2026). "MGP asks postmaster general to look into Ethel U.S. Post Office branch closure". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
- ↑ Sexton, Owen (May 3, 2024). "3 Dog Cider and Brewstillery expands, opens new tasting room in Ethel heritage barn formerly owned by the Hadaller family". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ "November 04, 2008 General Election - Lewis County". Results.Vote.WA. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
- ↑ "November 06, 2012 General Election - Lewis County". Results.Vote.WA. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
- ↑ "November 8, 2016 General Election - Lewis County". Results.Vote.WA. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
- 1 2 "November 3, 2020 General Election - Lewis County". Results.Vote.WA. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- 1 2 "November 5, 2024 General Election - Lewis County". Results.Vote.WA. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
Municipalities and communities of Lewis County, Washington, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Former communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Flooded towns | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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