Cowlitz County, Washington
| Cowlitz County, Washington | |
|---|---|
 Location in the U.S. state of Washington |
|
 Washington's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | April 21, 1854 |
| Seat | Kelso |
| Largest city | Longview |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,166 sq mi (3,020 km2) |
| • Land | 1,140 sq mi (2,953 km2) |
| • Water | 26 sq mi (67 km2), 2.2% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 103,468 |
| • Density | 90/sq mi (35/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Pacific: UTC-8/-7 |
| Website | www |
Cowlitz County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, its population was 102,410. The county seat is Kelso, and its largest city is Longview. The county was formed on April 21, 1854. Its name derives from the anglicized version of the Cowlitz Indian term, Cow-e-liske, meaning either “river of shifting sands” or “capturing the medicine spirit.”
Cowlitz comprises the Longview, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA Combined Statistical Area.
Prior to the Europeans' arrival to the area, it was inhabited by numerous Native American tribes, with the Cowlitz tribe being the largest. They were drawn to the region by the abundance of salmon. The Cowlitz are considered to be the first regional inhabitants to engage in commerce as they traded extensively with other tribes in Western and Eastern Washington. The Cowlitz Indian population declined significantly from the 1829-1830 smallpox outbreak.
European explorers discovered and began navigating the Columbia River in 1792 as British Lieutenant W. R. Broughton sailed up the river to and past present day Cowlitz County. Then on November 5, 1805, Lewis and Clark camped at that mouth of the Kalama River, under orders from President Thomas Jefferson. Over the following days, they would reach the present sites of Kelso and Longview.
...
Wikipedia