The Excellent Lumber Town Of Hoquiam Evaluates The Future Where We Started

Any small town is a study of the small decisions that shape it. And those decisions, made by residents and businesspeople and the government that runs it, often take it in directions it might never have seemed able to go. But there it is: sometimes towns grow all on their own, and it seems like there’s nothing to be done but watch the changes, like a rebellious teenager. Sometimes, of course, it’s time to make big decisions too.

The town of Hoquiam, Washington is in the middle of these considerations at the moment. Historically a logging town in the lumber rich Pacific Northwest, the town has preserved its heritage through a variety of events. There’s the annual, and internationally famous, Loggers’ Playday, as well as logging competitions and parades in the fall. Now it has to consider whether it wants to grow.

Those changes would happen on the waterfront, a stretch of downtown running alongside the Hoquiam River. These kind of cultural centerpieces have done amazing things for cities such as San Antonio and Baltimore. Where once there was a bunch of running water, now there is shopping and dining and hotels and bars and a whole stretch of real estate just made for entertainment.

The last time the waterfront was popular was in the 1980s, and since then the town itself has of course grown up a bit. But still the question remains: Should something be brought to the waterfront? Is it worth the tax expenditure? Are there people with the right vision and organization to carry it out? The possibilities are there, at least.

Another consideration worth a moment is the relationship to Aberdeen, the larger city to the east. This relationship, like probably all neighboring towns, is one of friendly rivalry. And rivalry often does good things for innovation. The tow is at the mouth of the river, right on Grays Harbor, so it has opportunities no other town in the area does.

But it’s all a balancing act. The city can’t change too much or it risks losing its heritage. On the other hand, if it gets stuck in the past, it risks fading away, like so many other small towns do. Whatever changes get made will be made as a community, so the people of Hoquiam need to make sure they surround themselves with the right people.

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