The Quiet City Of Hoquiam Considers The Past And Keeps Up With Its Neighbors

Think of all the small towns you’ve passed through in your life and all the forces large and small that shaped them into that town that you either linger in or speed through, depending on the kindness of time. Any small town is the sum of many decisions, often just everyday decisions, and this is the sound that culture makes. But sometimes it’s important for the people of a town to sit back and take a look at the direction their town is taking — and think about what kind of town they really want.

Up in the Pacific Northwest is a town called Hoquiam, Washington. Hoquiam was born and raised a logging and exporting town. It has maintained this identity through annual events like parades and logging competitions and an internationally popular event called Loggers’ Playday. All of which has served it well enough, but what will it do when faced with the possibility for growth?

Those changes would happen on the Hoquiam 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 Hoquiam’s 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. Hoquiam is at the mouth of the river, right on Grays Harbor, so it has opportunities no other town in the area does.

So as it moves forward, Hoquiam has to think about how it can preserve its history but stay modern. How it can have a heritage that informs its future. It’s a question all small towns at some point have to face, and while it doesn’t mean Hoquiam has to become a metropolis, it at least has to face some grown-up decisions.

Ascertain moreover about Quincy 132.