The Modest Logging Town Of Hoquiam Evaluates The Future And Heads For The Water

Towns sometimes seem to grow all on their own, to become their own people, so to speak, practically independent of the people living in them. This is of course only an illusion, but the way time and culture shape a town, especially a small one, says a lot about the culture at large, and about the people who are shaping it, day by day, through thousands and thousands of decisions large and small. Sometimes, though, it is necessary to make a decision on some big changes.

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, Hoquiam 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.

Possibilities for Downtown Development

This growth would occur along the Hoquiam waterfront, the part of downtown running along the Hoquiam River. What to do with riverside property is a question many towns face, and for cities with developed waterfronts like San Antonio and Baltimore, the investment was met with great success. An underused area became, in a few years, a popular area full of restaurants and bars, hotels and shopping, entertainment of all kinds.

The Hoquiam waterfront had a precedent; in the 1980s it was a popular place to visit. Now that development has taken interest in the area, the community has to think seriously about who it is, and who it’s going to become. And how money is going to be spent to get it there.

A Process of Maturing

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.

For Hoquiam, the goal will be to encourage progress and development without forsaking its history, its heritage, and without becoming some other town entirely. Which means thinking seriously, as a community, about where they came from and where they’re going. And who to lead them where they’re going. And, lastly, how exactly to do that.

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