In many parts of western Washington, the history of towns are inextricably linked to the lumber mills around which they were founded. In some towns, like Morton, the mill remains a key employer. Others, like Eatonville, managed to survive the close of the mill when times changed. Others, like National, vanished with barely a trace.
Yes, this sleepy hillside overlooking a marshy pond next to the Nisqually River was once the center of a busy community that grew up around a lumber camp and sawmill. The pond itself is actually the remnants of a mill pond, and if you look closely, you can still see pylons wrapped in thick cable rising out of the water, and old wooden bulkheads along the shore. Railroad lines once followed the grade now occupied by the road. The mill itself, painted red, towered above the trees to the west, and employee housing sprawled over the hill to the north.
The arrival of the railroad in 1905 provided an efficient means to move lumber, and that same year, the Pacific National Lumber Company built the mill. It burned down, along with most of the town, on May 13, 1912, but was soon rebuilt. At its peak, about 300 people lived here, either working for or dependent on the mill. A post office opened in December 1910. In 1940, a writer for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) described National as a town crowded with small, red, box-like cottages along crooked, planked streets.
The town of National thrived through World War II, then gradually ran down as local timber supplies waned. Eventually, the Weyerhaeuser Company bought it out and decided to clear the old town site and sell the buildings. They could be purchased for $100 per bedroom, on the condition that they be removed within 30 days. New owners lifted the houses off their foundations and carried them on trailers or skids to new locations. More than 20 buildings in the upper Nisqually Valley today originated at National, including the Elbe Grange and the Whittaker Bunkhouse in Ashford.
All that remains are foundations, bricks, and corrugated metal slowly being overgrown by moss and tree roots. Yet in a sense, the town still exists—its buildings have been scattered across the valley, and its memory still lingers in the stories told to grandchildren of a time when Old National was still young.
Cache access: From Hwy 706 west of Ashford, turn south on the Forest Service road next to Faith Baptist Church. You'll see Forest Service recreational signs, including those for a Sno-Park and the need for a Northwest Forest Pass.
2016 was the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and to celebrate, Visit Rainier and the Washington State Geocaching Association (WSGA) hosted the Visit Rainier Centennial GeoTour - 100 caches placed in and around Mount Rainier National Park. The geocaches highlighted the rich history, scenic wonders, quaint communities, and hidden gems of the Rainier region. The caches were released in four series of 25 caches each during 2015 and 2016.