Map by Evelyn Hicks
Welcome to the Center for Columbia River History’s Camas Community History Exhibit. This web exhibit is about the history of Camas, Washington. It was produced by Washington State University Vancouver students and Center for Columbia River history staff.
Camas was first inhabited by the Chinookan Cascade Indians, who suffered from disease and displacement after the arrival of Euro-Americans. Investors established Camas as an industrial town when they built a paper mill in 1883. The mill has remained the town’s main employer ever since, although high-tech industries and urban commuters have moved into Camas in recent years.
This exhibit tells the story of Camas through primary documents, photographs, and oral history interviews. Click on the fish below to travel through the exhibit chronologically, or go to the Table of Contents to access any section. Many of the photos can be enlarged by clicking on them. All the primary documents, photos, and audio selections can also be accessed directly through archive pages. “Questions for Discussion” are listed at the end of each section for students of all ages. The Bibliography lists all of the site’s source material and provides suggestions for further reading. The Washington State University Vancouver student papers written about Camas also provide more information. Please see our acknowledgments page to see who contributed to this project.
This web site is divided into the following sections:
Part I: The Cascade Indians & Early Town History
Part II – Company Town
Part III – Growth and Change
