Walville, Washington

Walville is an extinct town in Lewis County, in the U.S. state of Washington. The GNIS classifies it as a populated place.^[1]

Walville, Washington
Ghost town
Walville Japanese Cemetery, 2025
Walville Show map of Washington (state) Walville Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 46°33′10″N 123°21′19″W
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Lewis
Established	1903
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)

History

A community began in the late 19th and early 20th century around a sawmill site under operations by the Rock Creek Lumber Company. Ownership changed several times over the course of a few years, including oversight of the McCormick Lumber Compamny, namesake of McCormick, Washington.^[2] A post office called Walville was established in 1903, and remained in operation until 1936.^[3][2] The community's name is an amalgamation of Walworth and Neville Company.^[4]

The community rested on the county line separating Lewis County and Pacific County, splitting the town in half, including the Walworth and Neville sawmill.^[2] By approximately 1930, the sawmill, due to financial hardships seen around the region, closed and the town began to wane. By the early 1950s, only six homes were occupied.^[2]

Education

Both Lewis and Pacific counties required a school in the community and the county dividing line issue caused several problems. A myth exists mentioning that one house, split by the county line, required one student to attend classes at a Pacific County schoolhouse while their sibling was enrolled at a school in Lewis. The situation was resolved by the creation of an early Pe Ell school district that overlapped the county line.^[2]