Nesika
Flooded town
Nesika is located in Washington (state)
Nesika
Nesika
Coordinates: 46°28′26″N 122°17′21″W / 46.47389°N 122.28917°W / 46.47389; -122.28917
Abandoned1968

Nesika was an unincorporated town in Lewis County, Washington, southeast of Mossyrock. It is now a flooded town.

Etymology

The name of the town was chosen by Mrs. J. T. Chilcoat, an earlier settler. It is derived from the Cowlitz language name of the area, meaning "we, our, ours, us, or mine".[1]

History

The town's post office was constructed in April 1898.[1] It was primarily inhabited by the Cowlitz people.

Cowlitz Bridge

In 1914, the town was connected via bridge over the Cowlitz River to Riffe, another later flooded town. However the bridge faced issues as floods changed the course of the Cowlitz River and subsequently damaged the bridge.

The 848-feet bridge lasted until November 1967, a few months ahead of its scheduled demolition once the reservoir had filled the valley. The creosote planking was accidentally set ablaze by workers while cutting torches. The fire destroyed 200 feet (61 m) of the bridge, which was permanently closed and later salvaged.[2]

Flooding

The town remains submerged under Riffe Lake, the reservoir created by the Mossyrock Dam.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Revisiting Washington — Riffe Valley". revisitwa.org. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  2. ^ Mittge, Brian (June 12, 2015). "Underwater Towns of the Cowlitz River: A Look Back at Kosmos, Nesika and Riffe". The Daily Chronicle. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
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