Almanac
By Road or Rail If you need a ride, head to the old depot. The historic Kelso Train Station is now home to the City of Kelso Multi-Modal Transportation Facility. The stately brick building that originally opened in 1912 is today served by Amtrak, and also is home to national and regional bus services, taxis, shuttle vans and rental cars. Besides the convenience of the Multi-Modal Transportation Facility, getting around the area is made easy by well-maintained highways such as Interstate 5 and State Routes 4, 411, 432 and 433.
Fast Facts ■ Moulton Taylor, inventor of the Aerocar, the first practical flying automobile, is from Longview. He designed the machine in 1949, and although six examples were built, the Aerocar never entered commercial production. ■ Films shot in Longview include Into the Wild (2007), Men of Honor (2000) and God’s Country and the Woman (1937). ■ The legend of Bigfoot lives on in the densely wooded areas near Yale and Cougar.
Dedicated to Squirrels The Nutty Narrows Bridge has been a Longview landmark for 40 years, and squirrels couldn’t be more grateful. In the 1960s, construction company owner Amos Peters noticed many squirrels being killed by vehicles outside his office on Olympic Way, and he decided to do something about the fatalities. He conceived a Nutty Narrows Bridge that would be engineered to span between the Longview Public Library grounds and the other side of Olympic Way. In 1963, the bridge was hoisted over the road between two trees. The structure, which cost $1,000, was 60 feet wide and fashioned from aluminum and a length of retired fire hose. The bridge was renovated and rededicated in 1983, and the city of Longview adds a small Christmas tree with lights to the center of the bridge during the holidays.
■ Cedar Creek Grist Mill was built in 1876 and is the oldest operating gristmill in Washington State. It has been restored, and mill workers will grind your grain if you bring it. ■ L.A. Dodgers pitcher Jason Schmidt is from Kelso.
SEE MORE ONLINE | For more Fast Facts about Cowlitz County, visit imagescowlitzcounty.com.
COWLITZ CO U NT Y
I M AG E S C O W L I T Z C O U N T Y. C O M
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