Centralia, Washington
Encyclopedia : C : CE : CEN : Centralia, Washington
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 14,742 at the 2000 census.
History
In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran, coming from Missouri with a young negro slave named George Washington, filed a donation land claim on the townsite. Later, Cochran freed his slave, adopted him as a son, and in 1852 sold him his claim for $6,000. The new owner built a home and filed a plat for the town of Centerville, offering lots for $10 each, with one lot free to buyers who built houses. Centralia was officially incorporated on February 3, 1886.In 1891, the population, over 1,000, found its mail confused with that of another Centerville in the state, and the name of the town was changed to Centralia. (Washington - A guide to the Evergreen State, WPA American Guide Series, Washington State Historical Society, 1941). The city was the site of the infamous Centralia Massacre in 1919. The 1940 population of Centralia was 7,414.
Longtime NBA player Detlef Schrempf attended Centralia High School for two years as an exchange student from the former West Germany (1979-1981), starring in basketball both years.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.3 km² (7.4 mi²). 19.2 km² (7.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.67%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 14,742 people, 5,943 households, and 3,565 families residing in the city. The population density was 768.1/km² (1,990.6/mi²). There were 6,510 housing units at an average density of 339.2/km² (879.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.76% White, 0.44% African American, 1.25% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander, 4.94% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.22% of the population.There were 5,943 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,078, and the median income for a family was $35,684. Males had a median income of $31,595 versus $22,076 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,305. About 13.6% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 110.8% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Although slightly less so than Lewis County as a whole, Centralia is conservative and fairly Republican. The 2004 U.S. Presidential Election result was as follows for incorporated Centralia:- George W. Bush (Republican) - 3,376 (59.48%)
- John F. Kerry (Democrat) - 2,182 (38.44%)
- Ralph Nader (Independent) - 59 (1.04%)
- Michael Badnarik (Libertarian) - 32 (0.56%)
- Other candidates - 27 (0.48%)
Media outlets
Print- Centralia's leading newspaper is [The Chronicle] and is ranked seventeenth in the state based weekday circulation [link] and serves most of Lewis County.
- KCED - 91.3 FM
- [KMNT - 104.3 FM]
- [KACS - 90.5 FM]
- [KITI-FM - 95.1 FM]
External links
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