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Nesika, Washington

Nesika’s schoolhouse, date unknown. Nesika was founded by settlers on the traditional homelands of the Cowlitz people, and was reputedly named after the Indigenous word for the place, which translates to “our, us, we” in the Chinook Jargon trade language. The Riffe Valley, where Nesika was located, was home to wheat, clover, and fruit farms, lumber mills, and logging operations. A post office opened in 1898, and served the town until 1934. Nesika was known for a “balanced rock” that sat east of the Nesika Bridge. In 1968, Mossyrock Dam inundated the community.