Below is my best answer to a question I found at Yahoo Answers regarding my hometown of Centralia, Washington. I kind of got carried away but what can I say, I guess I have some hometown pride.
…originally called Centerville, was founded in 1852 by George Washington, a young African American man who was formerly a Missouri slave.
Centralia is centrally located between Seattle, WA and Portland, OR. It lies approximately 85 miles from Seattle and 90 miles from Portland. It is the heart of Southwestern Washington and is the also known as Hub City by many locals and oldtimers.
POPULATION:
2000 census lists 14,742 residents (current estimates are about 22,700).
AVERAGE WEATHER
Winter: 35-50 Degrees Fahrenheit
Summer: 63-76 Degrees Fahrenheit
Yearly rainfall: 53 inchesYearly sunny days: 136
BEST SCHOOLS:
Edison Elementary
Centralia High school.
Centralia College is the oldest continuously operating community college in Washington State. It was founded in 1925.
SPORTS IS KING:
Centralia and surrounding Lewis County towns are often host to many local high school sporting events. In addition, various current and former Centralia residents have made careers in sports. Of note are CFL offensive lineman Calvin Armstrong, MLB outfielder Bob Coluccio, NBA fame Detlef Schrempf, Pittsburgh Pirate’s Lyle Overbay, and Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard. Centralia also plays a big part as the halfway point in the 200 mile bicycle run aptly named Seattle to Portland.
THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA:
Small but growing town with many amenities surrounded by mostly rural farming land and thickly forested evergreen woods yet easily accessible by Interstate-5. Close to Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens with endless hiking trails and breathtaking natural scenery. Take Old Pacific Highway 99 (now the Jackson Highway) southeast where it crosses Interstate-5 and quickly find yourself in old downtown Centralia. Here you can explore various new shops or choose from one of the over 30 unique shops on “antique row”. Enjoy a cup of locally roasted coffee and a grilled panini at Santa Lucia and get lost in a favorite book or browse the internet on complimentary wi-fi. Catch a $3 movie at McMenamin’s Olympic Club and shoot some pool and sample Hamerhead Ale while waiting for the show to start. Visit the Historic Fox Theater, “The finest playhouse between Portland and Seattle” that opened in 1930 and showcased popular films and newsreels of the day. Currently it is in the process of being renovated back to its original 1930’s glory and is host to various old time picture shows and community events. Stroll downtown crossing cobblestone avenues underneath maple and cherry trees and shop the local farmers market held Fridays, May thru September. Don’t forget to take in the view with over a dozen historic murals throughout downtown or visit one of Centralia’s more than 15 beautiful parks, trails, and outdoor areas of interest scattered throughout. Depending on the seasons you may join locals swimming at local rivers, spotting northwest wildlife, or perhaps go rockhounding. If your in the mood for more shopping head about a mile northwest of downtown towards Interstate-5 to the other side of town and visit Centralia Factory Outlets. Here you will find many big town favorites like Aéropostale, Bass, Billabong, Coach, Eddie Bauer, Helly Hansen, Lane Bryant, Nike Clearance, Polo Ralph Lauren, Quiksilver, Van Heusen, VF Outlet, and much more. Since you’ll be in the area take a load ofF and eat some great food at Country Cousins, one of the best dining spots in Southwest Washington. Stick around Centralia a while and check out some of the following community events:
- Home and Garden Show - March
- McMenamin’s Olympic Club Brewfest - April
- 4th of July Parade, Fireworks Show, and Demolition Derby - July
- Plains, Trains, and Automobiles (formerly Krazy Dayz) - August
- Southwest Washington Fair - August
- Hub City Carshow - August
- Santa Parade - December
- Girls Night Out (extended shopping hours, featuring prize drawings and special offers at the many unique shops - Throughout the year
REFERENCED LOCATIONS AND EVENTS:
http://www.centralia.k12.wa.us/chs/site/default.asp
http://www.centralia.edu/index.html
http://www.cityofcentralia.com/Directory.asp
http://www.santaluciaroasters.com/
http://www.mcmenamins.com/1282-olympic-club-pub-home
http://www.centraliafoxtheatre.com/
http://www.lewiscountyfarmersmarket.org/index.html
http://www.cityofcentralia.com/Page.asp?NavID=430
http://centraliafactoryoutlet.com/
http://ramblinrestaurants.com/country-cousin-restaurant.html
http://www.chamberway.com/calendar/
http://southwestwashingtonfair.net/
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