Heisson is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Clark County, Washington.
Heisson lies just north of
Battle Ground Lake State Park
Battle Ground Lake State Park is a public recreation area located northeast of the city of Battle Ground, Washington. The state park is covered by an evergreen forest located around a crater lake of volcanic origin. The park is managed by the Wa ...
, south of the
East Fork Lewis River, and northeast of
Battle Ground, Washington. It consists of a combined general store and post office, along with several houses. Among these houses is the
Henry Heisen House, which is listed on the
. The post office is located adjacent to a crossing for the historic
Chelatchie Prairie Railroad
The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad is a heritage railroad in Yacolt, Washington. Formerly a Northern Pacific branchline and operated by the Longview, Portland and Northern Railway for many years, in the 1980s and 1990s the line went through a numbe ...
.
History
The area was named after German immigrant Alexander Heisen, and the "Heisson" spelling commonly used today is considered by some to be in error. Heisen and his family homesteaded in the area in 1866. The post office was founded in 1904, and Heisen granted land to the government for logging in exchange for having the post office named after him. However, the postal service recorded the name as "Heisson," and it was recorded as thus on maps. Only the railroad retained use of the "Heisen" spelling. Current general store and post office signage, as well as current maps, use the modified spelling.
Heisen's son built a home in the area, which is known as the
Henry Heisen House and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. The house is currently owned by Heisen House Vineyards.
The town flourished until 1923, when the timber was depleted and workers from the Ryan and Allen Mill, located across the
East Fork Lewis River, began to move away.
References
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Unincorporated communities in Clark County, Washington
Unincorporated communities in Washington (state)