Mist 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
Columbia County,
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
, United States. Formerly called Riverside, the place was renamed in 1888 for the atmospheric conditions of the
Nehalem Valley.
The first land claims in the area had been made circa 1870.
The original Riverside post office was closed in 1975.
[
]
Background
On July 6, 2001, the Mist store, which was built in 1874, caught fire and was destroyed. Until then, it was the oldest continuously operating business in Oregon, offering food and hardware and displaying historic newspaper clippings and antique logging equipment on the walls.
Mist is a crossroads community where Oregon Route 47 turns north to Clatskanie, and a pioneer trail (Burn Road) crossed the Nehalem River and went south to Vernonia
''Vernonia'' is a genus of about 350 species of forbs and shrubs in the Daisy family Asteraceae. Some species are known as ironweed. Some species are edible and of economic value. They are known for having intense purple flowers. There have been ...
. It is the eastern terminus of Oregon Route 202. The Nehalem River valley widens between Mist and Jewell and was favored by the Native American tribes of the area for hunting; it was later favored by early European American settlers for agriculture. Although the area is now sparsely settled, it is notable for having the largest operating sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
in Columbia County and also geological conditions lending themselves to natural gas storage
Natural gas is a commodity that can be stored for an indefinite period of time in natural gas storage facilities for later consumption.
Usage
Gas storage is principally used to meet load variations. Gas is injected into storage during periods o ...
. Mist contains one of the very few, and therefore very valuable, natural gas storage areas in the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...
. It operates unobtrusively on a hill near Mist. It is controlled by NW Natural (formerly Northwest Natural Gas) and is connected by several pipelines, including a and a pipeline along the Nehalem Highway.Northwest Natural 2006 Annual report
/ref>
Earlier in the 20th century, Mist had a logging camp
A logging camp (or lumber camp) is a transitory work site used in the logging industry. Before the second half of the 20th century, these camps were the primary place where lumberjacks would live and work to fell trees in a particular area. Many ...
next to a railroad used by the Kerry Timber and Logging Company. The remains of the camp were discovered in 2008 and 2009.[ Though still important in terms of logging, the population today is sparse, and there is no longer a railroad.
]
Gallery
SnowyNightInMist.jpg, Panorama of a snowy night in Mist, taken early 2006.
References
External links
History of Mist from VanNatta ForestryMist Elementary SchoolHistoric photos of Mist from Salem Public Library
{{authority control
Energy storage projects
Unincorporated communities in Columbia County, Oregon
Unincorporated communities in Oregon