Naselle is a census-designated place (CDP) in

Pacific County Pacific County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,365. Its county seat is South Bend, and its largest city is Raymond. The county was formed by the government of Oregon Territory in Feb ...

, Washington, United States located about 23 miles (37 km) from the mouth of the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...

. The population was 419 at the 2010 census. The valley's Naselle River flows west into nearby

Willapa Bay Willapa Bay () is a bay located on the southwest Pacific coast of Washington state in the United States. The Long Beach Peninsula separates Willapa Bay from the greater expanse of the Pacific Ocean. With over of surface area Willapa Bay is the ...

and then into the Pacific Ocean. Close about the town lie the evergreen-covered

Willapa Hills The Willapa Hills is a geologic, physiographic, and geographic region in southwest Washington. When described as a physiographical province, the Willapa Hills are bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Columbia River to the south, the Ol ...

. The river's name has been spelled Nasel and Nasal. An early settler along the river called it the Kenebec. The name comes from the Nisal Indians, a Chinookan tribe formerly residing on the river.

History

The community first flourished as a logging town, and logging remains the dominant private industry. Settled primarily by Finnish and Scandinavian immigrants, the community has maintained this cultural heritage despite a declining percentage of traditional family names. Since 1982, Naselle has hosted a "Finnish-American Folk Festival" every other year, and in 2006 co-hosted, with the nearby city of

Astoria, Oregon Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corne ...

, the national festival FinnFest USA.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Naselle has an

Oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 377 people, 160 households, and 110 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 164.6 people per square mile (63.6/km²). There were 184 housing units at an average density of 80.3/sq mi (31.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.57% White, 0.27% African American, 2.12% Native American, 0.53%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 4.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.53% of the population. 33.2% were of Finnish, 10.0%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, 7.9% Irish and 7.5% American ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 160 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.85. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,769, and the median income for a family was $40,250. Males had a median income of $36,875 versus $18,125 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,714. About 4.0% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Jennifer L. Holm Jennifer L. Holm (born June 16, 1968) is an American children's writer, and recipient of three Newbery Honors and the Eisner Award. Biography Holm was born in 1968 in San Diego, California.Random House Speakers Bureau,Jennifer L. Holm. Acces ...

's Newbery Honor-winning novel ''Our Only May Amelia'' is set in pioneer Naselle, then spelled "Nasel", and is based on Holm family documents of life as a

Finnish-American Finnish Americans ( fi, amerikansuomalaiset, ) comprise Americans with ancestral roots from Finland or Finnish people who immigrated to and reside in the United States. The Finnish-American population numbers a little bit more than 650,000. Man ...

frontier family.

Notable people

Oscar Wirkkala Oscar Wirkkala (; October 30, 1880 – January 25, 1959) was a Finnish-American logger and inventor who spent much of his life in the Pacific Northwest. Background Oscar Wirkkala was born in Kaustinen, Finland. His father Abraham and brother Andre ...

, logger and inventor *

Wilho Saari Wilho F. Saari (July 7, 1932 – January 19, 2022) was a Finnish American player of the kantele, the Finnish psaltery. Kreeta Haapasalo, a well-known kantele player in Finland in the 19th century, was his great-great grandmother. His father, Wil ...

, kantele, performer and teacher * Rex Ziak, historian * Tobi Vail, independent musician, music critic and feminist

References