Our History
History
The original inhabitants of the Ridgefield area were a Chinook tribe whose village was located along the banks of Lake River. The Lewis and Clark Expedition visited the area twice, once in 1805 enroute to the Pacific Ocean and once in 1806 on the return voyage. The Chinook Indians stayed until 1876 when they relocated at the mouth of the Lewis River.
In 1840, a young Irish immigrant named James Carty filed the first Land Donation Claim in the area, a portion of which is in what is the present day northern part of Ridgefield's downtown. His nephew, James Carty, visited in 1860 and later settled in the area in 1872. Records indicate that the younger Carty was active in the Democratic Party and his son William Carty was a state representative for the State of Washington for 22 years.
History indicates that Mr. Carty was the only settler until 1853, when Frederick Shobert arrived to homestead 320 acres, which included in the southern portion of the city's current downtown. Most of this homestead was covered with heavy timber and family members say this was the reason that Mr. Shobert selected this land so that he could log the timber.
In the years that followed, more settlers were drawn to the gently sloping land extending from elevated highland to the banks of Lake River. The original name of the community was Union Ridge due to the number of residents originating from the Union Ranks of the Civil War. The name was changed to Ridgefield in 1890 after S. P. Mackay successfully circulated a petition to rename the area and a meeting was called to order to decide the fate.
The Post Office was established in the home of the first Postmaster, Asa Richardson, 1865, and commerce came to Ridgefield in 1882 when Stephen Shobert and J.J. Thompson opened the first store.
At a special election held in 1909 the people decided by a vote of 62-12 in favor of incorporation. The first officials of the City were: James A. Smith, Mayor, Council members N.C. Hall, A. Murray, J.S. Maxson, F.H. Gilbert and Dr. R.S. Stryker. The City Clerk was J.W. Blackburn and the Treasurer was E. A. Blackmore.
The established businesses for the City in 1909, as advertised in the Ridgefield Reflector, were two General Merchandise stores, a Department Store, two Lumber mills, a Water Well Contractor & Driller, two Contractors and Builders, Boat Builder, Meat Market, Hotel, Livery & Draying, Boot & Shoemaker, Creamery, Barber Shop, Blacksmith, Realtor and a Weaver.
Other pioneering families settling in the Ridgefield area were the Wells, Bartel, Meuler and McDonald families. These families, along with the Cartys and Shoberts and other prominent families played an important role in the progress and development of Ridgefield. Descendents of these families still reside in Ridgefield.
History at a glance
- 1840 - James Carty becomes the first settler in the area
- September 15, 1865 - Post Office established
- 1890 - Union Ridge renamed Ridgefield
- 1892 - School opened on Maple Avenue
- 1893 - First telephone installed
- August 20, 1909 - Town of Ridgefield incorporated by a vote of 62-12
- October 8, 1909 - The Ridgefield Reflector started publication (Now operated in Battle Ground)
- February 21, 1910 - Ridgefield State Bank opened on the corner of Main & Pioneer (Now Ridgefield Hardware)
- January 6, 1911 - Eight room school building opened (Now View Ridge Middle School)
- 1913 - Bratlie - McClellen Lumber Mill built
- January 1916 - Electric service established by Bratlie Lumber Company
- December 27, 1916 - The steamboat "City of Ridgefield" was launched for a Ridgefield-Portland run
- May 12, 1928 - The Clark County Potato Growers Associated was organized
- Fall 1945 - L. S. Schoen built the first U-Haul trailer in a tool shed at the Carty Ranch
- April 26, 1946 - Liberty Theatre opened
- 1964 - Pacific Wood Treating Plant opened
- 1975 - Lancaster House placed on National Register of Historic Places
- July 4, 1977 - Abrams Park dedicated in honor of D. K. Abrams