Randle, Washington

Randle is a small town in eastern Lewis County, Washington, United States. Randle is located on U.S. Route 12 and is notable as the northeastern access point to the Mount St. Helens Windy Ridge viewpoint, by way of forest service roads that cut through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Randle, Washington
Unincorporated community
Randle is located in Washington (state)
Randle
Randle
Randle is located in the United States
Randle
Randle
Coordinates: 46°32′07″N 121°57′26″W
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyLewis
Elevation
892 ft (272 m)
Time zoneUTC−8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98377
Area code360
GNIS feature ID1524864[1]

Randle is located next to the Cowlitz River and is about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the Cispus River, a tributary of the Cowlitz. The Cowlitz River winds westward through a rural valley in Randle known locally as "Big Bottom Valley," which is reflective of the fact that the valley floor, in certain areas, is "big". The flat, fertile land is, in places, more than 3 miles (4.8 km) wide.

Etymology

An 1889 petition to open a post office for the community was created by an early settler of the area, James Randles, but it lacked a town name in the paperwork. Due to a clerical decision by the then existing rules of the Washington Territory, the surname of Randles (excluding the "s") was determined as the moniker for the town.[2]

History

William Joerk explored in the area around 1882 and the townsite was officially founded in 1902.[3] One of the first to settle the town was James L. Randles in 1886 who helped deliver mail in the site's infancy and would spearhead the creation of a post office. Randles would pass away in 1920 and be buried in Centralia due to winter conditions at the time of his death. In 2023, his body was ceremoniously reburied next to family members in a Randle cemetery.[2]

The White Pass High School was built in 1951. In 2011, it was demolished and built into a new school.

The rapper and songwriter, Lil Mosey, was found not guilty of rape stemming from a 2021 charge of sexual assault that took place in the community. The incident was reported to have happened in 2020. A trial and acquittal of the musician took place at the Lewis County courthouse in Chehalis in early 2023.[4]

Geography

Randle is the center of the White Pass School District, which, in addition to Randle, covers the small towns of Glenoma, Washington, and Packwood, Washington (its school district jurisdiction includes a vast rural expanse in extreme eastern Lewis County, terminating at the Cascade Mountains and the county border with Yakima County). The community of Randle is located within Census Tract 9719 of Lewis County.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Randle has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[5]

Economy

In 2019, Crystal Geyser Water Company purchased property in Randle and proposed the construction of a water bottling plant. The proposal drew extensive opposition from local residents who were concerned about damage to the Cowlitz River watershed and industrialization of the area.[6] In 2022, Lewis County PUD authorized a deal to acquire the property from Crystal Geyser to expand the adjacent campground and wilderness areas along the Cowlitz River.[7]

Politics
Presidential Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020[8] 67.95% 689 30.67% 311 1.39% 14

Note that the voting information is based on the Randle East and Randle West precincts only. As this is an unincorporated community, there are no defined bounds, and the precinct may be incongruous with the census boundaries.

The 2020 election included votes for candidates of the Libertarian Party and Green Party.

Infrastructure

The community is among 8 locations that are part of an EV installation project on the White Pass Scenic Byway. The program will stretch from the White Pass Ski Area to Chehalis and is run in partnership with Lewis County PUD, Twin Transit, state government agencies, and local community efforts. The venture began in 2023 from two grants totaling over $1.8 million.[9]

References
  1. "Randle". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. Sexton, Owen (July 10, 2023). "Randle's Civil War Veteran Founder Reburied in Town He Established, 102 Years After Death". The Chronicle. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  3. Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.
  4. Fitzgerald, Emily (March 2, 2023). "Jury Finds Rappers 'Lil Mosey' and 'Band Kid Jay' Not Guilty in Lewis County Rape Case". The Chronicle. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  5. Climate Summary for Randle, Washington
  6. Brown, Alex (June 14, 2019). "Crystal Geyser Bottling Proposal Draws Fierce Opposition in Randle". The Chronicle. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  7. "East County Journal". Devaul Publishing. July 6, 2022.
  8. "Lewis County 2020 Election". Results.Vote.WA. Results.Vote.WA. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  9. The Chronicle staff (March 7, 2023). "Construction Begins on U.S. Highway 12 Electric Vehicle Charging Station Network". The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington). Retrieved June 21, 2023.
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