Montesano

History

According to Edwin Van Syckle, a portion of the present-day town of Montesano was first platted in 1870 by Samuel Henry Williams, who purchased land in what was known as Wedcalf Prairie, named after the early settler William Medcalf. At about the same time, surveyor Charles Newton Byles bought a farm from Walter King on the present-day site of Montesano on April 9, 1870, and later platted three blocks on the west side of Main Street. The town of Montesano was born, but it was not incorporated until November 26, 1883, by the Washington Territorial Legislature. The people of Chehalis County voted to move the county seat to the platted town of Montesano in 1886, and the Scammon home was then known as South Montesano.

Geography

Montesano is on the north slope of the Chehalis River valley, near the confluence of the Wynoochee River and Chehalis River. The town is bordered on the north by Lake Sylvia and on the west by Sylvia Creek. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and are water. This region experiences warm (but not hot) and relatively dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above and very wet autumns and springs due to the maritime winds. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Montesano is in a region of oceanic climate, abbreviated Cfb on climate maps due to frequent summer rainfall, even though there is a significant drying trend during that season. The summer highs are hotter than in Aberdeen courtesy of its inland position. This also renders frequent but most often minor frosts in winter, with the climate retaining a significant maritime influence.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  2,405
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,248
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  2,159
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,853
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,560
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,442
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,354
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,285

Most recent

• M 2.84 — 2026-05-27
  4 km W of Wauna, Washington
• M 2.86 — 2026-03-11
  2 km W of Home, Washington
• M 2.6 — 2026-01-25
  1 km ENE of Enetai, Washington
• M 2.82 — 2025-12-25
  5 km W of Gorst, Washington
• M 2.65 — 2025-12-19
  5 km WSW of Pe Ell, Washington
• M 2.84 — 2025-10-09
  21 km NW of Hoodsport, Washington