Hoquiam, Washington

Hoquiam (/ˈhoʊkwiəm/ HOH-kwee-əm) is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States.

The two cities share a common economic history in lumbering and exporting, but Hoquiam has maintained its independent identity.

Its name comes from a Native-American word meaning "hungry for wood", from the great amount of driftwood at the mouth of the Hoquiam River.

[7] About 10 years later, Captain Asa M. Simpson, a Pacific Coast mariner and businessman in the lumber industry from San Francisco, provided the financing for the Northwestern Mill.

Outside of the mild and dry summer season, rainfall is generally very high and monthly totals of over 20 inches (510 mm) are not unknown.

The white population breaks down as 14.6% American, 13.8% German, 9.6% Irish, 6.8% English and 5.7% Norwegian ancestry.

The main sports team in the town is the Hoquiam High School Grizzlies, the Crimson and Gray.

In 2006, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) changed the enrollment limit for the 2A classification allowing Aberdeen to drop to 2A along with other schools in the area creating a new league.

The old league football rivalry which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2006 was renewed with the 101st meeting between Hoquiam and Aberdeen on October 14.

Since 1981, Hoquiam High School has hosted the largest distance running event on the Washington coast.

They played their home games at Olympic Stadium listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[citation needed] Historically, the city has been home to several Minor League Baseball teams including the Hoquiam Loggers and the Grays Harbor Ports.

The combination of the pump station and levee projects is calculated to eventually remove flood insurance requirements for homeowners and businesses in the neighborhood.

During a January 2022 flood, the rebuilt station pumped a combined 51,000,000 US gallons (190,000,000 L; 42,000,000 imp gal) of water without fail over 30 consecutive hours.

It has a 5,000-foot (1,524 m) runway and a parallel taxiway located on a narrow peninsula extending westward into Grays Harbor.

Hoquiam is also home to dozens of species of migratory birds that nest along the water's edge during the milder months.

Eighth Street, 1884
Hoquiam's Polson Museum occupies the F. Arnold Polson House and Alex Polson Grounds. The museum contains artifacts related to the history of Hoquiam and the region.
Hoquiam's Castle, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Map of Washington highlighting Grays Harbor County