[1] The community, located around Packwood Creek and near Kopiah, Washington, was built after the creation of the Centralia Eastern rail line, which terminated at the site.

[2] The community was formed by 1907[3] and a post office called Mendota was established in 1909, which remained in operation until 1923.

[5] Mendota peaked with a total of approximately 60 homes in the town and 200 employees of the coal company.

A large fire in 1926 shut down the plant[3] and by the 1950s, Mendota was considered a former community, and the area supported a lone sheep ranch.

[2] Despite renewed hope of reviving Mendota after findings of additional coal beds in 1951, the community became a ghost town and was a site for the placement of a Pacific Power & Light steam-powered plant in 1969.