Hemlock Ranger Station
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) activity at Wind River dates to the earliest years of the agency. The USFS was founded in 1905, and by 1906 Ranger Elias Wigal built the first ranger station on the south side of Trout Creek. One of Wigal’s responsibilities was to oversee timber sales to the Wind River Lumber Company, which had a logging camp just across the creek. The valley surrounding the ranger station had burned in the famous Yacolt Burn of 1902, and this area was included in one of the first timber sales on national forest lands in 1906.
Over the years, additional buildings and residences were added along Chapman Avenue, which became home for generations of USFS employees who worked here. The name was changed from Hemlock Ranger Station to Wind River Ranger Station in 1965. In 1998 the Wind River Ranger District was combined with the adjoining Mt. Adams Ranger District, and most employees were relocated to Trout Lake. Part of the property along Chapman Avenue was transferred to Skamania County to help compensate for the economic losses that resulted from curtailment of USFS activities.
