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"When the [Traveler] reached the landing at La Camas with flags flying, she was greeted with an anvil salute, under the management of Mr. Albins, the blacksmith. A considerable of a crowd were at the landing ... A carriage, the only one in the village, was kindly provided for the ladies on board and the entire party proceeded to the hotel where a sumptuous dinner awaited them. After the dinner ... visitors were taken over the grounds and shown all the attractions of the colony." - The Standard Newspaper, Portland, July 17, 1884, describing the settling of Camas.
Tucked away on the Columbia River, about 20 miles west of Portland, is the unusual town of Camas. According to residents, it was named affectionately after the delicate blue camas lily, a native plant. Yet the town's origins, like those of so many along the Columbia River, began with an entirely different discovery: the lucrative benefits of the lumber industry. In this case, the mill that started in 1883 was not to ship lumber, but supply the Portland newspaper, the Oregonian, with the resources it needed to publish. The mill did, and eventually set the stage for an even more successful paper industry. Through thick and thin, depression and recession, what eventually became the Georgia-Pacific plant maintained the integrity of the town for more than 60 years, until the 1990s. These days, Camas has been remade the face of this former pioneer town thanks to a booming economy, converting Camas to an appealing residential suburb within reach of the Portland metropolitan area. That's not to say that moving to Camas is like moving to Portland. Like all Northwest towns that are finding themselves progressively pulled into the outer boundaries of large cities, Camas has its own distinct personality and sees itself first and foremost as a fiercely independent town, fortunate enough to be upriver from the big city.
Finding places to rent in Camas, coziest of burgs, won't be a walk in the park
