Mason County, Washington

90 topographic sheets cover 44 settlements here, and 16 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

16 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Washington within the United States

Mason County within Washington

What the record shows

523 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
16 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 6 structures, 5 districts and 5 buildings.
The Geographic Names Information System records 44 populated places in this county; 44 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Property	Type	Listed	Reference
Cushman Hydroelectric Project Historic District	district	2015	14001244
Cushman No. 1 Hydroelectric Power Plant	district	1988	88002759
Cushman No. 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant	district	1988	88002757
Ebenezer Congregational Church	building	2018	100002940
Goldsborough Creek Bridge	structure	1982	82004264
Harstine Island Community Hall	building	1989	89000212
High Steel Bridge	structure	1982	82004265
Malaney-O'Neill House	building	2013	12001222
Mason County Courthouse	building	2013	12001160
North Hamma Hamma River Bridge	structure	1982	82004262
Schafer State Park	district	2010	10000255
Shelton Public Library and Town Hall	building	1983	83003348
Simpson Logging Company Locomotive No. 7 and Peninsular Railway Caboose No. 700	structure	1984	84003532
South Hamma Hamma River Bridge	structure	1982	82004263
Twanoh State Park	district	2014	14000614
Vance Creek Bridge	structure	1982	82004266

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

1,035 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 1,035 of them, burning about 7,154 acres. 55 started naturally and 87 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	318
Debris and open burning	196
Recreation and ceremony	169
Arson/incendiarism	87
Fireworks	62
Natural	55
Smoking	40
Equipment and vehicle use	38
Misuse of fire by a minor	37
Power generation/transmission/distribution	18
Other causes	12
Railroad operations and maintenance	3

The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
4 August 2018	Equipment and vehicle use	3,312 acres	Olympic National Forest	MAPLE
25 July 2006	Fireworks	1,100 acres	Olympic National Forest	BEAR GULCH II
19 May 1997	Debris and open burning	594 acres	Washington State Department of Natural Resources Headquarters	not named
4 October 2012	Arson/incendiarism	229 acres	Washington State Department of Natural Resources Headquarters	POWERLINE #2
11 August 2014	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	185 acres	Washington State Department of Natural Resources Headquarters	HAVEN LAKE
31 July 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	107 acres	Washington State Department of Natural Resources Headquarters	DECKERVILLE
26 September 1993	Equipment and vehicle use	104 acres	Washington State Department of Natural Resources Headquarters	not named
15 August 2010	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	84 acres	Washington State Department of Natural Resources Headquarters	RICHERT RD

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1985 to 2025

17 of 17 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 17 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 1 injury and about $18,047,600 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event	Reports
Heavy Rain	8
Flood	5
Lightning	2
Hail	1
Tornado	1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
December 2007	Flood	Potlatch	1 killed, $12,000	The Skokomish at Potlatch reach a record flood stage of 18.12 feet. Two bridges were washed away, one over the Tahuya River and one over Finch creek. All schools in the county were closed monday. Several roads were closed and a few people were evacuated from their homes. A man was swept away in the Tahuya river.
September 2013	Lightning	(Shn)Sanderson Fld S	1 hurt, $2,000	A man was struck by lightning near Shelton. Another bolt struck a tree that then spread into a nearby apartment.
March 1999	Heavy Rain	Lilliwaup	$10,200,000	no account filed
March 1999	Heavy Rain	Hoodsport	$5,000,000	no account filed
January 2009	Flood	Shelton	$900,000	There was flooding along the Skokomish River. Several homes in Shelton flooded, most from local creeks. Several roads in the area were also flooded, including SR 106 and 108.
December 2010	Flood	Skokomish River Near Potlatch	$700,000	All of highway 106 in Mason county was closed due to flooding and mudslides. A foot bridge in the Tahuya State Forest was closed after floods washed out the concrete entry. Several homes were reported flooded in Mason county.
January 2006	Heavy Rain	Countywide	$700,000	no account filed
October 2003	Heavy Rain	Countywide	$300,000	no account filed
October 2019	Tornado (EF1)	Bay Shr	$150,000	Between approximately 6:02 - 6:07 PM on the evening of October 18, a tornado touched down near Shelton in Mason County, Washington and traveled approximately 0.68 miles before moving over the water of Pickering Passage and dissipating as a waterspout. The first video evidence and reports from area fire officials prompted the NWS to send a damage survey team to the area during the afternoon of October 19, 2019. Preliminary evaluation of the damage by the team concluded that the tornado reached an EF-1 rating. The damage path was up to 90 yards in width and the tornado was estimated to be on the ground for approximately 5 minutes.\|\|Fortunately, no injuries were reported with this tornado. Most of the damage was in the form of uprooted or snapped soft wood fir and cedar trees. Falling trees did impact at least two houses along the damage path, including one house that had two trees fall on the roof.
July 1997	Lightning	Belfair	$70,000	Lightning started a fire which destroyed a garage.
January 2021	Flood	Skokomish River Near Potlatch	$8,160	The Skokomish River went above flood stage December 31st, 2020 and stayed above flood stage until January 7, closing roads and cutting off access to the valley. I was above moderate flood at times everyday from January 2nd and the 6th. Urban and small stream flooding occurred as well.
January 2021	Flood	Matlock	$5,440	The Skokomish River exceeded moderate flood stage. Urban and small stream flooding occurred as well.
February 2025	Heavy Rain	Lilliwaup	-	Heavy rainfall of 4.68 inches was recorded at Jefferson Creek, WA.
August 2001	Heavy Rain	Countywide	-	no account filed
November 2001	Heavy Rain	Countywide	-	no account filed
April 1996	Heavy Rain	Hoodsport	-	no account filed
October 1985	Hail	not stated	-	no account filed

Mines and quarries

105 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 105 workings inside this county. 6 still produce and 99 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity	Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction	58
Manganese	31
Stone, Crushed/Broken	7
Iron	6
Copper	4
Phosphorus-Phosphates	2
Limestone, General	2
Manganese, Copper	1
Zinc, Magnesite, Cobalt, Nickel, Silver	1
Manganese, Silver, Nickel, Magnesite, Copper	1
Manganese, Iron	1
Silica, Manganese, Iron, Calcium	1
Magnesite	1
Manganese, Silver, Nickel, Copper	1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
Apex Prospect	Silica, Manganese, Iron, Calcium	Prospect	1940
Black and White	Manganese, Silver, Nickel, Magnesite, Copper	Occurrence	Bementite, Chalcocite, Copper, Cuprite, Malachite, Rhodochrosite, Rhodonite
Black and White Mine	Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Magnesite, Cobalt, Nickel, Silver	Past Producer	Bementite, Chalcocite, Copper, Cuprite, Malachite, Rhodochrosite, Rhodonite
Black and White Mine	Manganese, Silver, Nickel, Copper	Past Producer	1918
Discovery Prospect	Magnesite, Copper	Prospect
Maple Creek Prospect	Barium-Barite, Manganese	Occurrence
Triple Trip	Manganese, Iron	Occurrence	Bementite
India Claim	Manganese, Iron, Phosphorus-Phosphates	Occurrence	Replacement
Lake Cushman Limestone Deposit	Limestone, General	Occurrence
Russian No. 1 Claim	Manganese, Iron, Phosphorus-Phosphates	Occurrence	Replacement
Staircase Deposit	Limestone, General	Occurrence
Arkansas Traveler	Manganese, Copper	Occurrence	Bementite
Black Tail	Copper	Occurrence	Chalcopyrite
Black Tail	Copper	Unknown
Apex	Manganese, Iron	Occurrence	Bementite, Rhodochrosite
Bosnia Claim	Manganese, Iron	Occurrence	Replacement
McKean Claim	Manganese, Iron	Past Producer	1918
Triple Trip Prospect	Manganese, Iron	Past Producer	1910, 1918
Cdc Rock Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
One Two Five Zero Road Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Panhandle Lake Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Quarry 249-7.0	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Tuff Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Unnamed Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Arkansas Traveler	Manganese	Unknown
Black Hump	Manganese	Occurrence	Bementite
Black Hump	Manganese	Past Producer	1924
Black Hump Claim	Manganese	Past Producer	1924
Black Queen	Manganese	Prospect	1942
Black Queen Claims	Manganese	Occurrence	Replacement
Brown Mule Prospect	Manganese	Past Producer	1916
Hi Hope	Manganese	Prospect	1942
Hi Hope Claims	Manganese	Occurrence	Replacement
Jolly Jack	Manganese	Prospect	1951
Jolly Jack Group	Manganese	Occurrence	Replacement
Lucky Jack	Manganese	Unknown
McKean	Manganese	Past Producer
Old Crow	Manganese	Unknown	1951
Old Crow Claim	Manganese	Occurrence	Replacement
Rose Aster	Manganese	Prospect
Rose Aster Claim	Manganese	Occurrence	Replacement
Russian No. 1	Manganese	Unknown	1956
Smith	Manganese	Unknown	1956
Smith Claim	Manganese	Occurrence	Replacement
Steel Creek Prospect	Manganese	Prospect	1956
Widow	Manganese	Unknown	1951
Widow Claim	Manganese	Occurrence	Replacement
Bay Shore Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Bear Creek Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Beekman Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Belair North Shore Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Canal Premix Pit and Plant	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Cascade Tracts	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Central Shop Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Evergreen Materials	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Gravel Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Gravel Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Gravel Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Gravel Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Gravel Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Graves Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Institution Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Lake Isabella Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Lost Lake Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Mason County Landfill Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Mason Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Matlock Area Silica Sand	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence
Matlock Area Silica Sand	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence
Miller Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Overton Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Palmer Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Pit 245-7.5	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Pope & Talbot Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Stewart	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unnamed Quarry	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Will Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer

Every populated place in the county

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Agate

Timber Lake-Harstine Island census division · 98584 · On Campbell Creek · Shelton quadrangle

10 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Allyn

Union-Grapeview census division · 98524 · On Sherwood Creek · Belfair quadrangle

13 sheets, 1938 to 1999
Arcadia

Shelton census division · 98584 · Near Hope Island · Squaxin Island quadrangle

16 sheets, 1937 to 1997
Ayock

West Mason census division · 98555 · On Jorsted Creek · Eldon quadrangle

15 sheets, 1938 to 1988
Ballow

Timber Lake-Harstine Island census division · 98584 · Near McMicken Island · Longbranch quadrangle

15 sheets, 1937 to 1997
Bayshore

Shelton census division · 98584 · On Johns Creek · Shelton quadrangle

10 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Belfair

Belfair-Tahuya census division · 98528 · On Irene Creek · Belfair quadrangle

13 sheets, 1938 to 1999
Brockdale

Union-Grapeview census division · 98584 · Skokomish Valley quadrangle

11 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Carmill Station

Shelton census division · 98584 · On Goldsborough Creek · Shelton quadrangle

10 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Dayton

West Mason census division · 98584 · Near Little Egypt Valley · Shelton Valley quadrangle

8 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Deckerville

West Mason census division · 98541 · Matlock quadrangle

9 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Detroit

Union-Grapeview census division · 98524 · Near Reach Island · Vaughn quadrangle

13 sheets, 1938 to 1991

No longer a settlement
Dewatto

Belfair-Tahuya census division · 98588 · On Dewatto River · Lilliwaup quadrangle

10 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Eldon

West Mason census division · 98555 · On Hamma Hamma River · Eldon quadrangle

15 sheets, 1938 to 1988
Fair Harbor

Union-Grapeview census division · 98524 · Near Reach Island · Vaughn quadrangle

13 sheets, 1938 to 1991
Forbes

Kamilche census division · 98584 · Near Little Skookum Valley · Kamilche Valley quadrangle

9 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Forest Beach

Union-Grapeview census division · 98528 · Lake Wooten quadrangle

14 sheets, 1938 to 1999
Frisken Wye

West Mason census division · 98541 · On Rabbit Creek · Matlock quadrangle

9 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Graham Point

Timber Lake-Harstine Island census division · 98584 · On Jones Creek · Squaxin Island quadrangle

16 sheets, 1937 to 1997
Grant

Timber Lake-Harstine Island census division · 98584 · On Jones Creek · Mason Lake quadrangle

14 sheets, 1938 to 1997
Grapeview

Union-Grapeview census division · 98546 · Near Stretch Island · Vaughn quadrangle

13 sheets, 1938 to 1991
Hamma Hamma

West Mason census division · 98555 · On Jorsted Creek · Eldon quadrangle

15 sheets, 1938 to 1988
Hartstene

Timber Lake-Harstine Island census division · 98584 · On Jarrell Creek · Mason Lake quadrangle

14 sheets, 1938 to 1997
Hoodsport

West Mason census division · 98548 · On Finch Creek · Hoodsport quadrangle

10 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Kamilche

Kamilche census division · 98584 · On Little Skookum Creek · Shelton quadrangle

10 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Lilliwaup

West Mason census division · 98555 · On Lilliwaup Creek · Lilliwaup quadrangle

10 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Little Hoquiam

Union-Grapeview census division · 98546 · On Schumacher Creek · Mason Lake quadrangle

14 sheets, 1938 to 1997
Marmac

Kamilche census division · 98584 · Near Little Skookum Valley · Kamilche Valley quadrangle

9 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Matlock

West Mason census division · 98541 · On Dry Creek · Matlock quadrangle

9 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Mohrweis

West Mason census division · 98584 · On North Fork Skokomish River · Skokomish Valley quadrangle

11 sheets, 1943 to 1988
New Kamilche

Kamilche census division · 98584 · On Kennedy Creek · Summit Lake quadrangle

10 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Oakland

Shelton census division · 98584 · Near Johns Prairie · Shelton quadrangle

10 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Potlatch

West Mason census division · 98584 · On No Name Creek · Hoodsport quadrangle

10 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Rose Point

Union-Grapeview census division · 98528 · On Little Mission Creek · Belfair quadrangle

13 sheets, 1938 to 1999
Shelton

Shelton census division · 98584 · On Shelton Creek · Shelton quadrangle

10 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Skokomish

Skokomish Reservation census division · 98584 · In Skokomish Valley · Skokomish Valley quadrangle

11 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Stimson

Kamilche census division · 98584 · Kamilche Valley quadrangle

9 sheets, 1939 to 1988
Sunbeach

Belfair-Tahuya census division · 98528 · On Stimson Creek · Lake Wooten quadrangle

14 sheets, 1938 to 1999
Sunset Beach

Union-Grapeview census division · 98528 · On Stimson Creek · Lake Wooten quadrangle

14 sheets, 1938 to 1999
Tahuya

Belfair-Tahuya census division · 98588 · On Tahuya River · Union quadrangle

10 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Triton

West Mason census division · 98555 · Holly quadrangle

17 sheets, 1936 to 1992
Union

Union-Grapeview census division · 98592 · Near Skokomish Flats · Union quadrangle

10 sheets, 1943 to 1988
Victor

Union-Grapeview census division · 98528 · On Sherwood Creek · Belfair quadrangle

13 sheets, 1938 to 1999
Walkers Landing

Timber Lake-Harstine Island census division · 98546 · On Hiawata Creek · Mason Lake quadrangle

14 sheets, 1938 to 1997

The vanished settlements of Mason County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.