Толедо, Вашингтон: История и Население

Toledo is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 631 at the 2020 census.

The area underwent several names during its beginnings, including Plomondon's Landing, Warbassport, and Cowlitz Landing, changing roughly once a decade during the mid 1800s. The moniker of Toledo was given in the 1870s and was named by Celeste Rochon after a pioneer side wheel paddle steamer operated by Captain Oren Kellogg of the Kellogg Transportation Company. The boat traveled the Cowlitz River. Toledo was officially incorporated on October 10, 1892.

Simon Plomondon (or Plamondon), an employee of the Hudson Bay Company, settled in the area in 1820, taking up a donation land claim, marrying a Cowlitz Indian chief's (Chief Schanewah) daughter Thas e muth (Veronica) and becoming the first white man to settle in what would later be known as Southwest Washington. Their first child was born in what would become Toledo in 1821. The early inhabitancy was not the first non Indigenous settlement in the area, as the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company opened and maintained the Cowlitz Farm in 1839, near Toledo.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.40 square miles (1 km2), all of it land.

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Toledo has a warm summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

As of the 2000 census, there were 653 people, 265 households, and 182 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,947.3 people per square mile (741.5/km2). There were 283 housing units at an average density of 843.9 per square mile (321.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.26% White, 0.61% African American, 2.30% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 1.53% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.90% of the population. 18.9% were of American, 13.7% German, 9.9% Irish, 8.0% English and 5.7% Dutch ancestry. 97.5% spoke English and 2.5% Spanish as their first language. There were 265 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,271, and the median income for a family was $31,833. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $19,271 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,483. About 9.3% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

The residents of Toledo hold an annual "Big Toledo Community Meeting", or known locally as the "Big Meeting", to discuss ideas and plans for future events, to be informed of current projects within the town, and to hear about updates by local community and charitable organizations. The meeting began in 2011 as a way to invigorate the town after a large fire devastated a downtown historic building. Recent festivals and celebrations, such as a Santa Quad Parade and the New Year's Eve Giant Cheese Ball Drop, were developed based on proposals from the meeting.

Toledo celebrates the city's dairy farming history by hosting an annual Cheese Days festival, usually held in July. The festival began after the opening of a new cheese processing plant in 1919. A fire in 1945 decimated the factory but the yearly ceremonies continued. The Mt. St. Helens Bluegrass Festival is held annually in the city and features performances from bluegrass musicians from around the United States, including Appalachia and the Pacific Northwest. The festival is also known for its bluegrass quilting room. First debuting in 1984, the weekend event is usually held in August.

Gospodor Monument Park, a now closed but roadside attraction park, is near the city and is viewable from I 5. The park consists of sculptures on tall plinths and smaller memorials.

Toledo institutes a five person city council that oversees economic and legislative matters, and an elected mayor that maintains daily oversight of the city and government staff.

Public education is provided by the Toledo School District, which serves both the City of Toledo and surrounding population. Campuses for students in elementary, middle, and high school are named after the city. The first school in Toledo was called the OK School. It was a one room schoolhouse. Most of the kids that lived out of the town limits had to ride a boat across the river to and from school until the bridge was built. The school district consolidated 33 separate one room schools in 1922. The school system mascot was the "Indians", a moniker that would exist for a century. Expansive construction of the new Toledo High School began in February 2020 and opened in autumn 2021. The school is built around the original gymnasium and features artwork honoring the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. The $25 million construction project was completed in April 2022 followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony, unveilings of Native American artworks, and a performance by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe Drum Group. In 2021, the school district, required by a Washington state law banning Native American mascots and imagery enacted that year, changed its nickname to the Riverhawks.

The Toledo boy's baseball team won the Central 2B League state title in 2016.