The Ghost Town of Winlock Oregon is named after Winlock W. Steiwer, who’s decedents still live in the area. His nephew was a United States Senator, while he served in the Oregon Senate. Winlock got a post office in 1888 due to his influence and was named after him. Unfortunately he became part the Oregon land fraud scandal and was indicted in 1905.
The nearest large towns are Spray and Fossil, neither of which are exactly booming metropolises either. The town does boast a fairly new volunteer fire station, and another nearby building that had a sign saying “Come on in,” but still seemed to be either empty or closed when I looked in the door. The road to Winlock has several nice old farms though, with interesting barns and sheds in various states of disrepair. Several signs warn that Deer, Elk, and Cattle all have the right of way.
The town does have a well marked if quite over-grown cemetery, but the gate was locked shut.
Winlock (/wɪnlək/) is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,472 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 2,515 in 2024.
It was named after territorial army general, William Winlock Miller, who briefly resided there.
reflecting its former status as a major producer of eggs Early in its history, Winlock attracted many immigrants from Finland, Germany, and Sweden.
This city honors a long-forgotten business that once supported both the city and its neighbors by hosting an annual downtown parade. While the parade doesn’t bring in business or create long-term jobs, it provides a day of fun and enjoyment that takes a year to prepare for.
Isn’t it time to celebrate the American Dream and bring business capital back to this city?
Karens are a
3 WAYS LEADERS CAN TRANSFORM THEIR COMMUNITIES
Here are some tangible steps leaders can take to reinvent their communities and turn them into places where any company would want to relocate.
1. Recognize the importance of locally owned businesses
It’s proven that the majority of money spent at local businesses stays local. For every $100 spent at local shops, $68 stays in the community to support local families and develop further business. That same 100 bucks spent at a chain store gives back just $43.
Acknowledging and giving credit to the real benefits of local business is a first step toward rebuilding and strengthening a community. When local business flourishes, it has a direct and meaningful impact on the fabric of the community. A town that is thriving is more attractive to companies — and more able to withstand the fallout if a company leaves.
2. Consider the value of incentivizing companies
When trying to recruit and fill their localities with new business, community leaders must take the time to evaluate opportunities. Not all companies will be the right additions to a community — the stronger candidates, for example, are the companies already dedicated to hiring a significant local workforce in high-demand industries.
These opportunities will be worth welcoming, pursuing and providing the right incentive structure for if they deliver on the expectations of significant growth. When there is only so much money and real estate to go around, it’s important to make sure the investments being made are wise choices for the longevity of the town.
3. Look beyond standard metrics of talent
So much raw talent exists in their local community already that business leaders don’t need to look elsewhere to find talent in a burgeoning labor market. Many employers tend to be attached to the traditional methods of evaluating talent: They pore obsessively over resumes and qualifications while ignoring the other important qualities — critical thinking, work ethic, and emotional intelligence — that are needed for a person to actually succeed in a given role.
Technology has made the process for finding and hiring easier and historically proven methods, like aptitude assessments, more accessible. By uncovering the natural talents of their workforce, local employers and communities will have a holistic view of workforce capability across multiple industry sectors. Therefore, if a community’s cornerstone employer leaves or goes out of business, the community can quickly reskill its workforce to attract new industry.
A community drained of its local economy is a heartbreaking sight, but if leaders can tap into the talent that already thrives in their neighborhood, a new economy can be created. This is how technology enables small towns to be more competitive when attracting industry.
Mostly because of the leaders. The last good leader who did anything notable for this city was Donald Bradshaw, whom the city council, along with the local newspaper, Lewic County News, collaborated over the years to remove. He eventually suffered a heart attack brought on by the stress from the council and the local news editor.
At the moment, there isn’t. This city has nearly eliminated any chance of survival due to the elected individuals locally known as the "Squad of Karens", a group of mostly women who want to keep this city stuck as a Peyton Place with an annual egg day parade and no business future from the gold mine known as I-5.
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