Laughlin Round Barn

The Toutle River is a 17.2-mile (27.7 km) tributary of the Cowlitz River in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises in two forks merging near Toutle below Mount St. Helens and joins the Cowlitz near Castle Rock, 20 miles (32 km) upstream of the larger river's confluence with the Columbia River.The river was altered by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a nearby volcano, and subsequent flows of ash and other debris. It was further altered by dredging to remove sediment, and by construction of the Toutle River Sediment Retention Structure on the North Fork Toutle River.

Olequa, also known as Olequah, is an unincorporated community in Cowlitz County, Washington. Olequa is located north of the city of Castle Rock on the west bank of the Cowlitz River. Olequa is accessed by traveling 7.5 miles (12.1 km) north on West Side Highway from Castle Rock. The Olequa community is part of the Castle Rock School District, a K-12 school district of about 1,300 students. A post office called Olequa was established in 1875, and remained in operation until 1912. Olequa is a name derived from an Indian language.

Castle Rock High School is a rural public high school in Castle Rock, Washington.

The Ben Olsen House is a private, historic residence located in Vader, Washington. The home has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1976. Along with the Grace Evangelical Church of Vader, the home is one of two NRHP-listed sites in the city. The residence was built in the early 1900s for Ben Olsen, a prominent lumberman in the community. The 3,500-square-foot (330 m2) home is considered mostly unaltered and boasts a variety of architectural styles, such as Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, and Victorian. The most notable features are its roofline, large veranda, and a turret. The Ben Olsen House, known locally as "The Mansion", was a symbol of wealth and prosperity during the peak timber years of the town of Vader, then known as Little Falls. The house was the first residence in the community to use electricity. The Ben Olsen House remains the only Queen Anne style architecture home in Vader.

Castle Rock is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. Located between the Willapa Hills and the western base of Mount St. Helens, Castle Rock is at the heart of Washington timber country in the Pacific temperate rain forest. Castle Rock is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area; the population was 2,446 as of the 2020 census.

Grace Evangelical Church of Vader, also known as Grace United Methodist Church of Vader, is a historic Methodist church in Vader, Washington. Added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2003, the church is one of two NRHP-listed sites in the city, along with the Ben Olsen House. The church and congregation have undergone several name changes due to mergers between religious affiliations and districts. The most widely used, and current name, Grace United Methodist Church of Vader, has been in existence since 1969. After residents in what was then known as Little Falls formed an Evangelical mission in 1891, the Late Victorian Gothic church was constructed by local craftsmen in 1902. The land was donated, with the express condition the grounds be used to build a house of worship. Open to parishioners of various cultures and heritages, the structure was often too small to accommodate crowds attending services; an annex was built in the 1930s to alleviate the issue. At the time of its national historic designation, the structure was considered slightly altered but remaining mostly true to the overall historic footprint and style of the church. A belfry, altered from remodeling efforts during the Great Depression, is located on the façade and contains an original cast iron bell. Stained glass windows in Gothic style provide light to the sanctuary that features beaver board ceilings and walls. The interior also includes a balcony, a classroom, narthex, and vestibule. Religious services have remained uninterrupted since the church was built. Grace United Methodist Church of Vader is considered as possibly one of the last remaining buildings in Vader that was constructed at the dawn of the 20th century.

Vader is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The community began in the 1870s and was known under several different names during its early years. Vader was most recognizably known as Little Falls, after a waterfall on nearby Olequa Creek, until an official name change to Vader in 1913. The city's moniker has remained an issue, with unsuccessful votes held in the 21st century to convert back to Little Falls. Incorporated under the name of Little Falls in 1906, the early town grew largely out of logging and clay manufacturing at the turn of the 20th century, growing to a population that was reported to have reached as high as 5,000 people, despite census records failing to support the numbers. The city became known as Vader, after an American Civil War veteran and resident, in 1913. In the 1910s, several fires decimated the sawmill and factory industries of the community which led to a decades-long decline to Vader's population and economy. By the 2000s, a lack of funding closed the local school and educational district. In the 21st century, community efforts have been undertaken to rejuvenate the economic conditions of the city. Several projects began to highlight the logging history of Vader as well as showcase historic buildings, such as Old City Jail, and two National Register of Historic Places structures, the Ben Olsen House and Grace Evangelical Church of Vader. Two parks were created and the community has continued to hold an annual May Day Festival, first begun in the 1950s. According to the 2020 census, Vader's population rebounded to a level not recorded since 1910.

Arkansas Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Washington.Arkansas Creek was named after the state of Arkansas, the native home of a large share of the first settlers.

KLYK (94.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Top 40 format. Licensed to Kelso, Washington, United States, the station is currently owned by Bicoastal Media Licenses IV, LLC and features programming from Premiere Networks and Westwood One. The station focuses on Today's Best Music with the slogan "Southwest Washington's Hit Music Channel."

Sandy Bend is an unincorporated community in Cowlitz County, Washington, south of the city of Castle Rock, west of Washington State Route 411, and to the west of the Cowlitz River. Sandy Bend is located along or near Sandy Bend Road between Castle Rock and West Side Highway. The Sandy Bend community is part of the Castle Rock School District, a K-12 school district of about 1,300 students.

Seaquest State Park is a public recreation area located on the western flank of Silver Lake in Cowlitz County, Washington. The 505-acre (204 ha) state park is home to the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, which offers displays on the Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption of 1980. Mount St. Helens itself is 30 miles (48 km) east of the park.

Pleasant Hill is an unincorporated community in Cowlitz County, Washington, south of the city of Castle Rock. Pleasant Hill is located along or near Pleasant Hill Road between Castle Rock and Ostrander. The northern end of Pleasant Hill community is part of the Castle Rock School District, while the southern end is part of the Kelso School District.