Mural Unveiling Part of Columbia County’s 150 Year Celebration

The year is 2025—and Columbia County is turning 150! In 1875, Columbia County officially came into existence after a successful effort to separate from the expansive Walla Walla County, which at the time stretched all the way to the Idaho border. While an initial attempt to form a new county in 1869 failed, a second effort in 1875 succeeded, and on or around November 29 of that year, Columbia County was born. Originally extending to the Idaho state line, the eastern portion later became Garfield County in 1881. Now, 150 years later, we’re celebrating a legacy shaped by generations of resilience, progress, and community spirit.

To mark this milestone, the Port of Columbia, at the request of the Columbia County Commissioners, is leading a broad coalition of partners in organizing a countywide year-long celebration. The planning committee includes representatives from Columbia County, Port of Columbia, City of Dayton, Town of Starbuck, Dayton Chamber of Commerce, Dayton Development Task Force, Blue Mountain Heritage Society, Dayton Historic Depot Society, Dayton School District, Starbuck School District, Touchet Valley Arts Council, Columbia County Fair Association, Historic Dayton Days, Columbia County Rural Library Association, Dayton Alumni Association, and the Dayton Chronicle. Together, the committee proudly adopted the theme: “Columbia County – 150 Years of Heritage and Heart.”

The keystone event will be a community Sesquicentennial Celebration on October 4th. Part of that celebration includes the unveiling of a new mural commissioned by the committee working on the event as their legacy gift to the community. The mural, funded by the Dayton Development Task Force and the Wildhorse Foundation, represents the movement of Dayton from its storied past into a bright future. Details on the event included below.

Our celebration kicked off at Historic Dayton Days over Memorial Day weekend with the unveiling of the Sesquicentennial logo being presented in the annual parade. Committee members created a “Walk Through History” parade entry featuring the logo and historical elements including a horse and carriage ferrying the current County Commissioners, a restored antique tractor and a modern piece of farm equipment. The Columbia County Fair Association also participated with their annual community float tailored to the Sesquicentennial featuring the logo and the 2025 Fair Hostesses (Royalty).

Committee members have also participated with displays in All Wheels Weekend Car Show in June and the annual Alumni gathering in July, and the Columbia County Fair went all out, embracing the theme Columbia County, 150 Years of Heritage and Heart and centering fair activities around this special anniversary.

The Sesquicentennial Legacy Event, set for October 4th, invites everyone to take part in a vibrant day of history, community, and celebration.

Schedule of Events

    • 10 am – 3 pm – Art Walk by the Blue Mountain Artists
      Moose Creek Café & Bakery, Dayton Historic Depot, Locally Nourished
    • 11 am – Opening Ceremony
      Dayton Historic Depot, 222 E Commercial: Local, State, and Federal Dignitaries arrive by Stagecoach to open the event
    • 11 am – 4 pm – Tours of the “Abraham Lincoln” Pullman Railroad Car
      On the tracks next to the Dayton Historic Depot
    • 11:30 am – 1:30 pm – Meet-Your-Neighbor “Chuckwagon” Lunch by The Q
      Dayton Historic Depot: Free (Quantity is Limited). Tickets are required and may be picked up at the Dayton Chronicle,Liberty Theater, – Dayton Chamber, Locally Nourished, Dayton School District Office,Dayton Hospital Admin Office, Fifth & Willow, Dayton Historic Depot or the Port of Columbia or call the Port at 509-382-2577 by Thursday, October 2 to reserve tickets.
    • 12 – 3 pm – Downtown Guided Walking Tours & Living History Vignettes
      Living History Players portray early Col Co figures at historic venues. Tours start at the Depot.
    • 1 – 1:45 pm – Sauerkraut & Stories with Mr. Stine
      Boldman House Museum, 410 N 1st
      Living History Performance & Workshop: How to Make Sauerkraut. Tastings included.
    • 3 – 4 pm – Ice Cream Social
      Columbia County Courthouse, 341 E Main. Hand dipped ice cream & Weinhard Root beer Floats
    • Closing Ceremony and Mural Unveiling
      Palus Museum, 426 E Main. Come see the unveiling of the Sesquicentennial Committee’s gift to the community

Click here for a full schedule of events, including each location and character for the Living History Vignettes.

As part of the yearlong Sesquicentennial celebration, the final tribute to 150 Years of Heritage and Heart will take place during Dayton’s beloved Christmas Kick Off in November. This festive closing event will feature holiday-themed activities with a historic twist, including horse-drawn wagon rides, caroling, vintage decorations, and a special appearance by characters from Columbia County’s past. Warm up with hot cocoa, enjoy live music and lights, and help us close out this milestone year with community cheer and timeless holiday magic.

The Rail Report

The Port of Columbia Board of Commissioners is considering the sale of its 37-mile publicly owned short line rail corridor, currently leased to Columbia Walla Walla Railroad (CWW), a subsidiary of Columbia Rail. Originally gifted to the Port by Union Pacific in 1996, the line supports local agriculture, economic development, and freight transportation. CWW, which has operated the line since 2016, has expressed interest in purchasing the rail corridor but has offered significantly less than the appraised value of $13.8 million—proposing $305,000–$705,000 (2–5% of full value).  Click Here for the full Rail Report Document.

Glass Recycling is Back

The Port is once again hosting our FREE Glass Recycling this summer at Blue Mountain Station.  This wonderful program is sponsored by: Glass Packaging Institute, BIG Recyclers and The Port of Columbia.  The attached flyer gives you the details and dates.

Glass Recycling Flyer

Green Thumbs Club

New and exciting opportunities at Blue Mountain Station’s Garden.  We have divided up the vast garden space to house smaller plots and raised beds.  Contact the Port for more details or to choose a space to garden in. Shane 509-382-2577

Green Thumbs Club Flyer

Port of Columbia Awarded Funds for a Craft Malt Facility

The Port of Columbia has been awarded a $5 million grant and loan package from the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) for construction of a craft malt facility at Blue Mountain Station. The package consists of a $3,750,000 loan and $1,250,000 grant. The committed private partner, Mainstem Malt, will be investing an amount equal or greater than $5 million for this project. This funding will connect to and extend existing infrastructure and construct a 12,000 square foot building that will house a class malt facility to help Mainstem Malt operate long term. The Port will build and own the building which will be leased to Mainstem Malt.

Mainstem Malt is the committed private partner for this project. This company focuses on craft malt which is the practice of malting barley on a small-scale for craft beer and distillers.  Currently Mainstem has been partnering with a few craft malt facilities in the PNW, but with this new facility they will be able to malt their own barley and expand their capacity. They partner with growers that use regenerative and sustainable growing practices.

Grains, most common being barley, are malted so the grain can be transformed into a simpler sugar. Then in the fermentation process for distillers and brewers, the yeast has an easier time digesting this simpler form of sugar.  The process is roughly a week for barley malting, which is the most common form of malting. First step is steeping or soaking the grain. Next is germination. The grain is left to sprout into a seedling. Final step is kilning, heating the grain to produce its final color and flavor. Malt can be used for brewing, distilling and food production. Jacob Weinhard had a malt house in Dayton, WA back in the 1880s. This malt facility connects us back to our roots!

This project is supporting business expansion and positive economic growth in Columbia County. By leasing a building, the costs of a malting facility are greatly reduced which supports Mainstem Malt’s growth. This project is estimated to create and retain 7 direct jobs, as well as an estimated 8 indirect jobs during construction.  It will also generate considerable tax revenues for the county. The malt facility will continue to contribute value to locally produced barely and opens new markets for farmers in the local region to contract with Mainstem Malt and grow barley that meets their standards.

Phil Neumann CEO & Co-Founder of Mainstem Malt has this to say about the project, “Mainstem came to market in 2016 with the goal of connecting our region’s family farms to craft brewers and distillers, all through a key ingredient in beer and spirits: malted grain. By working with established malting facilities to process our farmers’ grain, we’ve grown into one of just a handful of “craft malt” brands serving the West Coast and feel strongly about our long-term place in this market, but our company’s future became too uncertain without a facility of its own. My outreach to Jennie in 2023 spurred a 12-month planning effort to explore a proper solution with the Port, ideally not just for Mainstem, but for other rural grains businesses facing similar challenges. We all feel like we ended up with something very special that could serve as a model for public-private partnerships in other agricultural regions around the world. We all feel like we ended up with something very special that could serve as a model for similar public-private partnerships in agricultural regions around the world. And the vote of confidence we just received from CERB comes as a tremendous boost to all parties involved as we continue to bring this project to shovel-ready status.”