Editing Vader, Washington (section)

==History==
[[File:Vader, Washington 02.jpg|thumb|left|Old City Jail, 2024]]
As Little Falls, the town was incorporated on January 12, 1906.<ref name="OHM">{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Carrina |title='Old Houses Matter': Vader Woman Thinks the Town's Past Could Be Key to the Community's Future |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/old-houses-matter-vader-woman-thinks-the-towns-past-could-be-key-to-the-communitys,259829 |access-date=9 July 2021 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)|The Chronicle]] |date=February 3, 2021}}</ref> During its peak between 1890 and 1920, Vader hosted over 40 businesses, contained two churches, and had a hospital. Businesses included a bowling alley, an opera house, several saloons, and the Vader Moving Picture Theater.<ref name="SOLFS"/>

[[File:Stillwater Lumber and Shingle Mill, Vader, Washington 01.jpg|thumb|left|Stillwater Lumber and Shingle Mill, 1913–1918]]
The seven Olson brothers,{{efn|The last name is often, if not overwhelmingly so, spelled as Olson, however some accounts use the name written as Olsen. See sources throughout the section for the discrepancy.}} notably Ben Olsen of the [[Ben Olsen House]], began the Stillwater Logging and Lumber Company; the company operated a sawmill in Vader beginning in late December 1907, at its peak employing as many as 180 men.<ref>{{cite news |title=Grandson of Colorful Northwest Pioneer Quietly Observes 78th Birthday at Vader |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1955/07-09/page-1 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)|The Daily Chronicle]] |date=July 9, 1955 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=Historic home, church part of 'An Old Fashioned Christmas" |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2002/12-06/page-3 |access-date=January 27, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 6, 2002 |page=A3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Little Falls |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-news-examiner/1907/12-27/page-2 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)|The Centralia News-Examiner]] |date=December 27, 1907 |page=2}}</ref> Olsen also formed a partnership, the Little Falls Water Company, to supply water to the Little Falls community in the early 1910s.<ref>{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=76001897}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Ben Olsen House |publisher=[[National Park Service]]|author= |date= |accessdate=January 24, 2025}} With {{NRHP url|id=76001897|photos=y|title=accompanying pictures}}</ref>

The Stillwater lumber mill was purchased by [[Weyerhaeuser]] in 1914.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hardina |first1=Nicole |title=Little Washington - A Nostalgic Look at the Evergreen State's Smallest Towns |date=2020 |publisher=Adventure Publications |isbn=9781591938460 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cMHgDwAAQBAJ |access-date=January 27, 2025 |chapter=Vader}}</ref> Despite the facility having a fire suppression system in place by 1915,<ref>{{cite news |title=Vader Street Improvement - Better Fire Protection |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle-examiner/1915/09-04/page-1 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)|The Daily Chronicle-Examiner]] |date=September 4, 1915 |page=1}}</ref> the mill burned down on the evening of January 11, 1916; damages were estimated between $30,000 and $100,000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fire Destroys Vader Mill |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1916/01-14/page-1 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=[[The Chehalis Bee-Nugget]] |date=January 14, 1916 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Untitled - 4th column |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87093220/1916-01-14/ed-1/seq-1 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=[[Aberdeen Herald]] |date=January 14, 1916 |page=1}}</ref> The mill was rebuilt but burned down again on the night of September 1, 1918. The fire began from an explosion in the boiler room when new equipment was being installed. Though the plane mill and dry kiln areas survived, the loss of timber and a rail engine were substantial. Damages were estimated at $125,000; the mill had only $35,000 in insurance coverage.<ref>{{cite news |title=$125,000 Fire Loss At Vader |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1918/09-02/page-1 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=The Centralia Daily Chronicle |date=September 2, 1918 |page=1}}</ref> A formal announcement was made the following month that the mill would not be rebuilt. The Stillwater timber holdings were sold to the [[Winlock, Washington|Winlock]] Lumber Company,<ref>{{cite news |title=Mill Won't Rebuild |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1918/10-10/page-8 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=The Centralia Daily Chronicle |date=October 10, 1918 |page=8}}</ref> however, Stillwater's logging operations were briefly resumed in March 1919.<ref>{{cite news |title=Business Locals - 3rd column |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1919/03-07/page-6 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=March 7, 1919 |page=6}}</ref> One attempt to rebuild the mill was announced in December 1919. The effort did not materialize.<ref>{{cite news |title=Vader Sawmill To Be Rebuilt |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1919/12-26/page-2 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=December 26, 1919 |page=1}}</ref>

The population may have reached as high as 5,000 residents during its peak. Various disasters and loss of employment led to a decline to the town. In 1914, a clay company burned down. A new, but smaller clay production plant began in 1920 but another fire decimated the facility in 1925.<ref name="SOLFS"/>