Carnation Historical Landmarks & Attractions

The first record of Tolt/Carnation appeared on the Surveyor General's Map of Washington Territory in 1857 as "Tolt River". Under the terms of the Donation Land Act of 1850, Mr. James Entwistle (1832-1902) filed a claim of 160 acres near the Tolt River as a homestead in 1858.  In 1861, Mr. Entwistle settled permanently with his family on his homestead at the future site of Tolt.

In the early days, the town consisted of a post office, general store, hotel, a creamery, a meeting hall, and a few houses mostly built of logs and chinked with moss. Lumbering and water transportation were the two main reasons for the establishment of Tolt. By the 1890s a school, church, and social club had been established.  The town was platted in 1902, and incorporated on December 30, 1912.  The residential buldings erected in Tolt at the time were all Craftsman style homes, bungalows, or vernacular dwellings with a few Queen Anne style structures.