Map Legend:
Arrow Keys: Use these to navigate the map. You may need to click and drag or down your cusor to see the pictures or read their captions.
People Icons: Meet some of the different people that make up Camas
Blue Icons: Explore some of Camas' street scenes
Red Icons: See some of the important locations in Camas
Over the next several months Think Out Loud will visit different towns to explore the issues, locations and people that make a place more than a location on a map.
Our first trip takes us across the Columbia to Camas, Washington.
Think Out Loud is broadcasting live from the Camas Public Library on Monday, November 14th. The broadcast is free and open to the public. If you're in the area, we'd love to have you join us. Please arrive at 8:30 a.m. The library is located at 625 NE 4th Avenue, Camas, WA 98607.
Camas, Washington
In the 1930s about 4,200 people lived in Camas. Sixty years later the population of Camas was still around 6,800. But through the 1990s and the 2000s, Camas's population has boomed to nearly 20,000. At the same time, the paper mill in Camas, which once employed thousands of workers, has decreased its payroll to about 450 unionized employees, plus management.
Other things have changed in Camas besides its population and the number of employees at its mill. Camas is now home to branches of high-tech companies including Sharp, which conducts research and development in Camas, and WaferTech, a semiconductor foundry. Camas is also much more developed; many places that used to be forest, farmland, or open pasture are now housing developments and business parks. Downtown Camas has changed, too. In addition to two bars, there are now boutique shops and several hair salons.
Although many people are excited about the changes in Camas, some say they've divided the town in two. Different people describe that divide in different ways, but it generally falls along the lines of new residents and long-time residents, well off and working class. Still others say that awareness needs to raised around poverty in Camas.
Related OPB content
Camas artists Dave and Boni Deal were featured on a 2006 episode of Oregon Art Beat
Our Town - Camas, Washington
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Discuss the issues, people and places that make Camas more than a town.
Views of Camas
Check out a collection of photos showing the diversity of locations throughout Camas.
People of Camas
Check out some of the different individuals that make up the town of Camas. Make sure to click the "show info" button at the right of the slideshow to read about their backstories.
Voices from Camas
Listen to different stories from the residents of Camas.
