Editing Montesano, Washington (section)

==History==
===Medcalf Prairie===
According to Edwin Van Syckle, a portion of the present-day town of Montesano was first platted in 1870 by Samuel Henry Williams, who purchased land in what was known as Wedcalf Prairie, named after the early settler William Medcalf. At about the same time, surveyor Charles Newton Byles bought a farm from Walter King on the present-day site of Montesano on April 9, 1870,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Vidette|date=October 12, 1933|title=The Story of Montesano|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and later platted three blocks on the west side of Main Street.<ref name="syckle">Edwin Van Syckle (1982). ''The River Pioneers-Early Days on Grays Harbor''. Pacific Search Press.</ref> The town of Montesano was born, but it was not incorporated until November 26, 1883, by the Washington Territorial Legislature.<ref name="meany" />

[[File:Crew and waitresses with Wynooche Timber Company's two-truck Baldwin saddle-tank 2-6-2T locomotive no 3, Montesano, ca 1921 (KINSEY 968).jpeg|thumb|right|A lumber company's locomotive in Montesano, {{circa}} 1921]]

===South Montesano===
Prior to that time, the name ''Montesano'' was used to refer to the homestead of Isaiah Lancaster Scammon and his wife Lorinda. They filed a 640-acre Donation Land Claim on January 15, 1853, on the [[Chehalis River (Washington)|Chehalis River]], opposite the mouth of the [[Wynoochee River]], in the area now referred to as South Montesano. The Scammon home was often referred to as "Scammon's Landing" or "Scammon's Hotel", because it was an important stopping point along the Chehalis River for early pioneers, and the furthest up-river mooring point and railroad junction for seagoing ships.<ref name="syckle" />

According to [[Edmond S. Meany]], in 1860 the seat of what was then called Chehalis County was moved to "the place of J.L. Scammons". Mrs. Lorinda Scammon was very religious and wished to have the place named "[[Mount Zion]]". Another early settler, Samuel James, suggested "Montesano", which was derived from Spanish meaning "mountain of health"; it was said that this had a more pleasant sound and meant about the same. The suggestion was approved, and soon after, a post office was secured with the name "Montesano".<ref name="meany">{{cite journal|last=Meany|first=Edmond S.|author-link=Edmond S. Meany|year=1920|title=Origin of Washington Geographic Names|journal=The Washington Historical Quarterly|volume=XI|page=209|publisher=Washington University State Historical Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dbsUAAAAYAAJ|access-date=June 11, 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The people of Chehalis County voted to move the county seat to the platted town of Montesano in 1886, and the Scammon home was then known as South Montesano.<ref name="meany" />

===21st century===
In 2012, a man calling himself Michael Thomas entered the county courthouse where he struggled with a deputy sheriff, shooting her in the shoulder with her own gun. He also stabbed in the neck a judge trying to assist the deputy. Later identified as Steven Daniel Kravetz, the assailant was convicted on assault charges and acquitted of attempted murder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.q13fox.com/news/man-convicted-of-assault-in-montesano-courthouse-stabbing-shooting|title=Man convicted of assault in Montesano courthouse stabbing, shooting|last=Mackay|first=Rob|date=April 3, 2013|publisher=Q13 FOX|access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref>