OUR HISTORY
Stella is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River, near the mouth of Germany Creek. The land on which Stella was established was originally claimed in 1865 by John Guizendorfer, who filed a donation land claim for 320 acres. Shortly afterward, the property was purchased by Henry Lawson, who established a wharf—known as Lawson’s Landing—where ships could dock to offload supplies and settlers arriving in the area. Vessels would also load up with cordwood before continuing their journey along the Columbia River.
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The 1870s marked the arrival of ambitious men and small companies who would become the lumber barons of the following decades. One of the most influential figures in the development of Stella as a community was Benjamin F. Brock, who arrived in 1875. A young man from Vermont, Brock began his logging career working alongside Jacob Wiest. He remained with the Wiest operation for seven years. The Wiest brothers' logging company was among the first organized logging efforts on the Columbia River and played a foundational role in shaping the region’s timber industry
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On August 14, 1884, the Stella, Washington Post Office was established by John A. Packard, who served as its first postmaster for approximately one year. Over the next 51 years, the post office was operated by several different postmasters and served as a vital hub for the local community. However, with the development of Longview, Washington in the early 1920s and the construction of the Ocean Beach Highway, transportation and commerce in the region shifted. These changes contributed to a decline in Stella’s role as a central stop along the Columbia River. As a result, the Stella Post Office was officially discontinued in 1935.​​​
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The Making of Stella
1805 - The Lewis and Clark Expedition paddled past the wetlands at the mouth of today's Germany Creek and Crims Island.
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1848 - Oak Point was a busy port along the Columbia River. Abernethy’s mill was in full swing shipping lumber to California during the gold rush.
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1850 - John Guizendorfer filed a donation land claim for 320 acres, the future site of Stella.
1871 - Henry Lawson bought the land from John Guizendorfer and it became known as “Lawson’s Landing.” A new wharf was built for ships.
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The Wiest brothers’ logging operation was one of the first organized logging efforts on the Columbia River.
1875 - B.F. Brock, from Vermont, arrived in Stella and began logging with the Wiest brothers. At this time, Sternwheelers were valuable modes of transportation on the Columbia River.
1879 - Stella area Douglas fir trees were said to be among the finest in the Pacific Northwest.
1883 - The 6-ton “Little Ant” locomotive that was built in 1874, was purchased by B.F. Brock for $2,000.
1885 - Christian F. Struckmeier and William H. Oxman ran a store in Stella and made $125,000 in a year.
1902 - Hammond Lumber Company built some of the cigar rafts at Stella which were towed to California. Some of the very best lumber came from this area and many homes in San Francisco were built from Northwest lumber.
Piling from Stella was used to build Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
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1907 - B.F. Brock’s blacksmith shop was built on its present location.
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1914 - Prohibition came; saloons closed and business declined in Stella.
1929 - Ocean Beach Highway opened through Stella.
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Since it's birth in the late 1800s, Stella has hosted hotels, saloons, a hospital a barbershop, a butcher shop a mercantile, and the "Lighthouse" Dance Hall.
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Stella survived and rebuilt after fires in 1907, 1921, and 1984.
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