Frankfort, Washington

Frankfort,[1] a ghost town located near the mouth of the Columbia River, was originally settled in 1876 in Pacific County, Washington near Portuguese Point. In 1890, a community was platted by two promoters, Frank Bourn and Frank Scott (whence the town's name).[2][3] Together they envisioned a resort community at the location. Lots were sold on the rumor that the railroad would soon build a line through the town (the only access to the town was by boat). A post office, general store, hotel, saloon and a sawmill were built, and a newspaper (the Frankfort Chronicle) was established, which attracted even more investors. The financial Panic of 1893 scared away any more investors, and the future of the town took a downhill turn.

Frankfort continued to survive mainly as a logging town until the late 1940s. Unfortunately, no railroad line ever materialized and Frankfort never prospered. The post office had closed in 1918. The town was sold to a logging company in 1953 and by 1960, it had only two residents. Reportedly, very little remains of the town today, apart from some foundations. There are no public roads to the area and access by foot is extremely difficult. [2]

References
  1. "Frankfort". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.
  3. Meany, Edmond S. Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 93.

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