CENTRALIA

original name Centerville, city, Lewis county, southwest Washington, U.S. The city is situated near the confluence of the Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers and lies midway between Portland, Ore., and Seattle, Wash. In the mid-19th century the site was a stopover point for stagecoaches. The townsite was founded in 1850 by J.G. Cochran, and the city was laid out as Centerville in 1875 by George Washington, a freedman who had been Cochran's slave. The city was renamed Centralia in 1891. Lumbering is Centralia's chief industry; the economy depends also on dairying, poultry raising, and fruit farming in the area. Centralia (junior) College was established in 1925. Nearby Fort Borst Park contains Borst Blockhouse (1852) and Borst Farmstead (1860). Inc. 1886. Pop. (1990) 12,101; (1994 est.) 12,635. city, in Marion and Clinton counties, southern Illinois, U.S. It was founded in 1853 by the Illinois Central Railroad (whence its name), and railroad shops formed the basis of its economy. Other activities now include agriculture (fruit growing and dairying), coal mining, oil production, and light manufacturing (auto parts, fuses, and plastics). Centralia is the site of the Warren G. Murray Developmental Center for exceptional children. Kaskaskia College, a junior college, was established there in 1965. Inc. 1859. Pop. (1990) 14,274.