Beach of Heaven is a history of the earliest settled areas in Washington. As the birthplace of both the state's canned salmon industry and the cooperative extension movement, as well as Congresswoman Julia Butler Hansen, Wahkiakum County has a historical significance far beyond its borders. Today it stands at the cusp of major change as the rural occupations of fishing, farming, and logging, upon which the country has traditionally depended, suffer from outside influences and demographic shifts. Beach of Heaven documents these changes and looks ahead to future possibilities.This book is much more than a county history. It is a story of the development of a place, of the settlement of ethnic groups, of the establishment of social and transportation networks that made life livable in a wild and forested country. As Irene Martin writes, Beach of Heaven is "an emotional engagement with the place we call home." It will resonate for all who have a passion for the little places, the rural areas, the community values that are gradually passing into history.
