George Washington
In many ways, this town and Centralia College are the living monument to George Washington. Though he never saw the college (he died 20 years before its founding in 1925), the spirit with which he lived and founded the city echo through the college’s walls and classrooms.
The story of George Washington is now a famous one. He was born in 1817 to a white woman and an African American slave. His father was sold shortly after his birth, and his mother — apparently fearing her son might be sold as well — asked two friends, James and Anna Cochran, to raise her son as their own.
The Cochrans agreed and, in 1850, made the journey to the Washington territory via the Oregon Trail. George Washington, who was just 33, staked a squatter’s claim, built a cabin, and operated a ferry and way station. After the arrival of the railroad in 1872, he platted and sold lots and named the new town Centerville, changed later to Centralia.
Throughout his life, George Washington taught himself many trades and furthered the cause of equal rights for all.
That legacy is kept alive here at Centralia College, where generations of people have learned trades, grown and improved their lives with education and hard work. They’ve built families, communities and legacies that will withstand the tests of time.
At a recent meeting, the Centralia College Board of Trustees voted to rededicate Washington Hall to honor both the people of the State of Washington and George Washington, Centralia’s founder and first citizen. When Washington Hall was first dedicated, in 2001, there was discussion of the role of George Washington, of the contributions of Washington taxpayers in funding the building, and of the fact that the building is located on Washington Avenue. However, none of these items were specifically called out in the naming resolution.
The current rededication will address that omission. The college is proud to play a small part in celebrating our community’s history and to take part in the year-long celebration of the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth.
We invite you to join us Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 4 p.m. at Washington Hall on the Centralia College campus, as we celebrate the past and the future with a formal rededication ceremony. Joining us will be former Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court Gerry Alexander, the Centralia College Board of Trustees and Centralia College student Heather Beaird.
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Robert Mohrbacher is the president of Centralia College.
