Rochester/Grand Mound

Originally published Saturday, January 12, 2002

This town, which served as a railroad junction at one time, was platted in 1890 by Gaily Fleming of Centralia. She chose to name the area after her hometown of Rochester, Ind.

Bakers Prairie is northeast of Rochester. It's named for Caleb and Fanny Baker, who arrived in Washington Territory in 1853, claiming 320 acres. Baker was a member of the First Regiment of Washington Territorial Volunteers during the Indian War of 1855-56.

He and his family spent part of the war living at Fort Henness at Grand Mound.

Grand Mound is named after the peculiar mounds called Mima Mounds. Such mounds baffle geologists. The tree- covered hillock rises 125 feet.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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