A History of Fox and Nice Creeks (1950-Present)
1950sCity builds dam for domestic water on Fox Creek at stream mile 1.5
City, school district channel Fox Creek into 300-foot culvert at school site, build playing field
1973Fox Creek floods elementary school site
1974450 feet of culvert is installed to carry Fox Creek between C Street and Highway 30
1986City installs 900 feet of culvert to carry Nice Creek through parkland fill to Columbia River
1986City and Corps of Engineers install 550 feet of culvert to carry Fox Creek from railroad to river
1995November: Fox Creek floods school site, ruins gymnasium floor
1996February: Fox Creek floods school site, Highway 30 and city park
1996August: Rainier School District daylights 300 feet of Fox Creek at elementary school site
2001Corps/City daylight 550 feet of Fox Creek between railroad and river
2001City moves to extend A Street through park, improve West 6th Street, develop park plan, build senior center, connect to private senior housing project
2001Friends of Fox Creek urges City to design 6th Street roadway to avoid filling open stretch of Nice Creek and allow possible future daylighting of the creek through the city park
2002City agrees to FFC’s requests amid clamor for access roads to proposed senior center
2005Corps/City stabilize Fox Creek banks near mouth and re-vegetate with native plants
2005FFC and City fail to dissuade Longview Fibre from logging 62-acre forest on Nice Creek until funding can be acquired to purchase the plot for a forest park. Fibre sells standing forest to logger and underlying land to developer.
2006Nice Creek forest is logged and housing development is planned
2007December: Fox Creek floods part of school site (now Riverside Community Church land)
City, school district channel Fox Creek into 300-foot culvert at school site, build playing field
1973Fox Creek floods elementary school site
1974450 feet of culvert is installed to carry Fox Creek between C Street and Highway 30
1986City installs 900 feet of culvert to carry Nice Creek through parkland fill to Columbia River
1986City and Corps of Engineers install 550 feet of culvert to carry Fox Creek from railroad to river
1995November: Fox Creek floods school site, ruins gymnasium floor
1996February: Fox Creek floods school site, Highway 30 and city park
1996August: Rainier School District daylights 300 feet of Fox Creek at elementary school site
2001Corps/City daylight 550 feet of Fox Creek between railroad and river
2001City moves to extend A Street through park, improve West 6th Street, develop park plan, build senior center, connect to private senior housing project
2001Friends of Fox Creek urges City to design 6th Street roadway to avoid filling open stretch of Nice Creek and allow possible future daylighting of the creek through the city park
2002City agrees to FFC’s requests amid clamor for access roads to proposed senior center
2005Corps/City stabilize Fox Creek banks near mouth and re-vegetate with native plants
2005FFC and City fail to dissuade Longview Fibre from logging 62-acre forest on Nice Creek until funding can be acquired to purchase the plot for a forest park. Fibre sells standing forest to logger and underlying land to developer.
2006Nice Creek forest is logged and housing development is planned
2007December: Fox Creek floods part of school site (now Riverside Community Church land)
Charles Fox, Founder of Rainier
Rainier, Oregon, was founded by Charles E. Fox, who settled there in 1851 and was the first postmaster. He called the town "Eminence," but the name was changed in 1852 to "Rainier" (after Mount Rainier, which is visible from the higher hills). The town of Rainier was incorporated in 1881.