Kapowsin was founded in 1901 when the Kapowsin Lumber Company built a sawmill at the community 's present site . Located on the north end of Lake Kapowsin , the community was a thriving lumber town in the early part of the 20th century , with a high school , shops , and trades , and a population of about 10,000 . After a decline in the timber industry , the town diminished in size into a neighborhood center , with a store , tavern , post office ( US ZIP code 98344 ) , fire station and grange hall . Kapowsin High School was abandoned in 1949 after being damaged in an earthquake
an earthquake
1949 Olympia earthquake
Kapowsin, Washington