My name is Kachera Cottrell, and I am the researcher, writer, and heart behind Klickitat Chronicles, a project born from curiosity, love of the land, and the mystery of forgotten lives that once shaped it.

People often ask, “How did you even get into this?”

My answer is simple: “Well, there’s a concrete wall in the middle of the woods, and the rest is literally history.”

Klickitat Chronicles is a living archive dedicated to reconstructing the history of Lyle and nearby communities. I research homesteads, photograph sites, and document the artifacts, families, and places that built this region. 

Each story connects the present to the people who carved a life from this landscape long before us. 

While I continue digitizing the Twin Bridges Museum and expanding these collections, this project remains a constant work in progress. I strive for accuracy and depth in every story, and I promise, I go all the way down the rabbit hole.

But history is layered and imperfect. What I write may not always be exactly how it happened, and that’s okay. I’m always open to being corrected, expanded upon, or surprised. If you have information or stories to add, please share them kindly, this is, above all, a work of love.