The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

A birthday reception honoring well known historian, Carlton Appelo, is scheduled for May 10th at the Appelo Archives Center at 1056 SR 4 in Naselle. The reception will be held from 11 am to 3 pm in honor of his 92nd birthday. Carlton has been a successful business man and is still President of the Wahkiakum West Telephone Company in Rosburg. Born in a fishing boat headed to Astoria in 1922, he was born closer to Deep River than Astoria, so his birthplace was listed as Deep River.

Carlton’s father, C.A. Appelo, built the Appelo Deep River Store, then later two more stores were added, one in Grays River, and one in Naselle. C.A. Appelo also founded the Wahkiakum West Telephone Company. Carlton remembers his parents worked very hard in the daytime, so sometimes he would work at the switchboard at night, so if anyone called for help someone would answer. Carlton attended the University of Washington, then served in World War II in the Army. Afterward, he studied in Sweden and obtained a Masters Degree there.

He met his longtime sweetheart, Berenice, at a seminar in California. They corresponded for a period, then married and raised a family. A native of Oakland, Berenice worked alongside Carlton in the stores and was active as a musician at the Congregational Church in Naselle. Both were members of the Grays River Grange, and both were involved at the Deep River American Legion. Carlton was a co-founder of Wahkiakum Port District Two and a co-founder of the Columbia Pacific Resource Conservation and Economic Development District. Both organizations are still active, growing and serving their communities.

Carlton has always been a visionary, seeking out what would help the community most. He was one of the first to understand and value fiber optics. He also supported small phone companies by serving in leadership positions for national organizations focused on advancing phone companies in rural areas. He studied and understood theories of leadership and encouraged others to both volunteer and lead in their local organizations.

A generous man, Carlton supported many organizations and projects, then founded the Appelo Archives Center to bring his extensive collections to the public. A lifelong student of history, Carlton traveled broadly and read both books and newspapers daily to stay informed and use the information for his businesses and community. For many years, Carlton regularly traveled to Washington DC to visit with elected officials and advocate for regional needs of SW Washington. A friend to all and an advocate for his communities, Carlton remains a man who still reads the Wall Street Journal regularly and finds new friends wherever he is.

Carlton wanted folks to know, “Nothing would please me more than to have friends old and new join me to celebrate my 92 years. I love seeing folks and want to hear all their news.”