Camas, Washington, officially incorporated on June 18, 1906, is named after the camas lily, a plant cherished by Native Americans for its onion-like bulb. The city's industrial journey began in 1883 when Henry Pittock, an influential entrepreneur and publisher of The Oregonian in Portland, established a paper mill. This mill, located at the west end of downtown, laid the foundation for Camas's identity, even inspiring the local high school team name, "the Papermakers."

The mill’s history is a tale of growth and mergers. Pittock’s LaCamas Colony purchased 2,600 acres in 1883, forming the Columbia River Paper Company the following year and commencing production in 1885. This company later merged with Oregon City’s Crown Paper Company in 1905 to become Crown Columbia Paper. Transitioning to electricity in 1913, it merged with Willamette Paper in 1914 and Zellerbach Paper in 1928, becoming Crown Zellerbach, the largest paper manufacturer on the West Coast. During World War II, the mill contributed to the war effort by manufacturing parts for US Naval vessels. In 1950, it became the first factory to produce folded paper napkins.

By 1971, Crown Zellerbach was the largest employer in the area, with 2,643 of approximately 3,700 paper mill workers in Clark County. The mill underwent several ownership changes, being acquired by James River Corporation in 1986, which merged with Fort Howard Paper Company in 1997 and later Georgia-Pacific in 2000. Koch Industries acquired Georgia-Pacific and the Camas mill in 2005, but in 2018, announced layoffs of 200-300 workers, ceasing operations related to communications paper, fine paper conversion, and pulping.

Despite its strong paper mill heritage, Camas has diversified its economic base. The city has attracted several high-tech, white-collar companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Linear Technology, WaferTech, and Underwriters Laboratories, transforming into a modern, multifaceted community while preserving its historical essence.