When John Paul bought a donation land claim from John Crellin, Jr, he platted out a town and named the location in honor of Chief Nahcati [various spellings exist]. This was done in anticipation of the arrival of the IR&N railroad. Although planned to end at Oysterville to the north, the railroad made Nahcotta its northern terminus with a long dock out into Willapa Bay.

About the same time another town, Sealand [Sea Land] was created on Nahcotta's northern border by B. Seaborg, a stockholder in the railroad. He tried unsuccessfully to have his town used as the official terminus.

Less than five months after the establishment of a post office at Nahcotta, it was moved to Sealand. The town was then proposed as the new county seat, but South Bend won the vote. Three years later the post office moved back to Nahcotta and Sealand disappeared from the maps.