Washington Archives – Page 82 of 102

Tuscarora Immigration

In the year 1846, on the 16th day of May, about forty of the Tuscarora immigrated from the reservation to their new homes in the Indian Territory, and in one year about one-third of them died on account of the sufferings they endured. They were destitute of everything, and the Government was to have sustained them for one year, and to build houses for them, and provide all the necessaries of life, but they failed in fulfilling their promises on account of the misconduct of Dr. A. Hogeboom, the moving agent of the emigration party. By reference to official documents … Read more

Nez Percé Indians

Nez Percé Indians. A French appellation signifying “pierced noses.” Also called: Â’dal-k’ato’igo, Kiowa name, signifying “people with hair cut across the forehead.” Anípörspi, Calapooya name. A-pa-o-pa, Atsina name (Long, 1823). A-pū-pe’, Crow name, signifying “to paddle,” “paddles.” Blue Muds, name applied by traders. Chopunnish, Lewis and Clark. Green Wood Indians, Henry-Thompson Journal. I’-na-cpĕ, Quapaw name. Kamŭ’inu, own name. Ko-mun’-i-tup’-i-o, Siksika name. Mikadeshitchísi, Kiowa Apache name. Nimipu, own name, signifying “the people.” Pa ka’-san-tse, Osage name, signifying “plaited hair over the forehead.” Pe ga’-zan-de, Kansa name. Pierced Noses, English translation of name. Po’-ge-hdo-ke, Dakota name. Sa-áptin, Okanagon name. Shi’wanǐsh, Tenino name … Read more

Native American Cemeteries

Native American Cemeteries offers an extensive and detailed list of all known Indian cemeteries across the United States and Canada. This resource is dedicated to cemeteries that have significant concentrations of Native American and First Nation burials. While it is true that Native Americans and First Nation Peoples are often interred in general cemeteries, this page focuses specifically on those burial grounds where Native heritage is prominently represented.

Stumanu, A Flathead Boy

Washington Territorial Division, Elections, and Legislature

With the setting off of the territory of Idaho from that of Washington came the close of a long period of exciting events, and the beginning of a reign of peace and constant, gradual growth. Some slight temporary inconvenience was occasioned by the amputation from the body politic of several counties between two sessions of the legislature, when no provision could be made for the reapportionment of representatives, the legislature of 1863-4 consisting of but seven councilmen and twenty-four assemblymen. George E. Cole, democrat, was elected delegate to congress in 1863. He received some votes of union men, although repudiated … Read more

Washington Indian Wars, 1855-1856

The reader of Oregon history will remember that mention is made of the massacre of the Ward train by the Snake Indians near Fort Boise in the autumn of 1854. Major Granville O. Haller, stationed at Fort Dalles, made a hasty expedition into the Snake country, intended to show the Indians that the government would not remain inactive while its citizens were subjected to these outrages. The march served no other purpose than to give this notice, for the guilty Indians had retired into their mountain fastnesses, and the season being late for re-crossing the Blue Mountains, Haller returned to … Read more

Washington Politics through Four Administrations

With the organization of the territory, the democratic party north of the Columbia had prepared to marshal its ranks and act with the democrats of Oregon wherever they could be mutually helpful in resisting what they denominated the “tyranny of the federal party.” It had not succeeded in effecting its object, when it suffered to be elected to congress Columbia Lancaster, whose politics were as nondescript as his abilities were inferior. In 1855 a more thorough party organization was perfected for the election of a delegate to succeed Lancaster. The choice of the convention fell upon J. Patton Anderson, the … Read more

Washington Indian Wars Continue, 1856-1858

When Governor Stevens returned to his capital from the Blackfoot Country, he was to some extent deceived as to the perils which threatened the Puget Sound region. He approved of the energetic course of Mason, and advocated the vigorous prosecution of the war. But from what he had seen east of the Cascades, and from what he knew of the indolent habits of the tribes on the Sound, he was disposed to think the war was to be carried on in the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys rather than at home. In a special message delivered extemporaneously to the legislative … Read more

Washington Counties and their Towns

In Clallam County were Noah bay, New Dungeness, and the remains of Port Angeles. Jefferson co., besides Port Townsend, had the ports of Ludlow, Discovery, and the new mining town of Irondale. Island County had Coupeville, founded by Thomas Coupe, who settled on the south side of Penn Cove in 1853, and Coveland, on the west end of the Cove, both on Whidbey Island, and Utsalady, on the north end of Camafin Island. Kitsap County had four milling towns, Port Madison, Port Blakeley, Port Gamble, and Seabeck. Mason, besides the county seat, had but Arcadia, Kamilcbie, Skokomish, and Union City, … Read more

Early Settlers of Washington State

Of the three judicial districts into which Washington is divided, the first comprises the counties of Walla Walla, Whitman, Stevens, Spokane, Columbia, Yakima, Lincoln, Garfield, Kittitas, and Klikitat; the second, Skamania, Clarke, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Thurston, Lewis, Chehalis, and Mason; the third, Pierce, King, Snohomish, Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap. Walla Walla County, in 1880 had an area of 1,600 square miles, a population of 6,212, and taxable property to the amount of $2,971,560. New Tacoma N. P. Coast, Feb. 1, 1880. Whitman County was established by setting off the southern portion of Stevens, Nov. 21, 1871. … Read more

Indian Reservations of Washington

The Indian reservations of Washington occupy land as follows: There were five reserves belonging to one agency, the Puyallup, covering altogether about 29,000 acres. The reservation situated on this river contained over 18,000 acres, for the most part heavily timbered. The aggregate of land under cultivation was in 1885 less than 1,000 acres, though over 150 homesteads had been taken, chiefly in forty-acre lots. Nisqually Reservation, on that river, contained 4,717 acres. The Chehalis Reservation, half of which was good agricultural land, contained 4,224 acres. On Shoalwater Bay were reserved 340 acres. The Squoxin Reservation covered an island in Mason … Read more

Tumwater, Vancouver, Port Townsend, Washington

Tumwater, the initial point in the ‘history of the settlement of Puget Sound, was incorporated in Nov. 1869. In time it numbered more manufactories than any other town on the Sound. Vancouver and Early Settlers Vancouver was the fourth town in size in western Washington, having in 1880 about 3,000 inhabitants. It was made the county seat of Clarke County by the first legislative assembly of Washington, in March 1854, its pioneers, both English and American, long retaining their residences. Among the early settlers were James Turnbull, born in England, came to Washington in 1852, and with him William Turnbull, … Read more

Vanishing Towns and Old Settlements of Washington

Of towns that once had the promise of a great future, Whatcom is one. It was named after a chief of the Nooksack, whose grave is a mile above the Bellingham Bay coal mine. For a short time during the Fraser River furore it had 10,000 people, and a fleet of vessels coming and going. The order of Douglas, turning traffic to Victoria, caused all the better portion of the buildings to be taken clown and removed thither. The single brick house erected by John Alexander remained, and was converted to the use of the county. Eldridge’s Sketch, MS., 31-2; … Read more

Vessels lost at Sea, Harbors or Rivers of Washington

Out of the large number of vessels which have come and gone in the thirty-four years since the Orbit sailed up to Olympia, few comparatively have been wrecked. I have mentioned the loss of the Robert Bruce by fire in Shoalwater Bay, and the brig Una on Cape Flattery, both in 1851. In 1852 the northern Indians reported the wreck of an unknown vessel on the coast of V. I., with all on board lost. In the winter of 1852-3 the brig Willimantic, Capt. Vail, was driven ashore at Eld Island, at the entrance to Gray Harbor, but she did … Read more

Seattle, New Tacoma and Olympia, Washington

Map of the Railroads of Eastern Washington

Seattle, the metropolis of Washington, in 1880 had 7,000 inhabitants, and property valued at something over four millions. Its manufactures comprised three ship-yards, three foundries, two breweries, one tannery, three boiler-shops, six sash and door factories, five machine-shops, six sawmills, three brick yards, three fish packing factories, one fish cannery, one barrel factory, one ice factory, one soda water factory, besides boot and shoe shops, tin shops, and other minor industries. The commerce of Seattle with the coastline of settlements was considerable; but the chief export is coal from the mines cast of Lake Washington. There were few public buildings … Read more

Settlers in King County, Washington from Oregon

In the spring of 1853 there arrived from the Willamette, where they had wintered, David Phillips and F. Matthias from Pennsylvania, Dexter Horton and Hannah E., his wife, and Thomas Mercer, from Princetown, Illinois, S. W. Russell, T. S. Russell, Hillery Butler, E. M. Smithers, John Thomas, and H. A. Smith. They came by the way of the Cowlitz and Olympia, whence they were carried down the Sound on board the schooner Sarah Stone, which landed at Alki, where the six last mentioned remained for the summer, removing to Seattle in the autumn. J. R. Williamson, George Buckley, Charles Kennedy, … Read more

History of Transportation in Washington

Frequent reference has been made in the narrative of Washington history to the opening of roads to give the Puget Sound region land communication with other parts of the country, and open a way for the mails. In 1832 the only means of access from the Columbia River was by a cattle trail, while immigrants and their luggage were conveyed in canoes up the Cowlitz River, after which they were compelled to take to the rude trail cut by the immigrants of 18-15. Warbass & Townsend, storekeepers at Monticello, advertised in Dec. 1852 to forward passengers and freight, saying that … Read more

Other Resources and Industries of Washington

Of manufactures from native resources, flour is one of the most important. The first flouring mill in the territory was erected at Vancouver in 1830 by the H. B. Co., and was a set of ordinary millstones run by ox power. In 1832 a mill was erected seven miles above Vancouver, on Mill Creek, to run by waterpower. Whitman built a small flouring mill at Waiilatpu, which was in use about 1840. The first American colony on Puget Sound erected a rude gristmill at the falls of the Des Chutes, in the village of Tumwater, in 1846. This sufficed to … Read more

Printing and Newspapers of Washington

The first printing done in this section was at the missionary station of Lapwai, in what was then Oregon, and was afterward Washington, and finally Idaho. The printer was Edwin O. Hall of the Honolulu mission, subsequently editor of the Polynesian. Accompanied by his wife, he visited Lapwai in the spring of 1839, bringing with him a small press and material, to the value of $500, a present from the Honolulu converts. With this he instructed Smith and Rogers of Lapwai in the printing art, remaining until 1841, during which time translations of a part of the book of Matthew, … Read more

History of Railroads in Washington

From the day the people of Washington learned that congress had appropriated money for a survey terminating on Puget Sound, their constant expectation was fixed upon a transcontinental railway. The territorial charter of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company was granted by the legislature Jan. 28, 1857, to 58 incorporators, the road to be commenced within three and completed within ten years after the passage of the act; the capital stock to be fifteen millions of dollars, which might be increased to double that amount. It does not appear that the company took any immediate steps to raise the necessary capital. … Read more