Walla Walla County, Washington - The Inception of American History in Washington, 1901

The Inception of American History in Washington

It is a well authenticated fact that, aside from missionaries, the first American to settle north of the Columbia river, or in any of the territory now comprising the state of Washington, was Michael T. Simmons, who emigrated to Oregon in 1844 and spent the first winter at Fort Vancouver. He is described as a stalwart Kentuckian, of splendid physique, great endurance and resolute mind, possessing all the qualifications of a successful pioneer. His stay at the fort enabled him to understand the disposition of the officials of thfe Hudson's Bay Company relative to American occupation of the northern country. He was doubtless convinced that it was their purpose to prevent, if possible, American settlement in that region. The desire to exclude American settlement was an evidence of the value of the country. This, with his patriotic spirit, prompted Mr. Simmons to make an investigation and discover all he could about the region and its prospects. An attempt to explore the dense wilderness between the Columliia river and Puget sound was made by him and a few of his companions during the winter. In the summer of 1845 Mr. Simmons made an extensive exploration of Puget sound, and was deeply impressed with the commercial value of the country. He selected a site for his future home at the head of Budd's Inlet, which is the most soiUliern extension, at the falls of the Des Chutes river. In the fall, he and others, seven in all, located on that spot, beginning the history of the permanent settlement of Washington by Americans. It was an heroic attempt, and they were brave men who made it.

Thev were among savages who gave no special evidence of hospitality, and they were separated from the nearest white settlers by one hundred and fifty miles of dense forests. But few were added to their number during the first vear. Within two years a sawmill was built at the falls of the Des Chutes. In 1848 a few immigrants settled along the Cowlitz river. Thomas W. Glasgow explored Puget sound as far north as Whidby island, where he took a claim, being soon joined by several families. But the unfriendly attitude of the Indians necessitated the abandonment of their claims.

Several things retarded the progress of the occupation of this region, among them Ijeing its isolation, the discovery of gold in California, and the brutal massacre of Dr. \\'hitman and others at Waiilatpu. The scattered families spent several years amid great perils, which could not have been endured by people of less braverv. They found the Indians, as a rule, hostile and even threatening their extermination, but they met the insolence of the red men with herofc defiance. - This, with the timely and decisive measures of Governor Lane, and the building of Fort Steilacoom, with the aid of some friendly Indians, saved them during these critical years and made .American occupation permanent.

About the year 1850 many who Iiad left for California at the outset of the gold excitement returned. Mr. Simmons had been in San Francisco and had brought with him a cargo of merchandise. \Vith this Ijasis he opened a store at Olynipia, which was the heginning of the first town in Washington. Settlements began to extend, and Steilacoom came into existence, and soon Port Townsend. In 185 1 a company of resolute pioneers, after mucli exploration, selected claims on Elliott bay. .Among these hardy men were some who exerted a potent influence during the formative periods of territory and state, - Terry, Denny and others.

The first attempt to establish a city on Elliott bay was at Alki Point. The ambition and expectation of the founders are indicated in the name which they gave to their embryonic municipality, - Xew \'nrk. Some of them soon removed to the east side of the bay. and the information which they received from the Indians regarding the country, especially relative to the accessibility of the region east of the Cascades, led them to establish a rival city. They gave it the name of the chief, Seattle. Thus the name of an honored, true and dignified Indian chieftain has been perpetuated.

After this settlements extended with increasing rapidity. Many jieople of extraordinary intelligence and enterprise and of sterling character came into the country.

We soon find milling and coal-mining operations beginning- and within a few years the former develops to immense proportions. At the same time the country to' the south is developing - the lower Chehalis valley, and the Cowlitz valley down as far as the Coluiiibia river. Attempts were made to establish great cities. So, at the close of 185 ^, we find in what was then kn(,wn as northern Oregon, settlements from the Cnlumbia river to British Columbia and from the Cascade mountains to the Pacific coast, in this territory we find the towns of Olympia, \'ancouver, Steilacoom, Seattle and Port Townsend, with an aggregate population of three thousand.

Divisiox Of Territory

Some of the earliest settlers north of the Columbia probably cherished the laudable ambition of being the founders of a state. They were men of vision, and planned great things. We find that active measures looking toward separate political existence from Oregon were inaugurated as early as the 4th of July, 1851. Independence day was celebrated at Olympia l)y those who had settled around the head of Puget sound. Mr. J. B. Chapman, who was the orator of the day, took for his theme "The Future State of Columbia," and treated it in an eliH|uent and stirring manner. The orator struck a sympathetic chord in the hearts of his hearers, and the appeal tor prompt action found a ready response. During the day a committee on resolutions was appointed, and in rendering their report they recnmniended that representatives of all the districts north of the Columbia river meet in convention at Cowlitz Landing, for the purpose, as expressed, "of taking into careful consideration the peculiar position of the northern ])ortion of the territorv of Oregon, its wants, the best method of supplvingthese wants, and the propriety of an earlv appeal to congress for a division of the territory."

responded and a convention was held on the day appointed, with twenty-six delegates present. As a result of the deliberations of said convention, a memorial to congress on the subject of division was adopted. The Oregon delegate to the United States congress was instructed to act in accordance with the memorial, and congress was petitioned t(.i construct certain roads necessary for the puljlic good, also to extend to the new territory the benefits of the Oregon land law. For some reason congress took no action on the memorial, and consequently the enthusiasm for territorial segregation lost its ardor for a season. But the agitation did not cease, for at Olympia was established a paper which had that for its object.

Under the lead of this paper, called the ColumJjian, another convention was planned, the same being held at Monticello, on the 25th of October,, 1S52. There were present fortyfour representative citizens, and the action was in harmony with that of the previous con\-ention. Cogent reasons were prepared and submitted to General Lane, the delegate to congress, for the organization of a new territory. The Oregon legislature, meeting a few days afterward, exiiibited an unusually magnanimous spirit by acting in harmony with the desires of the convention. General Lane acted without delay in introducing the measure to congress, and on February 10, 1853, it passed by a vote of one hundred and twenty-eight to twenty-nine. The name Washington was, however, substituted for Columbia. The bill passed the senate on the second day of March, at which time the population of the new territory was somewhat less than four thousand. President Pierce appointed Isaac Ingalls Stevens, of ]\Lnssachusetts, as governor. IJe was a man eminently fitted for the position. Other official appointments were as follows: C. H. of Rhode Island, secretary; Edward Lander, of Indiana, chief ju.stice; John R. Miller, of Ohio, and Victor Monroe, of Kentucky, associate justices; and J. S. Clendenin, of Louisiana, United States district attorney.

The act which created the territory gave to it an area more than twice as great as was asked for in the memorial, its boundaries being defined as follows : "All that portion of Oregon territory lying and being south of the forty-ninth degree of north latitude, and north of the middle of the main channel of the Columbia river, from its mouth to where the forty-sixth degree of north latitude crosses said river near Fort Walla Walla, thence with said forty-sixth degree of latitude to the summit of tlie Rocky mountains." This included all of the state of Washington as it now stands and also a portion of the present states of Idaho and Montana.

About the last of November Governor Stevens arrived, and issued a proclamation organizing the government of the territory and designating the 30th for the election of a delegate to congress and of members of the territ(jrial legislature, and h'ebruary for the convening of said legislature. Good material for the offices was not wanting, nor a sulticient number ambitious to fill them. Columlnis Lancaster, of Clarke county, was electeil delegate to congress. Although a worthy man in many rcs])ects, he did not prove to be tpialified for the position at such a critical time. Men of fair abilities were elected as legislators, and accomplished their mission creditably. The material jirogress of the territory was slow for several years. The Cascade uDuntains were a great barrier to the extension of settlements eastward.