Washington,
A Western frontier State of the
United States, between lat. 45° 40′ and 49° N., and long.
117° and 124° W., is bounded on the north by the
Strait of Juan de Fuca and
British America, east by
Idaho, south by
Oregon, and west by the
Pacific Ocean.
Area, 69,180 square miles, in thirty-six counties.
Population in 1890, 349,390; 1900, 518,103.
Capital,
Olympia.
Juan Perez, in the ship
Santiago, coasts the shore of
Washington and discovers
Mount Olympus, naming it
Santa Rosalia......Aug. 10-11, 1774
Bruno Heceta, at the head of a
Spanish expedition, discovers the mouth of the
Columbia River......1775
Strait of
Juan de Fuca explored and named by
Captain Meares after a Greek mariner of that name......1788
Captain Meares sails from Nootka southward, rediscovers and names
Mount Olympus, and discovers and names
Shoalwater Bay......July 5, 1788
Capt. Robert Gray discovers Gray Harbor, which he names Bulfinch Harbor, and
Columbia River, which he enters......May 11, 1792
Lieutenant Broughton, of the
British navy, ascends
Columbia River about 100 miles......October–November, 1792
Puget Sound discovered, named, and explored by
George Vancouver......April–July, 1792
Lewis and
Clarke United States government exploring expedition descends the
Columbia River, reaching its mouth......Nov. 5, 1805
Capt. Meriwether Lewis explores the coast from
Columbia River to
Shoalwater Bay......Nov. 18, 1805
Astoria, first American settlement on
Pacific coast, established by
John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company......April 12, 1811
Fort Okanagan, built by
David Stuart on the Okanagan, a branch of the
Columbia......August, 1811
Pierre Dorion and two others massacred by Indians on the
Snake River......January, 1814
Fort Walla Walla, on the
Columbia River, built by the Hudson Bay Company......1818
Exploring party under
James McMillan leaves
Astoria, Nov. 18, 1824; ascends the
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Chehalis River to
Black River, thence to
Tumwater Lake; thence by an Indian portage it descends the
Eld Inlet to
Puget Sound......December, 1824
Convention with
Russia at
St. Petersburg, April 5-7, 1824, regulating fishing and trading on the
Pacific coast, and fixing 54° 40′ as the northern boundary of the
United States, ratified......Jan. 12, 1825
Dr. John McLoughlin, of the Hudson Bay Company, moves headquarters from
Astoria to
Vancouver, which thus becomes first settlement in present State of
Washington......1825
Fort Colville built by the Hudson Bay Company at
Kettle Falls, on the
Columbia......1825
Nathaniel J. Wyeth, with twenty-one men, starts from
Boston overland for
Oregon, and with a remnant of his party descends the
Columbia, arriving at
Fort Vancouver......Oct. 29, 1832
Fort Nisqually built by
Archibald McDonald 4 or 5 miles from the mouth of the
Nisqually River.......1833
Mission station established at Waiilatpu, near
Walla Walla, by
the Revs. Whitman,
Spaulding, and
Gray......1836
Lieut. R. E. Johnson, of the
United States exploring expedition, with three men from
Nisqually, visits Forts Okanagan, Colville,
Lapwai, and
Walla Walla, and returns by
Yakima River......May–July, 1841
Michael T. Simmons, with five families, settles at
Tumwater, at the head of
Budd Inlet, naming it
New Market......October, 1845
Congress notifies
Great Britain that the conventions of 1818 and 1827, for joint occupation of
Oregon Territory (including
Washington) will terminate after twelve months......Feb. 9, 1846
Smithfield, afterwards (1850)
Olympia, founded by
Levi L. Smith and
Edmund Sylvester......1846
Indian massacre at the
Presbyterian mission at Waiilatpu;
Dr. M. Whitman and family killed......Nov. 29, 1847
Fort Steilacoom, on
Puget Sound, established......July, 1849
Convention of twenty-six delegates at Cowlitz Landing memorializes Congress for a separate government for “
Columbia” (
Oregon north of the
Columbia)......Aug. 29, 1851
Seattle founded; named from a noted Indian chief......1852
Coal discovered near
Bellingham Bay by
William Pattle......1852
First number of the
Columbian, a weekly newspaper, issued at
Olympia......Sept. 11, 1852
Congress establishes a territorial government for
Washington (
Oregon north of the
Columbia), and confirms titles of lands held by missionary stations before the establishment of
Oregon, not exceeding 640 acres each, to their religious societies......March 2, 1853
T. J. Dryer and party ascend Mount St. Helen, which they discover to be an expiring volcano......1853
Wagon-road opened over the
Cascade Mountains, and thirty-five wagons, with 100 or 200 emigrants, reach
Puget Sound......1853
Henry L. Yesler builds
Puget Sound's first steam saw-mill at
Seattle......1853
I. I. Stevens, appointed governor of the
Territory, arrives at
Olympia, Nov. 26, and organizes the government......Nov. 28, 1853
First federal court held in
Washington at Cowlitz Landing by
Judge Monroe......Jan. 2, 1854
Treaty at Point Elliott, near the mouth of
Snohomish River, with 2,500
Indians, agreeing upon a reservation on the
Lummi River, Jan. 22, and later with the tribes farther north, selecting a reservation about the head of
Hood Canal......January, 1854
Capital fixed at
Olympia by act of legislature......1854
Gold discovered near Fort Colville......1855
Treaty with the
Nez Perces, Cayuses, Walla Wallas, and Yakimas at Waiilatpu, by commissioners from
Governor Stevens......June 11, 1855
Indian war begins; Indians attack eighty-four soldiers under
Maj. G. O. Haller, sent from
Fort Dalles, Oct. 3, for the
Yakima country......Oct. 6, 1855
Three families massacred by Indians in
White River Valley......Oct. 28, 1855
Indians under Leschi,
Owhi, and
Tecumseh, attacking
Seattle, dispersed by shells from the sloop-of-war
Decatur......Jan. 26, 1856
Indians defeated in an attack on troops at
White River......March 8, 1856
Yakimas and Klikitats sweep down
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upon the Cascades, massacre the family of
B. W. Brown, March 26, and besiege the garrison until relieved by troops under
Colonel Wright......March 28, 1856
Leschi, arrested November, 1856, is three times tried for murder and condemned, and is finally hanged......Feb. 19, 1858
Col. George Wright subdues the Coeur d'alenes and Spokanes, and executes treaties of peace at the mission on a branch of the Coeur d'alenes......Sept. 17-23, 1858
Light-house on
Cape Shoalwater, first illuminated......Oct. 1, 1858
First vessel direct from
China to enter
Puget Sound, the
Lizzie Jarvis, arrives and secures a cargo of spars......October, 1858
That part of
Oregon Territory not included in the
State is added to
Washington Territory by Congress......Feb. 14, 1859
Fort Colville established a few miles east of the old Hudson Bay Company's fort......June 20, 1859
First cargo of yellow-fir spars shipped to Atlantic ports of the
United States from
Port Gamble, in the
Lawson, of
Bath, Me......1860
University of
Washington at
Seattle, chartered 1861, opened......1862
Act of Congress approved, organizing as the
Territory of Idaho that part of
Washington east of
Oregon and of the 117th meridian of west longitude......March 3, 1863
Capitol at
Olympia completed......1863
Tacoma, on
Commencement Bay,
Puget Sound, selected as the western terminus of the
Northern Pacific Railroad......1872
[Then the site of a saw-mill and a few cabins.]
Emperor William I. of
Germany, as arbitrator, decides
San Juan dispute, giving islands involved to
United States......Oct. 21, 1872
Walla Walla volunteers go to
Idaho to help United States troops in Nez
Perce Indian war......July, 1877
First settler at
Spokane Falls......1878
Constitutional convention meets at
Walla Walla, June 11, 1878, sits twenty-four days. Constitution ratified by the people......November, 1878
Citizens generally participate in goldspike celebration of completion of Northern Pacific Railroad......September, 1883
Attempts of Knights of Labor to expel the Chinese from
Washington lead to riots.
Governor Squire, by proclamation, calls on citizens to preserve peace, Nov. 5, 1885; and a riot occurring in
Seattle, Feb. 7, 1886, he declares martial law......Feb. 8, 1886
State school for defective youth established at
Vancouver......Jan. 26, 1888
Washington admitted to the
Union......1889
Constitution framed by a convention which meets at
Olympia, July 3; ratified by the people, 40,152 to 11,879.
Articles for woman suffrage and prohibition are rejected......Oct. 1, 1889
President proclaims
Washington a State from......Nov. 11, 1889
Cities of
Seattle,
Spokane, Ellensburg, and
Vancouver visited by disastrous fires......1889
New insane asylum at
Medical Lake erected......1889-90
Legislature passes the Australian ballot bill......March 19, 1890
State normal school established at
Cheney......March 22, 1890
Soldiers' home established at Orting......March 26, 1890
Reform school established at Chehalis......March 28, 1890
State normal school established at Ellensburg......March 28, 1890
Forty-five men buried under 20,000 cubic feet of rock by the premature explosion of a blast at
Spokane Falls......Sept. 7, 1890
New legislative apportionment law, on the census of 1890, enacted by the legislature at special session......Sept. 3-11, 1890
Work begun at excavating for commerce a solid deposit of borax in
Douglas county, 8 1/2 feet thick, 1 1/2 miles long, and 1/2 mile wide, discovered in 1875......1891
Washington Agricultural College and School of Science established at
Pullman......March 9, 1891
New United States naval station established at
Port Orchard......September, 1891
Centennial of the discovery of
Puget Sound celebrated at
Port Townsend......May 7, 1892
Legislative deadlock over election of
United States Senator......1893
State expended about $200,000 for magnificent display at the
World's Columbian Exposition,
Chicago......1893
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University of
Washington reorganized and relocated on new campus of 355 acres within city limits of
Seattle......March 14, 1893
Office for engineer corps of United States army located at
Seattle, having jurisdiction of
Washington,
Alaska,
northern Idaho, and
western Montana......1896
Office of quartermaster's department of the United States army located at
Seattle......1896
New United States army posts located at
Spokane and
Seattle......1896
President Cleveland, by proclamation, increased the forest reserve area in this State to 8,110,080 acres......Feb. 22, 1897
Arrival of steamship
Portland at
Seattle with $750,000 in
Alaska gold-dust precipitated the
Klondike gold rush......July, 1897
Governor Rogers called for the
State's quota (one regiment) of volunteers in the
American-Spanish War, which regiment later achieved a fine reputation in the Philippines......May, 1898
United States assay office located at
Seattle......July, 1898
Mount Rainier National Park created......1899
Power of
Snoqualmie Falls brought by electricity to
Seattle and Tacoma......1900
Pay office of the United States navy established at
Seattle......1901
Port Orchard naval station, enlarged, becomes
Puget Sound navy-yard......July, 1901
First contracts let for work on the United States government canal between
Puget Sound and
Lake Washington......1901
State undertakes work of making a geological survey under auspices of scientists in State University and State Agricultural College......1901
Eighteen salmon fish-hatcheries established and maintained by the
State......1891-1901
West Virginia 
