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 [554] 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 [555] 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 [556]
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
