Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-01-13
OLYMPIA, SATURDAY MORNING, JIM. IS, 1872
EARLY HISTORY OF OLYMPIA.

EARLY HISTORY OF OLYMPIA.
1t has been said that ono must go abroad
to ascertain the history Of community, and
the adage finds verifcation in the follow
ing synopsis of incidents connected with
the infancy Of our town for which We are
indebted to the Ncm Northrcst:
Tie land claim on which is situated the town
Of Olympia was settled on by Mr.. Edmund Syl-
vcstcr in the year Of lSi6. At that time the
whole Puget Sound country was a perfect will
derness, excepting the settlements Of the IIud-
son Bay Company at Nisqually, then in charge
OF DR.. ". T. Tolmie, and a few pioneer settlers
at Tumwater and the praries south of
Olympia, who came in the year before. Mr.
Sylvester resided here three years alone,
and in lS49 went to the gold mines of Califor-
mia. Returning early in 1850, he found several
new corners, among whom were three or four
families, and shortly after his return he had
the town surveyed and laid out. One or two
stores were soon started, which supplied sew
eral numbering camps, and the brig q. ". Ktn-
ddH, Captain A. B. Cove, was placed on the
ronte between Olympia and San Francisco,
and profitable business started in furnishing
the California market with spars and piles. A
large village Of Indians was situated along the
bank of the bay, on the west side of the town.
The road TO Tumwater was not open until
1850 and the first bridge was finished the sue
cceding winter. All the other roads and
bridges were later undertakings. The Custom
House district was organized at Olympia, No
vember 10, ISIS. =. Moses, Collector. A
weekly mail horseback and canoc) service
from the Columbia river was first established
in lS5l-Messrs. Yantis and Rabbeson con-
tractors. The Down-Sound mails were first
carried in 1854 by the steamer Major Tompkins,
Captain j. s. Hunt the same steamer was
shortly after wrecked while going into Victo-
ria barbOr, and she was succeeded for the two
years following by the steamer Traveller, Cap.
tain J. G. Parker. The first newspaper, The
Columbian, printed north of the Columbia
river was issued on the lth of September,
1852, at Olympia, by Mcssrs. Wiley Il Neil
roy. The Methodist denomination had a resi-
dent preacher at that time, but the French
Catholics built the first church in 1852. The
first school-house was built in 1853, the same
being constructed at the expense of and
through the enterprise of the ladies. The
first wharf was built in 1854, by Mr.. Edward
Giddings. The present site remains the land
ing of the ocean and Sound steamers. In the
fall OF 1853, General I. l. Stevens, then re-
Gently appointed Governor of Washington
Territory and Superintendent Of Indian affairs,
arrived overland with his party of surveyors
and engineers, then in the interest of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company. In 1853
Olympia was made the Capital of Washing ton
Territory, and has remained so.
These incidents are in the main cor.
rectly stated, but some errors in names
and dates We have taken the liberty of
correcting in the republication as it here
appears. The first bridge was not built
Till 1854, aud Mr.. Yantis was not ono of
the mail contractors in 1851, as he did not
arrive in this Territory until two years
later. The first school. house was built by
the citizens, and not the ladies' as stated
above, (the present imposing structure
being the edi6ce designed and executed by
thsm) and was oue-story building built
with poles for studding aud rafters, aud
"shakes" instead of weather. boards. The
building fell under pressure of snow, in
the winter Of 1858. a few hours after
school was dismissed for the day.
The Columbian, was first printed 10 a
small building Immediately opposite the
present site Of the STANDARD, belonging
to Mr.. A. NJ. Poe, which has long since
disappeared. The name of the Columbian
was 10 its second volume changed to Tile
Pioneer. A few years later Mr.. r. l..
Doyle brought the material for another
newspaper to be called the Northrest
Democrat, but it was merged into the
Pioneer which afterwards appeared a, the
lr0"eer and Democrat. This journal con.
tinued publication until 1861, having en-.
joyed a monopoly of the public printing du.
ring its whole existence and made fortunes
for its publishers, but who, with single
exception, failed to reap any substantial
benefit from their enterprise. The mate
rial afterwards passed into the hands sue
cessively Of A. NJ. Poe, Poe l. Watson.
Wilson 4 Head, B. F. Kendall, Abbott 4
Co., and was used by all Of these firms in
the publication of the Overland Pre.s a
simi-weekly paper, the first number of
which was issued, in 1862. The name
was changed to Pacific Tribune, in 1864.
aud its publication continued by r. II