Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-06-22
Pioneer "reminiscences.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF PUGET SOUND,

lilies. Colonel Simmons had originally
intended to settle in Southern Oregon,
but the evident reluctance of the
agents of the Hudson Bay Company
10 have settlers enter the country
north OF the Columbia river aroused
his curiosity and he determined to ex-
p!ore the country at all events. This
exploration ended in the settlement OF
'HtmwHter and gained for Colonel
Simmons the distinction of being the
first permanent American settler in
Washington Territory. Speaking OF
this and other settlements which i'm
mediately followed, Hon. II. G. Struvc.
in an address to the pioneers. says
In the fall of 1915, Colonel Simmons
started with George Wanch and few
others for this terra incognita. and pro-
curing the services of old Peter Ber-
nier, an old French voyager, and the
servant Of the Hudson Bay Company,
as guide, the party was engaged for a
period of fifteen days in cutting their
way from Cowlitz landing to Tum-
water, distance of fifty-eight miles,
where they arrived late in October,
1915, and where the Colonel took the
claim Of Tumwater, calling it New
market, and the balance of his party
settled in the same neighborhOod, or
what is now known as Bush prairie,
named after George Bush, colored
man, who settled there the same year
and whose generous hospitality to suf-
fering emigrants earned for him the
gratitude and respect of all people and
induced Congress to donate to him the
$40 acres of land upon which he had
settled, and which, under existing
laws discriminating against colored
people. he could not otherwise acquire.
In 1916 Sidney s. Ford, ST., and
Joseph Borst settled at the confluence
of Skookumchuck and Chehalis rivers,
and the same year Edmund Sylvester,
Levi Smith, A. b. Rabbeson and A. NJ.
Poe arrived, and all made
PERMANENT SETTLEMENT.
Mr.. Smith made his residence upon
what afterward became the town site
of Olympia, and which he afterwards
called Springfield, while Mr.. Sylves-
ter, his partner, took his claim on the
edge Of Chambers prairie, until the
sad death of Mr.. Smith by drowning
shortly afterward, when by right Of
survivorship he took the Smith6eld
claim and established and founded the
site of the present capital of this Ter
ritory, the name of Olympia being sug-
gested by the beautiful snow-capped
range constituting the glorious scenery
in full view Of that point. At this
time the provisional government of
Oregon exercised jurisdiction. The
whole Of our Territory constituted the
single county or district of Vancouver,
Of which James Douglas, afterward
Governor OF British Columbia, Colonel
NJ. T. Simmons and Jas. Forrest were
the first county commissioners. Short
ly afterwards the county was divided
by the organization of Lewis county,
embracing all the Territory north Of
the Columbia and west of the Cowlitz
river, and of Clarke county, compris-
ing the balance Of the Territory, with
the crest of the Rocky Mountains con-
stituting its eastern boundary. In
August, 1848, Congress passed the
long delayed act of organizing
THE TERRITORY OF OREGON,
By which the national government for
the first time extended its protection
over these isolated shores, and shortly
afterward the Territorial Government,
with Gen. Lane at its head, was sue
cessfully inaugurated. In the mean
time quite large number of emigrants
had sought and found homes on the
prairies and fertile spots on water
courses and different parts of our Ter
ritory. The discovery of gold in Cali
fornia in 1849 caused, however, a gen.
ersl rush for the mines. Many aban-
doned their farms and neglected TO
SOW or harvest crops. While money
was plenty enough, all Improvements
were suspended and al industrial pur-
suits stagnated and the price Of labor
and produce advanced to exorbitant
rates.
In 1850 Daniel F. Fradford and F.:
A. Chenowith, afterwards justice OF
our Supreme Court, located at the Cas-
cades of the Columbia, and established
there . town of that name.> In the
same year Edward d. Warbass settled
upon the claim at the old Cowlitz land
ing, near the present town OF Toledo,
laid off q town called Warbassport,
opened store and engaged in the for
warding and commission business.
Colonel Isaac N. Ebey, afterwards a
collector of customs, settled on = claim
on WILDLY Island, nearly opposite
Port Townsend, where he resided until
his tragic death at the hands Of the
northern Indians in August, 1856.
In January, 1851, Capt. Lafayette
Balch established the townsite of Port
Steilacoom, taking the name from the
creek just north, now known as Cham
ber's creek, and at the mouth of which
the Touring mill was afterwards erec
ted by Thomas Chambers. In August
1851, Alfred A. Plummer took up 9
claim including Port Hudson and thu
present Port Townsend beach, and the
next year was joined by L. B. Hast
ings and F. w. Pettigrove, who also
Il. X claims, and each contributed 9
port. Il of their claims and dedicated
as town the site Of the present Hour
ishing city OF Port Townsend.