Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-06-09
PIONEERS REJOICE.
DUNGENESS SETTLERS CELE-
BRATE so YEARS AGO.
Roll-Call Reveals Much Loss-Many Who
Wrestled With the Savage Foe and Subjusatsd
the Soil Have Passed Away-Reminiscences
Of the By.Gone Days.

wrestled With the Savage Foe and Subusated
the Soil Have Passed Away-Reminiscence
Of the By.Gone Days.
Correspondence Pust-Intclligcnrcr.
June lst was gala day at Dunge-
ness. on our nOthern border, the oc-
caslon being the semi.centennial cele-
bration of the first white settlement
in Clallam county.
At the close of the exercises of the
day the old settlers held meeting,
when roll call showed many absent,
some having crossed the great divide,
while number were sick and unable
to attend. A resolution was passed to
telegraph Gov. Mead to congratulate
President Roosevelt in behalf. OF the
old settlers on touching the button
opening the Lewis and Clark exposi.
ton.
The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: President,
Frank Balch; Vice President, Alex
ander Henderson; Secretary, Donald
Mclnnes; Treasurer, Frank Lotz-
geselle; Historian, Mrs. Isabelle Bur.
rows. Twelve new members were ad.
mitted, all of whom have resided in
the Northwest thirty years or more.
Delegates were elected to attend the
reunion of pioneers to take place at
Seattle June 80. as follows: Frank
Balch, Donald McInnis, James Bur-
rows. The meeting then adjourned
to meet the first Saturday in June,
1906.
An old-fashioncd clambake was then
held, tables being spread in a grove,
and the numerous visitors were in-
vited to partake. Tables were pre-
sided over by the wives and daughters
OF pioneers, and at least 1000 people
were served with good things, the pro-
duct of the fertile soil of Dungeness
Valley. Baseball, horse.racing, trot-
ting and foot-races occupied the day,
and 8 grand dance in the evening
marked the close. The hall was
crowded with the fairest daughters
and sons of the hardy pioneers who
through their industry have reclaimed
this vast section from q bowling will
derness to waving fields and grazing
lands.
In the year 1850 few of the hardy
pioneers OF the West, who had for
saken the peaceful firesides OF their
Eastern homes and journeyed across
the plains, Drawing dangers and en-.
during hardships, reached the great
Northwest, only to find that their
greatest hardships had just COM
menced and the greatest dangers yet
confronted them in the way OF hewing
out home for themselves and at the
same time guarding against attacks
| tAoui VIC Auuioury "uO III tuOoo uhyH
were both savage and treacherous.
The Clallam tribe OF Indians was
not so dangerous as we're the British
Columbia Indians, who frequently
crossed the Strait in canoe and not
only preyed upon the Clallam Indians
but the whites as we'll. These raids
OF the British Columbia Indians were
made at intervals of from three to six
months apart, their object being to
carry off members of the Clallam
tribe to the British side, where they
were made slaves. During these raids
tho white settlers were plundered and
their homes devastated.
However, nothing daunted the
hardy pioneers. Dungeness bay looked
good to them, and the beautiful little
Dungeness river, with its fertile banks
and its bountiful supply Of trout, was
quite alluring, so they determined to
take all chances and brave all dangers
in making for themselves home at its
mouth.
When the settlement was made
there Washington was not in exist.
ence, but this vast section was known
as the Territory of Oregon, and what
is now Clallam county was a portion
of Jefferson county. After Oregon
was made q State, with Columbia river
as its northern boundary and the new
Territory Of Washington was created,
Jefferson county was cut in two, and
that portion bordering on the Strait
Of Juan de Fuca and extending TO the
Pacific ocean was called Clallam coun.
ty.
This vast section in those days was
an Indian paradise. Elk, deer and
bear were plentiful. Its streams and
numerous lakes swarmed with trout,
while its valleys and mountains were
luxuriant with vegetation to say moth.
ing of the vast area of marketable tim
Der.
But since the settlement by the
whites a great transformation has been
wrought. Its valleys have been con-
verted into farms, while in its forests
numerous shingle mills and logging
camps are in active operation. Its
lakes and mountain retreats are now
utilized as summer resorts, where hun
dreds of people from all sections of the
Northwest and British Columbia take
their outing. Each year adds to the
popularity of this section, and the