Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-02-22

The following article, headed
Observation-Disclosures and Annals of
Settlement" is taken from the issue
of The Washington Standard for so
years ago today, February %, 1868,
and is the first of a series Of articles
on the subject:
ION the Goth day of October. 1916,
Edmund Sylvester of Deer Isle. state
of Maine, commenced the occupation
of the claim upon which the town Of
Olympia, as originally located, is sit
uated. He erected his cabin on the
point of land about two miles from
the extreme head of Budd's Inlet, the
southernmost arm or branch of Puget
Sound, at what may be styled the
head of navigation of that remark
able inland sea, the great special fea-
ture of Washington territory, and by
the way of the Sound and Strait Of
Juan de Fuca, about 200 miles from
the entrance of the latter into the
Pacific ocean. It's altitude is Al de-
grees IS minutes west.
"Budd's inlet, upon both sides OF
which the incorporated town OF
Olympia is now located, is six miles
long, three-quarters of mile wide,
and lies almost due north and south.
Its shores are bluff and heavy-tim-
bered, and a vast mud fiat covered
with oyster beds bounds the water
front of Sylvester's claim on the
north and west, which is bare at low
water for nearly a mile north Of his
location, excepting two narrow chan
nels. The maximum digcrence be-
tween the highest and lowest tides is
neary "a feet. On the west side Of
the inlet a depth of three fathoms at
the lowest stage Of water can be car
ried to within one and half miles
of the wharves; on the east side with
one fathom to within a mile.
THE sandy point at the north end
of Mr.. Sylvester's claim, now the foot
of Main street, was the north termi-
nus of small tract containing about
two acres of land, bare at extreme
high water and devoid of that heavy
timber and underground which uni
versally lines Puget Sound and skirts
the rivers emptying into it. A bayou.
extensive at high water, now crossed
by the bridge connecting Swans ad-
dition with the town proper, bound
ed the claim on the northeast and
when the tide was up it left the land
bare at high water, an ill-resem-
blance to the shape Of bears head
and back, on the east. from which
circumstance, Indians have stated,
arose the native name of "Schicht-
woot," which in the "Squally" dia-
lect means bear.
"Other Indians have stated, and
with much more apparent reason,
that such name was conferred in
consequence OF the abundance Of
bears found here In the marshy
ground which furnished them food.
Both statements have been made, the
latter most frequently, and it is
deemed by the old settlers as the
true reason for the above euphonious
name, which Sylvester perpetrated
by ascribing as the name to the first
specimen of naval architecture built
upon these waters.
The first building was the log
cabin of the proprietor, about 16
feet square, erected on the spot i'm
mediately south of the site of the
present Tacoma house, adjacent to
and west of the lot on which Is now
erected the restaurant of A. B. Rab-
beson on Main street, half way be-
tween Second and Third streets. AT
that time the town had not been laid
out and a considerable portion stood
on what now constitutes Main street
! The heavy timber came we'll down
towards Second street, especially on
, the westside of Main street, and skirt
ing the Sound from about Third
street southwark.
"At this time (1846-O Mr.. Syl-
vester had no white neighbors nearer
than Tumwater. then called New