The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-03-17
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
(By Edna Working.)

a
Crhe following is the second of three
themes written by 18th grade pupils of th'
Oroville schools that are published be.
cause OF their exceptional merito
Washington, that name we know st
\ well, occupies the northwestern part OF
II the United States. between the 18th anC
46th parallels. 1t Is in favorable posi-
ton. for it borders along the Pacific
coast on the west, British Columbia. a
province of Canada. on the north. Idaho
on the east and Oregon on the south
II Another advantage for being in such a
position is that it is nearest of all the
states to Alaska Japan and China. and
thus Is on "A great highway of commerce
The form of the state looks like one
big rectangle with one corner missing.
The greatest length east and west is
$50 miles and the greatest width north
and south is 240 miles The area, 69,l21
square miles. is about the same as North
Dakota. The population in 1915 was
l.47lO43. Almost two thirds of the peo-
pie five west of the Cascades. which al
most divides the state into two parts.
Three fourths of them are Americans and
the Indians number about 10000. but
they live mostly on reservations. Like
other states. Washington has quite a
number of immigrants from European
countries.
Washington now busy in her indus
tries, that of farming and shipping. might
look back to the time when she was first
settled. Spain began to explore along
the Pacific coast and one OF her men was
Juan Perez, who sailed as far as Sitka.
in l77t. English explorers were Captain
Cook. who sailed along the coast in ITS
and Lieutenant Meares who named Mt.
Olympus. He called it a home fit for the
gods. Juan Perez had named II Santa
Rosalia Captain Vancouver explored
Puget sound and Captain Gray discovered
the Columbia river and named 1t after his
ship columbia.
The wife of Captain Barclay. fur
trader. was the first civilized woman to
visit these shores. One day "A youth nam
ed Baker pointed out to Vancouver "a
beautiful snow capped peak. He named
IT,, Mount Baker. In similar ways other
peaks were named. such as Mount Rainier
in honor of Peter Rainier and Mount
Hood for Peter Hood.
Another important expedition was that
Of Lewis and Clarke. They were both
EirginianS and devoted friends. Inc
party assembled the Missouri River and
at a Mandan Indian village they met
Sacajawea, the Bird Woman. to whom
n the success of the expedition was given.
They followed the Missouri and explored
n a river now named the Snake river. They
followed the Snake river I'd. the Columbia
and then to the sea and the great north
west was open for all time. No spirit OF
bravery is greater than that OF SAGA
iawea's for she was their guide. After
/ the people began coming west for the fur
trade Spain had given up her claims.
Washington was then included In the
Oregon territory. Later. Isaac /. stevens
was the first territorial governor and
when Washington was made state on
anon . y, "a
n first state governor.
One of the many missionaries in the
west was Marcus Whitman. whose fam
Gus ride caused a great migration west
ward. When Sylvester founded the town
of Olympia It consisted of eleven huts.
The climate differs in eastern and
western Washington for the prevailing
winds coming from the ocean lose theit
vapor In passing over the Olympic and
Cascade mountains, thus making it damp
and rainy on the western side and dry
according to elevation, on the eastern
side.
The western half lies in the Pacific
mountain province consisting of the coast
range and the Cascade range. The east
ern half has a part of the Rocky noun
tains on the north and on the center and
south the Columbia plateau province.
The most prominent feature of the state
is the Cascade range which extends north
and south through the centa. OF the
state. 1t consists of many sno~-capped
peaks and glaciers. Some Of The peaks
are Mt. Baker 1887 feet; Mt. Rainier
i4.363; Mt Adams. 12.47o feet Mt. 81
,Helens 10000 feet and Glac,er peak
TO- 36 feet
Other mountains are the Olympics, a
rugged mass of peaks in The extreme
western part and the Blue tnorint,ins In
the south eastern part. The okaaosan
highlands. in the northern rar- reach
heights OF 5000 feet above sea level 9th
er hills are the Rattlesnake am Sadie
back mountains and Wenatchse Hills.
The soil is mixture of lava, sea sand
and river silt. The western half IS CHIEF
~ glacial while the eastern half Is