The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-03-25
Scattered Population in
The Wilderness
No Laws. No Treaties, and
Land Ownership Ignored
First Governor Sees
Primitive Picture
Finds O|ympi. At End Of
Muddy Trail


IF Gov. Stevens wondered why the
people in the Oregon country,
north Of the Columbia river. want
ed to organize their own govern
ment, he could not have been blam-
ed. II certainly was a wild pros
pect that confronted him as he
Travelled through the territory from
Camp Washington to Olympia. The
population was so scattered that
IL was difficult to conceive that
there were within the borders OF
the territory enough persons to
organize a civil government.
There was a small settlement
around Vancouver. Seth Catlin.
DR.. Nathaniel OStrander, the Hunt
ington family. A. S. Abernethy
and Judge William Strong had
settled along or near the Columbia
between Vancouver and the Cow
litx river.
At Cowlitz Landing about rs
miles UP the river were the farms
and settlement of the Hudson's
Bay company operating AZ the
Puget Sound Agricultural compa-
ny. Some of the employees Of the
company had taken claims under
the donation act which gave a hus-
band and wife each 800 acres.
A few OF these settlers had mar
ried Indian wives so that they
might obtain the additional 800
acres. A strange thing about some
Of those marriages Is that they
lasted and descendants OF some Of
those unions are among the
states most prominent citizens
today.
Between C0wlits Landing
and Puget Sound there were
few families whose names arc
well known today. Among
them were John X. Jackson
ON Jackson'A prairie; 5. =.
Sanders, whose donation claim
b now covered with the town
Of Chehans. A few miles 10
the north wns the claim Of
George Washington. n coiored
man on whose farm the town
Of Centralia WAS built.
A little farther TO the north
were Gabriel Jones, William Rut-
ledge. w. o. Bush and David Ken
drick on Bush prairie. David j.
Chambers had settled on the prai-
RE which still bears his name.
James McAllister and William
Packwood were on Nisqually bot
tom. Near Olympia was the Cath
Ollie mission conducted by Fathers
Blanchet and Ricsrd.
Tacoma had not been heard
Of. Stellacoom was . collec-
tion Of few hog houses. Seat
tie was . small community es-
tablished by DIR. ID. s. May
-nard, Henry Yesler and the
Dennyx. Edward Eldridge and
q few companions had settled
NJ what IL now Bellingham.
Gov. Stevens party made the
tedious journey up the Cowlit7
river In canoes manned by In
dians. Heavy rains that fall hac
filled the river and the current
was 20 strong that the canoes
barely crept along.
The road from the Cowlitz &c
Olympia was nothing but a mudd,
trail over which the party trav'
eled on horseback.
II WAS . country without
WAYS Of communication ex-
cept by water. Transporter
ton Was precarious and un-
certain. A monthly steamer
service between San Francis
60 and Vancouver WAS the
most certain and direct con-
tact with the outside world.
The great wooded country with
out roads; the white population
without laws; tribes OF Indiani
without treaties; occupancy q
Hudson's Bay company in dispute
combined to make a problem thai
would have daunted the heart OF
person less courageous than Gov
Stevens.
Adding TO the difficulty was ths
confusion resulting from the loos'
administration of the donation
land act. Congress passed the Law
and then seemed TO forget soou
the responsibility of its admins
tration. Much of the land Wal
surveyed without consideration 70
the rights Of the Indians or IN
Hudson'a BaY company. II wa