The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-11-03
Here's How n
Happened
Name Of Sisis Wss
An Afier-Thouehi
Question Cones 10
Every Nov. u

thought Nov. IL TO the oh..rv.ne,
OF the fdty-third anniversary a
Washington statehood Is this:
How did 1t happen that Wash.
ington Il the only state IN IN.
union named for q president o,
the United States ?"
The answer begins with :
Fourth Of July celebration IN
Olympia in 1851.
At that time what In now IA.
state OF Washington was a part
OF Oregon territory. The seat a.
government was south Of the Co
lumbia river. The Puget Sound
country was a sort Of N Orphan
Annie" forgotten except when a
favor was desired by the Columbia
river folks. That was not often.
for the territory south Of the
river seemed to be sufficient to
itself.
At the Fourth OF July celebra-
ton at Olympia in 1851. John
Chapman, Of Steilscoom. was the
orator Of the day. and he devoted
most Of his talk to protest
against the treatment accorded
the territory north of the Column
bia river. In that he struck
popular note. At the conclusion
Of his address an Informal meet
ing was held and delegates elect
ed to q convention to be held at
Cowlitz Landing for the purpose
Of preparing an appeal to congress
for the creation Of a new terri
tory north of the Columbia river.
The Cowlitz convention met FRI
day and Saturday. Aug. 20 and
30, 1851. The delegates were
unanimous in demanding a new
deal. They approved a petition
asking that new territory be
formed north of the Columbia
river and according them the same
protection, rights and privileges
that were enjoyed by residents Of
the south part Of the territory. |
Among other things the petition
set forth that the inhabitants
north Of the Columbia river re-
ceive no benefit or convenience
whatever from the territorial gov
eminent Of Oregon as now admin
istered. They PRESIDENTS north Of
the Columbia) maintain positively |
that IL costs more for a citizen in
the north Of Oregon Territory to |
travel to q clerks office or to
reach a district judge than 1t does
for man to travel from st.
Louis, Mo-, to Boston, Mass, and
back. and much longer. It is true
that Judge Strong federal ter
ritorial judge) resides on the
north bank of the Columbia river,
but in such a position and obscure
situation near Astoria that he
cannot be reached under any
emergency under several days
travel from the interior
The petition was sent to Joseph |
Lane, territorial delegate in con-
gress from Oregon, and he at once |
started the machinery to create
the new territory Of Columbia
Because of the distance from the
national capital and the meager
means of communication, the
people out here were not able TO
keep In close touch with what
happened in congress and tney
lost all track Of the bill. So. on
another Fourth of July celebra-
ton in 1852, also held at Olympia,
the people elected delegates 10 a
second convention to b held al
Monticello NOV Longvew) Nov.
rs. This action followed . speech
by Daniel R. Bigelow. father OF
Mrs. w. p. Bonney. Like Chap
man the year before. Bigeiow
pointed out the unfaif situation In
which the residents north Of the
Columbia river were placed and
the call for the second convention
followed as a matter of course.
In the meantime Delegate Lane
had not neglected the petition
from the Cowlitz convention. Ac-
cording to the records he pushed
the matter along as fast as he
could. While the petition from
the Monticello convention was
travelling across the country to
him he introduced a resolution di-
recting the committee on territor-
les to report by bill or other
wise" on the Cowlitz petition.
The committee in a few days
reported a bill creating "Colum-
bia territory north OF the Coiun-
bia river. The bill came before
the house Feb. s. 1882. and Lane
made a vigorous appeal for its
passage. When he concluded
Representative Richard H. Stan
ton Of Kentucky moved TO amend
the bill by changing the name
from Columbia to Washington
as an honor to the Father Of His
Country" Lane accepted the
amendment and the bill was quick
ly passed II was signed by Presi-
dent Fillmore Aarch 2. 1883.
That's the story OF how Wash
ington state came 70 be named
after a president of the United
nHF