Chapter 18: Hawaii

This chapter talks about the rich culture of Hawaii. It also points out all the different contributors to its successful economy. Tourism is the main contributor to this success and I want to look at how tourism affects Washington State.

 "The tourism industry in Washington State employs 143,800 people, creates $4.3 billion in earnings (payroll), generates total direct visitor spending of $15.2 billion and generates $1 billion state and local tax revenue..."

"Tourism Matters" is a campaign by the state to exemplify the importance of tourism to its economy. Their website states tourism facts:

Tourism is a major industry in Washington State
According to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) produced, tourism ranks 4th as an industry, following software, aerospace and agriculture & food.

Tourism means business
it supports existing companies
it stimulates new business development

Tourism supports jobs
Nearly 150,000 jobs and $4.2 billion in earnings in Washington State
In six non-urban Washington counties, travel-related jobs are more than 10% of total employment

Tourists spend money
Total direct visitor spending was $14.2 billion in 2009

Tourists pay taxes
Nearly $1 billion in local/state tax revenue in 2009

Tourism pays for itself…and then some
Hotel/motel taxes support:
Convention center construction
Arts and cultural institutions
Low income housing
Transportation projects
Community centers

Washington's urban and rural areas work together to maximize tourism benefit
Big cities are gateways to rural attractions
Rural areas are more dependent on tourism
(Travel spending generates 15% of local sales tax and hotel/motel taxes in 8 rural counties)

The campaign aims to generate awareness around everything the state has to offer.

Sources:

"Tourism Matters to Washington." Experience WA. Washington State Tourism Commission. Web. 1 May 2011. <http://www.experiencewa.com/industry/Research/Documents/Facts%20and%20Figures/R_TourismMatters2009.pdf>.

Why Tourism Matters. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://www.whytourismmatters.com/trivia.html>.

 

Chapter 16: The North Pacific Coast

This chapter actually talks about Seattle and its metropolitan area. Like my other blogs, it talks about how abundant the state is with businesses. The chapter talks about how Boeing helped the state's economy. I will delve more into the history of the company and how it played a role during the World Wars.

The Boeing Company was founded in Seattle, Washington on July 15, 1916 by William E. Boeing as a multinational aerospace and defense corporation.

On May 9, 1917, the company became the "Boeing Airplane Company" and later supplied training seaplanes to the US Navy when World War I started in 1917. Boeing shipped 2 new Model C planes to Florida, which the Navy liked very much and they ordered 50 more of.



Boeing seaplane Model C

When the war ended in 1918, there had been a surplus of cheap, used military planes, which prevented airplane companies such as Boeing to sell brand new planes. This caused some airplane companies to close down, but Boeing used this opportunity to branch out and build dressers, counters, furniture, and flat-bottom boats called Sea Sleds.

 

In 1923, Boeing began a competition against Curtiss Aeroplane to capitalize on government air mail contracts. They were competing to build a larger and faster aircraft. Curtiss finished its design first and was awarded the contract by the U.S Army Air Service. Boeing continued to develop its PW-9 fighter.

 



PW-9



In 1925, the company built its Model 40 mail plane for the US government to use in airmail routes. Model 40A was the improved version of the Model 40 and won the U.S. Post Office's contract to deliver mail between San Francisco and Chicago.

 

 During World War II, Boeing built a large number of B-17 and B-29 bombers. Many of the workers were women whose husbands had gone to war.

 



B-17 Flying Fortress



B-29 Superfortress



Other aircraft companies in the US cooperated in building the Boeing-design B-17 bomber to cope with the high demands of the war. After the war, most orders of the bombers were cancelld and 70,000 people lost their jobs at Boeing.

 

As a result of these layoffs, Boeing delved into the development of jet-engine technology.

 

Sources:

"Boeing." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 May 2011. h<ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing>.

"Boeing Company." United States History. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1832.html>.

 

Chapter 15: California

As said in the chapter, automobiles play a big role in the urbanization of California. As a result of the abundance of cars, pollution is present. Just like California, Washington's main source of air pollution are motor vehicles.

 "More than 50% of Washington's residents suffer from at least one medical condition that is made worse by air pollution." Greenhouse gases are also produced by motor vehicles. These greenhouse gases cause climate change, which then cause various weather events such as snow pack, low summer stream flows, more winter flooding. These gases also cause increased coastal erosion, reduced water supplies, and further loss of salmon habitat.

The Northwest Clean Air Agency (NWCAA) is one of the seven regional air quality control agencies located throughout the state. It was established in 1967 to enforce federal, state, and local air pollution regulations in certain counties in the state. NWCAA regulates over 425 sources of air pollution ranging from large refineries to gas stations to home fireplaces and wood stoves.

Source:

Northwest Clean Air Agency. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://www.nwcleanair.org/about/who.htm>.

"Washington's Vehicle Emission Check Program - Diesel Information Deisel - Exhaust - Vehicle Emissions - Emmisions - Emissioons - Ecology - Motor Vehicles - Clean Cars." Washington State Department of Ecology | Home Page | ECY WA DOE. Web. 30 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/cars/automotive_pages.htm>.

Chapter 14: The Southwest Border Area: Tricultural Development

The Southwest is made up of a mixture of Spanish American, American Indian, and European American cultures. The architecture, food, crops, names, and activities are all influenced by these cultures. The cultural heritage in Washington State is a mixture of agricultural, maritime, industrial, and high-tech influences. The state is a land rich with loggers and farmers, ranchers and cowboys, fishermen and sailers, high-tech visionaries and ambitious enterpreneurs. "This is where commercial aviation took flight. It's where computer technology was transformed from a science fiction abstraction in the minds of most Americans into an everyday tool. It's also the place where some of the planet's coolest rock stars and greatest songwriters picked up their first guitars and found an audience."

The state is a mixture of Native people, people of Latino, European, Asian, and African decent. Its maritime, agricultural, and industrial influences formed its cultural and historical character. American Indian tribes have influenced the state's culture the most because of its arrival to the area thousands of years ago. Indian tribes still live on 26 reservations. Their traditions are shown at tribal centers, galleries, and museums around the state.

The Nisqually Tribe resides in the western are of the state. They live on a reservation in the Nisqually River valley near the river delta. They speak the Lushootseed language, which is the traditional tongue of the Nisqually and neighboring tribes. The tribe's ancestors are believed to have trekked north from the Great Basin and traversed the Cascade Mountains.

The tribe's culture is based in the natural environment, in particular species of salmon and the red cedar. They harvested shellfish, hunted, and raised horses. They are also known to be very peaceful. They dismiss notions of war between other tribes in Western Washington. They known as a fishing tribe. Salmon is the mainstay of their diet and the foundation of their culture.

Sources:

"::: American Indians of the Pacific Northwest :." ::: UW Libraries Digital Collections :::. Web. 30 Apr. 2011. <http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/thrush.html>.

"Appreciate Washington Arts, Culture & Heritage." Washington The State. Web. 30 Apr. 2011. <http://www.experiencewa.com/experience-washington/arts-culture-and-heritage/appreciate-washington-arts-culture-and-heritage.aspx>.

"Nisqually Indian Tribe." United States History. Web. 30 Apr. 2011. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1561.html>.

Chapter 13: The Empty Interior

Irrigation in the Empty Interior is necessary, which causes limited water supply in te area. Irrigation in Washington state is necessary for the production of most of the crops in the east of the Cascade Mountains. The term "The Evergreen State" is used to describe the state, but should only really refer to the western side of the state. "The Cascade Mountain Range effectively drains most of the moisture from the atmosphere onto the west side of the mountains leaving the east side with plenty of sunshine, but very little rainfall."

Supplemental irrigation is necessary during the warm summer months of June, July, and August in the western side of the state. The primary water sources for Eastern Washington are the Columbia, Yakima, and Snake River watersheds.



Snake River Watershed



The Columbia Basin Project provides irrigation water to farmers in Eastern WA State. The construction started in 1936, but it the other half of the project has not been done. The transformation of Eastern WA from a desert to a productive agricultural community went on from 1945 to 2008.

Sources:

"Grand Coulee Dam Columbia Basin Irrigation Project Ice Age Floods." Ice Age Floods-Discover Glacial Lake Missoula and Lake Bonneville. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. <http://hugefloods.com/GrandCoulee.html>.

Maasakkers, Tijs V. "The Role of Science in Water Management in." 13 May 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. <http://web.mit.edu/dusp/epp/music/pdf/tijsfirstyearpaper.pdf>.

Snake River Watershed Task Force. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. <http://snakerivertaskforce.org/>.

"Washington Irrigation." Irrigation in the Pacific Northwest. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. <http://irrigation.wsu.edu/Content/Washington-Irrigation.php>.

Chapter 12: The Great Plains And Prairies

The Great Plains have experienced severe weather that have altered vegetation and agriculture in the area. Washington State has been famous for being very abundant with rain and snow. I have found that top 10 weather events in the state in the 20th century.

10. November 1990 - Statewide Flooding

* Widespread, major flooding on western Washington rivers, especially the rivers of northwest Washington, and several eastern Washington rivers

* Two deaths

* Damage estimated $250 million

* Interstate 90 Lake Washington floating bridge sank during this flooding event

* Stands as the highest flood of record for many northwest Washington rivers including the Elwha, Cedar, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Snohomish, and Stillaguamish
 

9. January/February 1916 - Seattle's Greatest Snowstorm

* Seattle recorded its maximum snowfall ever in a 24 hour period, 21.5" on Feb 1^st

* Other parts of western Washington received between 2 to 4 feet of snow

* Winds created snow drifts as high as 5 feet

* Region was crippled, transportation essentially halted

* Seattle Jan snowfall was 23", Feb snowfall 35", total 58 "
 

8. February 1996 - Widespread Flooding in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho

* Major major flooding on rivers of western and southeast Washington

* Widespread flooding on rivers across much of Oregon

* Major flooding in northern Idaho

* Damage region wide estimated $800 million

* Three deaths in Washington state alone

* Highest flood of record on many southwest Washington rivers, most notably the Chehalis, Skookumchuck, and Nisqually
 

7. April 5, 1972 - Washington's Deadliest Tornado Outbreak

* An F3 tornado touched down in Vancouver

* 6 deaths and 300 injured, Washington led nation in tornado deaths that year

* Tornado swept through a grocery store, bowling alley, and grade school near where Vancouver Mall is today

* 50 million dollars in damage

* Later that day, another F3 tornado touched down west of Spokane

* And an F2 tornado struck rural Stevens county

* Numerous severe thunderstorms with large hail and damaging winds were reported over other areas of eastern Washington
 

6. March 1, 1910 - Stevens Pass Avalanche

* The deadliest avalanche in U.S. history occurred near Stevens Pass

* Two trains were swept off the tracks into a ravine, claiming 96 lives.
 

5. May 18, 1980 - Eruption of Mount St. Helens

* Over 60 lives lost from the eruption and ensuing mud flow on the Toutle river

* Sent an ash plume into parts of Eastern Washington and beyond

* The ash fell like snow, drifting as deep as two feet, crushing crops, halting transportation, and causing schools and businesses to close

* A national monument was formed in the wake of the event
 

4. August 20 - September 9, 1910 - Massive Forest Fires in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho

* Three million acres of timber were scorched

* Conflagration created its own weather. Ships in the Pacific Ocean were lost in the smoke, which also reached the Atlantic seaboard

* The flames claimed 85 lives -- 72 of them firefighters
 

3. January 13, 1950 - The January 1950 Blizzard

* 21.4" of snow fell in Seattle on the 13^th together with winds of 25-40 MPH, the 2^nd greatest 24 hour snowfall recorded

* Claimed 13 lives in the Puget Sound area

* During Jan, 18 days with high temps 32 degrees or lower

* The winter of 1949-50 the coldest winter on record in Seattle - average temp 34.4 degrees

* Eastern Washington, North Idaho, and parts of Oregon were paralyzed - lower elevation snow depths ranged up to 50 inches and temperatures plunged into minus teens and twenties. Several dozen fatalities.
 

2. May/June 1948 - Greatest Spring Snowmelt Flooding

*Widespread flooding in northern Idaho, eastern Washington and along the Columbia river to the Pacific Ocean

* Columbia River below Priest Rapids WA, Flood of Record 458.65 FT (FS 432.0 FT)

* Lake Pend Oreille near Hope ID, Flood of Record 2071.2 FT (FS 2063.5 FT)

* Pend Oreille River below Albeni Falls, ID Flow of Record 160000 CFS (FF 100 kCFS)

* Methow River at Pateros WA, Flood of Record stage > 12.30 FT (FS 10.0 FT)

* St. Joe River at Calder, ID Flood of Record 18.10 FT (FS 13.0 FT)

May 30, 1948 - Vanport Flood

* America's largest war-time housing project wiped out in less than one hour as dikes along the Columbia river near Portland gave way

* Vanport never came back and is now Delta Park area of north Portland

* Vancouver, Camas, Kalama, Kelso/Longview also suffered flooding

* Flood lasted 45 days
 

And the top weather event for Washington state from 1900 - 1999 was:
 

1. October 12, 1962 - The Columbus Day Wind Storm

* The mother of all wind storms this century, the wind storm all others are compared to

* Strongest widespread non-hurricane wind storm to strike the continental U.S. this century

* Struck from northern California to British Columbia

* Claimed 46 lives, blew down 15 billion, yes, 15 billion board feet of timber ($750 million worth - 1962)

* Total property damage in the region $235 million

* Recorded wind speeds (before power went out)

Naselle - Gust to 150 MPH Bellingham and Vancouver - Gust 92 MPH

Renton - Gust 100 MPH Morrison St Bridge - Gust 116 MPH

Tacoma - Gust 88 MPH Troutdale - Gust to 106 MPH

Mt Hebo - Gust to 131 MPH

Honorable Mentions:
 

May 31, 1997 - Severe Weather/Tornado Outbreak

* A record six tornados touched down in Washington in one day

* Former record was 4 tornados in 1989 for the entire year

* Four F1 tornados hit Stevens and Spokane counties in northeast Washington

* Two F0 tornados touched down in western Washington - Vancouver and Tacoma

* An F1 tornado also struck Athol and an F0 was observed near Lewiston in Idaho

* In addition, severe thunderstorms produced large hail up to 2 to 3 inches in diameter, heavy rain and flash flooding, and wind gust to near 80 mph

* No deaths or injuries reported

* Washington had a record 14 tornados reported in the state for the year
 

January 20, 1993 - The Inauguration Day Wind Storm

* Claimed 5 lives, 3/4 million homes and businesses without power

* Total damage in western Washington, $130 million

* Winds in Puget Sound area - gusts 60-70 MPH

Cape Disappointment - gust to 98 MPH
 

November 19,1996 - Spokane Area Ice Storm

* Up to a half inch of ice deposited or accreted on trees, vehicles, buildings, etc., across much of the populated areas of Spokane and Kootenai counties

* Over 100,00 homes and businesses lost power, some people without power for up to 14 days

* Damage estimated at over 22 million dollars and 4 fatalities
 

1976-77 - Worst Drought in Pacific Northwest history

* Crop yields well way below normal

* Region wide water rationing and power consumption restrictions

* Area ski resorts were closed for much of the 76-77 ski season

* Significant economic impacts throughout from this event
 

October 16, 1991 - Spokane Area Urban Interface Wildfire

* Strong winds combined with very dry conditions

* Multiple fires started by downed power lines and other sources

* 2 lives were lost, 100 homes were damaged or destroyed
 

August 1967 - Eastern Washington/Northern Idaho Heat Wave

* Spokane had 11 consecutive days with 90 degrees and warmer

* Lewiston Idaho observed 11 consecutive days with 100 degree plus heat

Source:

"National Weather Service - NWS Portland." National Weather Service - Western Region Headquarters. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. <http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/paststorms/washington10.php>.



Chapter 11: The Agricultural Core

The agricultural contribution of Washington state is significant in the nation as they ranked 16th overall in 2007 with $6.8 billion total value of products sold. 12 percent of the gross state product is attributed to agricultural production, processing, and marketing. Apples have recently overtaken wheat and dairy products as the state's leading commodity. As I have mentioned in an earlier blog post, more than half of the nation's apple crop is produced in the state.

Crops grown are very diverse depending on where in the state it is harvested. The climate and soils in the eastern and western parts of the state allow farmers to grow different crops. The eastern side has larger farms, which produce wheat and barley, potatoes, fruit, and vegetables. The western side has smaller farms and produce dairy products, poultry, and berries.

This success in farming is in danger due to the loss of farmland. The state had about 14.8 million acres of farms in 2009 compared to about 16.5 million acres in 1982 and 18 million in 1950. "The pressure to convert farmland to urban and suburban uses is substantial because farmland is usually easy to develop, and it is difficult to make a living from a small farm."

"Farmers in Washington State face the following:

• Loss of traditional advantages like adequate water, low electricity rates, efficient transportation system.
• Increasing competition for water, related to the protection of endangered salmon, demand related to new development for limited water rights, and increasing costs associated with environmental regulations such as the Shoreline Management Act, Endangered Species Act, and others.
• Substantial transportation costs due to distance from U.S. markets and increased congestion.
• Lack of available low-cost labor.
• Consolidation of agricultural production into larger farms.
• Increasing competition, particularly from Asian producers. China has supplanted Washington State as the world's largest apple producer."

Sources:
"Agricultural Lands - Introduction." Municipal Research and Service Center for Washington. 22 Apr 2011. <http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/planning/aglands.aspx>.

Chapter 10: The Southern Coastlands: On the Subtropical Margin

Climate in the southern coastlands has a major impact on the crops and produce from the region. The state experienced two drought emergencies between years 2000 - 2005. There was less water for irrigation due to earlier high river flows and decreasing soil moisture.

There has also been an increase in average forest fires from 6 per year in the 1970's to 21 per year in the early 21st century. "Federal and state costs of fighting wildfires may exceed $75 million per year by the 2020’s (with a 2 degree warming), and that’s 50% higher than current expenditures."

Landslides have also been inevitable in the state. Hwy 12 and Hwy 101 have been closed down due to landslides and those closures cost millions to clear. "The City of Seattle sttributes cost of $20 million to landslides causedby major storms during the winter of 1996-97."

Warmer winters are conducive to more forest and crop pests. This means that pest populations can boom and destroy crops and produce. This is already happening the Northeast Washington where pine bark beetles are rapidly devastating large tracts of forests.

Sources:

"Climate Change Effects - Extreme Weather in Depth." Washington State Department of Ecology | Home Page | ECY WA DOE. Web. 21 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/extremeweather_more.htm>.

Mulick, Stacey. "Lights & Sirens - » Crews to Inspect Landslide That Blocks Westbound SR 18 in Auburn The News Tribune Blogs, Tacoma, WA." The News Tribune Blogs - The News Tribune Blogs, Tacoma, WA. 15 Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2011. <http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2010/01/15/crews-to-inspect-landslide-that-blocks-westbound-sr-18-in-auburn/>.

Chapter 9: The Changing South

Racism and slavery are two of the main ideas in chapter 9. While trying to find articles and sources that speak about racism and slavery in Washington State, I found an blog by Peter Webster from Oregon that dicusses this issue dated in 2006. The blog is entitled "Disturbing the Comfortable: Racism Remains in Washington State."

Peter talks about being involved with the "situation of American Indians in northwest Washington." He talks about the Indians being given a fair share of the salmon catch, which angered white people who live around them. Makah Indians were also given a treaty right to harvest gray whales, which also angered the whites. One anti-Indian sign reads: "Save a whale: spear a Makah."

He also talks about the time when the citizens of Port Angeles discovered a great location to build a graving dock that had the possibility of offering some jobs to the local population. There was one problem: it was a village site for Indians. This then resulted in more name-calling and violence against those Indians.

Another source I found features an interview with Arline and Letcher Yarbrough, a black couple who lived through the racism present during World War II. I will include excerpts of the interview that struck me the most:

Arline Yarbrough:  "Before the war, it seems to me that most of the smaller restaurants in Seattle -- the soda fountains in drugstores and places like that -- did not practice any discrimination.  Because of that, an experience I had during the war was very bitter.  I was looking for a job, and I had to wait a while for the time of my appointment.  I stopped in a little -- oh, I think it probably would be called a sandwich shop.  They served sandwiches and soft drinks and that sort of thing.  It was a very warm day, and I stopped in there for something cool to drink.  I sat at the counter and waited, and eventually was told, We don’t serve you here. I said, What do you mean, you don't serve me? A man came forward and said, 'we don't serve Negroes.' It came quite as a shock to me because I had not experienced that in Seattle. We knew some of the bigger places were [sic] you were not going to be welcome in the first place, and we avoided them. But to stop in a little place like that -- well, that had never happened to me here."

Question:  Would you say that Seattle became more racist during World War II? 

Arline Yarbrough: Yes, and I think that these people who came up during the influx from the South brought their patterns with them. 

Letcher Yarbrough:  Both white and black. 

Arline Yarbrough: They had set up their little restaurant, and they were discriminating. 

Letcher Yarbrough: But by and large, the black community was very home-oriented.  We invited neighbors and acquaintances into our own homes for dinner, rather than to go restaurants.  And the same way with our parties.  None of the dance halls would allow Negroes in the downtown dance halls, so we just didn’t go to them.

Letcher also talked about their belief of why Seattle became more racist during WWII: "...As my wife said, yes, discrimination did get worse during World War II because at that time both the blacks and the whites were coming from the South and other parts of the country where discrimination was practiced very blatantly.  Blacks "knew their place," so to speak, and the whites enforced it ..."

Letcher had a specific experience with discrimination when he joined the army: "One evening, two or three of us wanted to go over to the base theater at Fort Lewis, and we went in.  I sat down, along with another fellow that was with me, and pretty soon the usher came down with his little flashlight like most ushers carry in a theater. He said, I’m sorry, you can’t sit here. I said, Why?  Is this reserved? He said, No, but it says blacks have to sit at the back of the theater.  Well, he actually said, Negroes have to sit at the back of the theater -- we were Negroes in those days.  He said, Negroes have to sit at the back of the theatre.  I said, This IS the U.S. Army theater, isn’t it? He said yes and I said, well I'm not moving. And he said 'well, then we'll have to call an M.P. to put you out."



Arline and Letcher Yarbrough, 1985



 

Sources: 

"Racism in Seattle and Fort Lewis During World War II: An Oral History of Arline and Letcher Yarbrough." HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. Ed. Lorraine McConaghy. 03 Feb. 2007. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. <http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8090>.

Webster, Peter. "Racism Remains in Washington State." Disturbing the Comfortable. 15 Mar. 2006. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. http://disturbingthecomfortable.blogspot.com/2006/03/racism-remains-in-washington-state.html.

Chapter 8: Appalachia and the Ozarks

Just like the mountanous Appalachia, Washington is known for the Cascade Mountain Range.

Mount Rainier is the tallest of all peaks, standing at 14,411 feet, and is one of the many active volcanoes in the range. The most famous peak in the range is Mount St. Helens because of its very forceful eruption on May 18, 1980. Another peak in the range is Mount Baker, which set the US record of the most snow fall in a single season at 1,140 inches of snow.

Another similarity that the state has with the Appalachia and the Ozarks is its mining activities. Coal has been mined since 1853. In 2004, coal mining in the state ranked 7th nationally and 13th for nonfuel mineral mining. This industry employed 3,976 workers in 2004 with an average annual income of $50, 854.



Boston American Mining Company buildings, Monte Cristo, Washington, 1912



Renton Coal Mine, Renton, Washington, 1911

 More than 1% of the total US nonfuel mineral production value is produced in Washington. Construction sand, gravel, portland cement and crushed stone are the state's leading nonfuel minerals. The state is ranked 2nd in production of olivine (also known as peridot) and 4th in diatomite (also known as opal).



Peridot



One of the agricultural products in the Appalachia and the Ozark is apple.Washington is known to be the leading producer of apple in the United States. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, in the years 2004-2005, the state produced 58% of all apples in the US. The next leading state is New York with just 11%.



Sources:
Barnett, Tony. "The Cascade Mountain Range Washington." Snohomish County Real Estate - Homes for Sale. 03 Sept. 2007. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://www.barnettassociates.net/cascade-mountain-range/>.

"Mining In Washington State." National Mining Association. 2005. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nma.org/pdf/states/wa2004.pdf>.

"Washington State Coal Mine Map Collection." Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/GeologyPublicationsLibrary/Pages/coalmaps.aspx>.

"World Apple Situation." USDA/FAS Horticultural & Tropical Products Division, Mar. 2005. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. <http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/horticulture/Apples/World%20Apple%20Situation%20MY%202004%202005.pdf>.

Chapter 7: The Bypassed East

Just like the Bypassed East, Washington is involved in international trade. According to the Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA), the state's trade economy reached $111 billion in 2004. Nearly 740,000 jobs in the state is supprted by trade and it is anticipated that 1 out of 3 jobs in the state would be tied to trade. The ports of Seattle and Tacoma rank third in container cargo shipments behind Los Angeles/Long Beach and New York/New Jersey.

Aerospace and transportation equipment are the number one export from the state, accounting fo more than half the value of all goods sold. Agricultural and processed food products are next, followed by electronic and scientific equipment including computers.

Top 5 Washington-grown agriculture exports, 2006

                                                        Rank among states  Value (million $)

1. Fruits and preparations                      2                $832.9

2. Vegetables and preparations              2                $413.0

3. Other                                                5                 $391.1

4. Wheat and products                         4                $314.2

5. Live animals and meat                      17                  $66.1

   Overall rank                                            8                 $2,227.2

The state ranks in the top ten for agricultural exports, with more than 85 percent of wheat, 60 percent of hops, and 30 percent of apples sold abroad.

Another similarity with the Bypassed East is that Washington is a great place for whale watching. It is popular in April through September in the northwest part of the state around the San Juan Islands.



Whale watching in Washington



Sources:

Connor, Patrick. "Trade and Washington State." Washington Farm Bureau. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wsfb.com/system/files/Trade-and-Washington-State.pdf>.

"Washington State Whale Watching." Pacific Northwest Travel Guide and Directory. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/Activities/whales/whale_watching.htm>.

"Whale Watching in Washington - Washington Whale Watching Tours." Online Travel Guides of Travel Destinations - Las Vegas, Caribbean, Hawaii and Machu Picchu. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/washington/whale-watching>.

Chapter 5: The North American Manufacturing Core

Washington manufactures and produces different goods ranging from fruits, vegetables, lumber, coffee, steel, and even airplanes. A few of Washington's best known manufacturers are: Boeing (aircraft), Eddie Bauer (clothing), Microsoft (software), Starbucks (coffee), Weyerhauser (lumber).

Boeing Company is best known for manufacturing most of the existing commercial airplanes like the 747 jumbo jet. They are also still in the process of producing another type of commercial aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner. Main manufacturing sites are located in Everett, WA and Renton, WA.

Eddie Bauer, the founder of the clothing store named after him, was an avid outdoorsman. His vision for the company was to find functional clothing for people who loves the outdoors. His personal experience with hypothermia led to his experiments with down-filled clothing. He opened a small sporting goods store in downtown Seattle in 1920. He retired and sold his company in 1968 to a group of Seattle investors, who later on sold it to General Mills. General Mills and Spiegel Inc. expended Eddie Bauer Inc. from one store to more than 600 stores in the US, Germany, and Japan.



Eddie Bauer (1899-1986)





Eddie Bauer store, on 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle

 In 1975, two young men from Seattle named William H. Gates III and Paul Allen created the Altair 8800: a small, rectangular box that had no keyboard or screen and did not do much more than blink. This invention led to the transformation of a new technology. They built on the invention of others and created a mass market for what had once been a novelty for the few. They helped changed the living, working, and recreational habits of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Their invention later led to the success of Microsoft.



Altair 8800

 

William "Bill" H. Gates III

 Starbucks was founded by English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegel, and writer Gordon Bowker and were the ones who opened the first Starbucks store in Seattle, Washington in 1971. Their vision for the company included selling fresh coffee beans and coffee equipment to be used in the home.This concept was inspired by Alfred Peet (Peet's Coffee and Tea) who sold premium coffee beans in his store in Berkeley, CA. The company was later on bought by the now CEO of the Company, Howard Schultz. He has lead the evolution of the company from just selling beans to producing espresso drinks.



Starbucks logo evolution

 Washington is a leading lumber producer. It is abundant in Douglas fir, hemloack, ponderosa, white pine, spruce larch, and cedar trees. The Weyerhaeuser Company based in Tacoma, Washington is one of the world's largest producers of lumber, pulp, paper, packaging materials, and other wood-related products. The company owns and controls 7 million acres of forest in the United States and 31 million acres in Canada.

Frederick Weyerhaeuser

Sources:

"Boeing: Commercial Airplanes - Major Production Facilities Home." The Boeing Company. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.boeing.com/commercial/facilities/index.html>.

"Starbucks History - A Magnificent Tale of Innovation in the Coffee Industry." Gourmet Coffee Zone - The Ultimate Gourmet Coffee Experience. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/starbucks-history.html>.

"Starbucks Logo Evolution." Logo Design Love. 07 Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.logodesignlove.com/starbucks-logo-evolution>.

Tate, Cassandra. HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=2294>.

Warren, James R. "Weyerhaeusr Company." HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=1675>.

Chapter 4: Megalopolis

In Washington, Seattle is the largest metropolitan area in the state. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton area ranked 13 out of 276 metropolitan areas in the United States based on population in April 2000. The population count then was 3,554,760, which was a 19.7% increase compared to their count in 1990.

"Seattle is the largest city in the four-county metropolitan area known as the Puget Sound region." The Greater Seattle are is made out of 24 cities as far as north as Shoreline, which is 10 miles north of downtown Seattle, to as far south Tacoma. which is 20 miles south of downtoan Seattle. Seattle itself is located on the western coastal plain of the Cascade Mountain Range, approximately 100 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Downtown Seattle is only 3 miles wide at its narrowest point, which separates the Puget Sound from Lake Washington.



Downtown Seattle

 Lake Washington is the largest lake in the state being 18 miles long and 3 miles wide at its widest point.

 

Lake Washington

 

On a business standpoint, as of April 2005, Seattle is/was home to five Fortune 500 Companies:

1. Washington Mutual

2. Safeco Corporation

3. Nordstrom

4. Amazon.com

5. Starbucks

As of 2011, Washington Mutual was bought out and is now under Chase. The most relevant company to me would be Starbucks because I currently work there :)



Starbucks at Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA - first ever Starbucks store!

  

Sources: 

"Greater Seattle Area Information." Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.seattlechamber.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,2965&_dad=portal&_schema=portal&p_menu_id=920>.

"List of Companies Based in Seattle." WorldLingo. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/List_of_companies_based_in_Seattle>.

"The Seattle Metropolitan Area of Washington State." Northwest Travel Information including Washington State, Oregon, AndNorthern California. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.northwestplaces.com/tripsSea/Sea1001.htm>.

"US Metropolitan Area Population: 1990-2000." DEMOGRAPHIA: Demographics Development Impacts Market Research & Urban Policy. Wendell Cox Consultancy. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.demographia.com/db-usmet2000.htm>.

Chapter 3: Foundations of Human Activity

The first settlers in Washington included Native American tribes such as The Chinook, Nisqually, Quinault, and Puyallup who hunted deer, fished for salmon and clams, and lived west of the Cascades. On the east of the Cascades, tribes such as The Cayus, Colville, Spokane, and Nez Perce' settled on the plains and valleys.





Chinook Indians (aka Chinooks) possibly fishing for salmon and clams



 When I searched for Spokane Indians, I was surprised to see that their baseball team is actually called Spokane Indians!

But here are the original Spokane Indians....





"Skitswish and Spokane Tribal encampment for annual salmon

catch, ca. 1937, from the Native American Collection of the Library of Congress "



The state was claimed by both British explorers and the United States, but Lewis and Clark gave te U.S. a second claim to the Northwest. American and British fur trading companies came to Washington in the early 1800s and a trading post was build near Spokane.

The first permanent American settlement within the state was Fort Okanogan. Today, a Fort Okanogan State Park exists in the state.

An agreement between the U.S. and England allowed settlers from both countries into the state.

Below are events that summarize the beginnings of Washington:

1792—Robert Gray sails into Grays Harbor and the Columbian River; George Vancouver surveys the coast of Washington and Puget Sound

1805—Lewis and Clark reach Washington

1811—Fort Okanogan, the first permanent U.S. settlement in Washington

1818—Great Britain and the U.S. agree to joint settlement of Oregon Country, which includes Washington

1825—Great Britain builds Fort Vancouver on the Columbian River

1846—The boundary of Washington and Canada becomes the 49^th parallel

1853—Congress creates the Washington Territory

1883—Railroads connect Washington with the East coast

1889—Washington becomes the 42^nd state

1910—Washington grants women the right to vote

1962—Seattle hosts the world fair

1980—Mount St. Helens volcano erupts causing 57 deaths and billions of dollars in damages

Sources:

"Washington State History." ThingsToDo.com - Things to Do and Places to Go in Each State. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. <http://www.thingstodo.com/states/WA/history.htm>.

Chapter 2: Geographic Patterns of the Physical Environment

Most of Washington is part of the Pacific Mountain and Valleys Physiographic Region. The rest of the state is of the Intermontaine Basins and Plateus region. This means that the state is abundant in mountains, forests, and valleys.

Mount Rainier, the highest and third most voluminous volcano in the Cascade Range. It is made up of a combination of land and ice mass that was formed before the last major glaciation. It is considered dormant right now, but still poses a threat to residents who live nearby. It is one of the more popular stratovolcanoes, which means they are very dangerous. "Stratovolcanoes have a layered or stratified appearance with alternating lava flows, airfall tephra, pyroclastic flows, volcanic mudflows (lahars), and/or debris flows." They are also known for their almost perfect cone shape.

Another volcano in the state is Mount St. Helens also known as the "Fuji of America" because it resembled the beauty of he famous volcano in Japan.

It has lost some of its height due to its eruptions. "Mount St. Helens, like most other Cascade volcanoes, is a great cone of rubble consisting of lava rock interlayered with pyroclastic and other deposits." Its most known eruption was on May 18, 1980. "For more than nine hours a vigorous plume of ash erupted, eventually reaching 12 to 15 miles (20-25 kilometers) above sea level. The plume moved eastward at an average speed of 60 miles per hour (95 kilometers/hour), with ash reaching Idaho by noon. By early May 19, the devastating eruption was over. [It] was preceded by 2 months of intense activity that included more than 10,000 earthquakes, hundreds of small phreatic (steam-blast) explosions, and the outward growth of the volcano's entire north flank by more than 80 meters."

The state is not only abundant in mountains and volcanoes, but also with much precipitation.

"The average annual temperature ranges from 10.6° C (51° F) on the Pacific coast to 4.4° C (40° F) in the northeast. The recorded temperature in the state has ranged from -44.4° C (-48° F) in 1968 to 47.8° C (118° F) in 1961. A wet marine West Coast climate predominates in western Washington; it is mild for its latitude due to the presence of the warm North Pacific Current offshore and the relatively warm maritime air masses. The region has frequent cloud cover, considerable fog, and long-lasting drizzles; summer is the sunniest season."

The lowest temperature recorded in the state is -48° F on December 30, 1968. The highest temperature recorded is 118° F on August 5, 1961.

Sources:

"CVO Menu - Stratovolcanoes and Composite Volcanoes." USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO). Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/StratoVolcano/framework.html>.

"How Volcanoes Work - Stratovolcanoes." SDSU - Department of Geological Sciences. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/stratovolc_page.html>.

Chapter 1: Regions and Themes

Here's a table I found that summarizes the geography of Washington:

Longitude / Latitude	Longitude: 116° 57'W to 124° 48'W Latitude: 45° 32'N to 49°N
Length x Width	Washington is about 360 miles long and 240 miles wide.
Geographic Center Explanation	The geographic center of Washington is located in Chelan County, 10 miles WSW of Wenatchee. Longitude: 120° 16.1'W Latitude: 47° 20.0' N
Borders	Washington is bordered by Canada in the north and Oregon in the south. On the east, Washington is bordered by Idaho and, on the west, Washington is bordered by the Pacific Ocean.
Total Area	Washington covers 71,303 square miles, making it the 18th largest of the 50 states.
Land Area	66,582 square miles of Washington are land areas.
Water Area	4,721 square miles of Washington are covered by water.
Highest Point	The highest point in Washington is Mt. Rainier at 14,410 feet above sea level.
Lowest Point	The lowest point in Washington is sea level where Washington meets the Pacific Ocean in the west.
Mean Elevation	The Mean Elevation of the state of Washington is 1,700 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers	Columbia River, Snake River, Yakima River
Major Lakes	Lake Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lake Washington

Washington, also known as the Evergreen State, is the only state named after a president. It is the 18th largest state and can be divided in 6 geographic land areas:

The state was visited by Spanish, American, and British explorers - Bruno Heceta for Spain in 1775, the American Capt. Robert Gray in 1792, and Capt. George Vancouver for Britain in 1792–1794.

Averange temperatures range from 84 degrees to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. "Washington's climate varies greatly from west to east. A mild, humid climate predominates in the western part of the state, and a cooler dry climate prevails east of the Cascade Range."  

The state is a leading producer of lumber as evident by its vast forests. "Its rugged surface is rich in stands of Douglas fir, hemlock, ponderosa and white pine, spruce, larch, and cedar."

Cows transporting lumber



Train transporting lumber



"The state holds first place in apples, lentils, dry edible peas, hops, pears, red raspberries, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries, and ranks high in apricots, asparagus, grapes, peppermint oil, and potatoes. Livestock and livestock products make important contributions to total farm revenue and the commercial fishing catch of salmon, halibut, and bottomfish makes a significant contribution to the state's economy."



"Customer Selecting Produce with Vendor Help at Pike Street Public Market in Seattle"



There are also several manufacturing industries in the state including aircraft and missiles, shipbuilding and other transportation equipment, lumber, food processing, metals and metal products, chemicals, and machinery.

Washington also has over 1,000 dams for purposes of irrigation, flood control, power, and water storage.

Dam on the Columbia river in Washington state

Sources:

"Washington Geography from NETSTATE." 50 States - Capitals, Maps, Geography, State Symbols, State Facts, Songs, History, Famous People from NETSTATE.COM. Web. 01 Feb. 2011. http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/wa_geography.htm.

Washington: History, Geography, Population, and State Facts — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108286.html#ixzz1ClMXepFv

Why Washington State?

I chose to do this project on Washington State because, aside from the fact that my dad's whole family lives out there, I've always wanted to know why it's almost always raining! It is a sure contrast to our sunny California. My past visits have been very interesting - from seeing the usual tourists spots such as the Space Needle, to walking around, exploring, seeing deers cross the street, and being aboard the ferry!

I am looking forward to learning about the state and I hope you are too!