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>.