USA > Washington > History of Washington; the rise and progress of an American state, Vol. III > Part 12
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As early as March 3, 1847, a postal route from Indepen- dence, Mo., to Astoria, Ore., was authorized by act of Congress. In his report for that year, the postmaster general says that bids for carrying the mail over this route
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were advertised for but none were received that could with propriety be accepted. Post offices were established at Astoria and Oregon City, and postmasters were named, and General Cornelius Gilliam was appointed a special agent to superintend the service, but nothing seems to have been accomplished then, or for nearly two years later, to get a mail service organized.
From the report of the first assistant postmaster general for 1849, it appears that a post office had been established at Salt Lake, "in a territory recently denominated deseret," which was supplied with mail from the western border of Iowa, over a distance of about 1,030 miles. Two new post offices had been established in Oregon, one at Portland and the other at Salem, though no special means had been pro- vided for getting mail to them. The government had, however, provided for the delivery of the mail at San Fran- cisco, and "other points on the coast," via Panama, and the settlers in Oregon were receiving mail occasionally over this route.
The first successful effort to establish an overland mail route as far west as the Columbia appears to have been made in 1850. On May 20th of that year advertisements were published, inviting bids for the service from Indepen- dence, Mo., to Oregon City, and for several other routes, including one to Salt Lake City. James Brown of George- town, Mo., was the successful bidder for this contract, and he undertook to carry the mail between Independence, Fort Kearny, Fort Laramie, Fort Bridger and Fort Smith to Salt Lake City, one trip a month, commencing August I, 1850, for $19,500 per annum, services to be performed in four- and six-mule stages, on a schedule leaving each terminus on the first of each month. In 1851 this route was extended
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from Salt Lake to the Dalles, the contract being awarded to Brown & Torrence, who were to make six trips per year for $8,000. On January 13, 1852, Congress consented to the establishment of a route from the Dalles to the Cascades, and also one from the Cascades to Columbia City, as Van- couver was then called .*
Early in 1853 a weekly mail from New York to San Fran- cisco, via Vera Cruz and Acapulco, was arranged for. It was announced that letters would now make the journey from coast to coast in the short space of eighteen days, and a direct weekly mail from San Francisco to the Sound began to be regarded as an early possibility. All mail for northern Oregon still came up the coast to Portland from San Francisco, with which there was weekly communication of some regularity by steamer. From Portland it was carried to Ranier, or to Monticello, near the mouth of the Cowlitz, by the Lot Whitcomb, the first steamer built on the coast, which had been launched only a little more than two years earlier. There it was delivered to Antonio B. Rab- beson, who carried it on horseback, over a road that was still scarcely more than a trail, to Olympia. So much of it as was destined to points beyond, like Steilacoom, Seattle, Port Townsend and Whidby Island, went forward by such conveyance as could be found for it, or when some person known by the postmaster to be reliable was sent for it with his canoe or on horseback. The soldiers at Fort Steilacoom sent for theirs with some regularity and at their own cost apparently. Perhaps it was in answer to their complaints that the second assistant postmaster general was led to write to the special agent of the department,
* Letter from second assistant postmaster to Hon. F. W. Cushman, Dec. 7, 1907.
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then in Oregon, that he would authorize the establishment of a route from Olympia to Steilacoom provided the mail could be carried for not to exceed $140 per year. As it would cost the contractor $52 a year to be ferried back and forth across the Nisqually once a week, this liberal proposi- tion of the department was not accepted, and the soldiers and settlers in the neighborhood continued to go twenty miles or more for their mail when they thought any was awaiting them, for a considerable time longer.
The postage rate was ten cents for each letter, from any point on the Atlantic to Oregon, and six cents from San Francisco to Oregon. The rate from points on the Atlantic side to San Francisco was only three cents, and if any person was disposed to do so he might, by sending his letter to a friend in San Francisco, who would remail it for him in a fresh envelope, save one cent, by putting the postal authori- ties to the extra trouble of delivering it and receiving it again, and canceling an extra stamp. So badly were our postal regulations made in those days.
In September 1852 the first newspaper north of the Columbia was established at Olympia. It was called the "Columbian," and was owned and edited by J. W. Wiley and Thorton F. McElroy. The first number was issued on September IIth, and it was printed then, and for a consider- able time afterward, on an old-fashioned Ramage press, that had done service in almost every other pioneer printing office along the coast. The governors of Mexico had used it to print their proclamations before 1834, when it was taken to Monterey, where for a time it served a similar pur- pose. In 1846 it went to San Francisco, where the "Star," and afterwards the first issues of the "Alta California," were printed on it. Finally it moved on up the coast to Portland,
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where it served to get out the earlier issues of the "Oregon- ian," and from there the Mary Taylor brought it to Olympia. It was subsequently used by the publishers of several other newspapers in the territory, in printing their earliest num- bers, and finally it found a permanent resting place among the most valued relics in the museum of the State university .*
In their first issue Messrs. Wiley and McElroy announced that their principal purpose in undertaking the publication of the paper is "to encourage the settlement and development of the territory, in every way possible, by disseminating information in regard to its natural advantages, and particu- larly by urging onward such public improvements and private enterprises as will contribute to that end." They pointed out the importance of opening new roads and improving old ones. At that time the principal, and in fact almost the only, road in the territory was that from Warbassport, on the Cowlitz, to Olympia, and this was scarcely passable for wagons, especially in the winter. There was a sort of trail from Olympia to Fort Nisqually, with a ferry across the river at Packwood's Place, but with this exception it was scarcely in better condition than when the only people who made use of it were the packers and messengers of the Hudson's Bay Company. The ferry was not always to be depended upon. The river at that point was about two hundred feet wide, when the water was high in the rainy season, and the current was always swift and dangerous. The settlers in its neighborhood had once or twice built a flimsy sort of bridge across it for their own use, but their work
* For the history of this pioneer printing press I am indebted to Mr. George H. Himes, secretary of the Oregon Historical Society, who served his apprenticeship as a printer boy in at least one office where it did service.
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was invariably washed away by the first high water, or made useless by changes in the river channel. There were fords at one or two other places farther up stream, but they were always difficult and sometimes dangerous. Chief Factor Douglas nearly lost his life at one of them in the early fifties .*
In December 1852 a subscription was taken up for improv- ing the road up the Cowlitz, and the county commissioners authorized new roads to be laid out from Yelm to McAllis- ter's place, near the mouth of the Nisqually, and "from Steilacoom to Dewamish," the latter being urgently demanded apparently by the people of Seattle in order to give them access to the metropolis, and communication by land with the world outside. But a great deal of labor was required to get it open through the jungles of the Puyallup, the Struck and White River valleys, and it was not made pas- sable for several years. The effort made to improve the Cowlitz road did not result in anything very substantial seemingly, for during that winter the mail carrier was unable to get through for five successive weeks.
But while roads for their own daily use were so urgently needed, the settlers realized that a road across the Cascades, which would permit the immigrant trains to come direct from Walla Walla to the Sound, would be of greater benefit than any other. Until such a road could be provided they must continue to go down the Columbia to the Dalles, and by the Barlow road across the mountains, or by raft and portage around the Cascades to Portland. Thus they first reached the Willamette, for which many of them had started
* Edward Huggins, in an unpublished manuscript, says that the last private bridge built across this stream was swept away in 1867, and that from then until the first county bridge was built, in 1895, the only means of crossing was by the ferry or by fording.
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originally, and where many others were easily induced to remain, who would otherwise come to the Sound.
As early as the winter of 1850-51 an effort had been made to get work started on this road, but the settlers were too few in numbers to accomplish much. From the first it seems to have been believed that the Nachess Pass afforded the most practicable route, although previous to October 1852 Dr. Lansdale had explored the Snoqualmie route, as Samuel Hancock had done several years earlier,* and thought it entirely practicable-far better in fact than "the toll gate trail across Mount Hood, or the equally deplorable one down the Columbia," in the opinion of the "Columbian." This route continued to be talked of for some time, but seems never to have seriously divided attention with that up the Puyallup, and so across to the headwaters of the Nachess or Yakima.
The "Columbian" was a persistent and efficient advocate of this road from its very first number. In every issue it had something to say in its favor, either reminding the settlers of the advantages they might hope from it, encouraging them to believe that it could be opened much more easily than they supposed, or suggesting some plan for hastening its construction. When the Oregon legislature, in the winter of 1852, authorized counties to levy a four-mill tax for road purposes, the "Columbian" suggested that the first thou- sand dollars raised in this way should be invested in provisions, and sent east of the mountains for the sup- port of the families of all immigrants who would then help to cut their way through to the Sound. In this way it thought a large part of the labor needed could be easily secured.
* Hancock MS.
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As time passed interest in this enterprise steadily increased. There was scarcely an issue of the "Columbian" without some mention of it. The settlers thought much and talked much about it. Some of the more recent arrivals remembered that they had heard about the attractions and advantages of the Sound country before reaching the Columbia, and they knew they could easily have been persuaded to come direct to it, if there had been even a hope of finding a way across the mountains. They remembered also the diffi- culties, the dangers, the exposure and trials of the trip down the Columbia, or over the Barlow road from the Dalles, and how glad they would have been to avail themselves of any means that promised escape from them. These perils were beginning to be reported to the emigrants long before their arrival at the Columbia. It was only necessary to provide almost any means of escape from them, and they could come to the Sound in steadily increasing numbers, and that of all things was what those who had already arrived most wanted.
But they were still few in numbers, and of money they had but little. The road would be most difficult to make even passable. For nearly a hundred miles it must be opened through an unbroken forest, where the giant firs and cedars, towering two and three hundred feet high, stood so closely together that it would be impossible to make a way for wagons through them without cutting many of them almost up by the roots, and this would require prodigious labor. The mountain stream which the road would naturally follow through a greater part of the way was a roaring torrent, in which there were but few fords and these more or less dangerous. Bridges would be necessary in many places, and while material for them was abundant, its very abundance
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would make it difficult to get it in place. Help from some source to build a road through such a wilderness seemed to be imperative, and there was no source from which it could be hoped for but from Congress. The territory had none to give; the counties were unable even to make passable trails to connect the scattered settlements.
As the season advanced reports from the East and South indicated that the number of immigrants crossing the plains that year was larger than ever. As in former years, since 49, they had been counted at Fort Kearney, and up to July 14th 18,856 men, 4,270 women and 5,590 children had passed that point. Among them were four men with wheelbarrows, several with pushcarts, while a few others carried all their worldly possessions, including pick and shovel, on their own shoulders .* There was probably an equal number passing on the north bank of the Platte, who could not be seen from the fort, and still other thousands were coming by sea, around Cape Horn, and by way of the isthmus. Most of these were undoubtedly going to California, but part of them would come to Oregon. There was hope that the number would be greater than in any previous year. Portland people were preparing to send aid to such of them as might be in need of it, before reaching the end of their long journey. At a meeting of the business men of that place, held late in September, $400 had been subscribed, and early in October this was increased to $1,000. A circus owned by the Messrs. Caldwell had given a special performance in aid of this fund and $300 had been realized .¡ The trains were already beginning to arrive and the indications were that the total arrivals for the year might amount to ten thousand souls.
* "Columbian," Dec. 4, 1852.
" "Columbian," Oct. 9, 1852.
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Every issue of the "Columbian" at that time contained something calculated to interest these newcomers and induce them to come to the Sound. It had been an energetic and persistent advertiser of the Sound country from the beginning. In its very first issue it had pointed out that vessels might save from $500 to $800, for pilotage and towage, by coming to the Sound in preference to the Columbia. This advan- tage gave promise that the Sound must soon become the center of a rapidly growing trade with points along the coast, and eventually with the Orient. Already twenty-one vessels of various build,* were coming to the Sound with more or less regularity, and their number was steadily increasing. One cargo of piles and squared timbers had been sent to China by the bark Louisiana, so the trade with the Orient was already begun.
The demand for timber and lumber was increasing rapidly. Sawed lumber was selling in San Francisco at from $200 to $500 per thousand feet, and some dealers were even asking $600, "while flour brings $40 per barrel."+
Coal had also been discovered within thirteen miles of tide water on the Skookum Chuck. A sample of it had been shown to the editor, and "several gentlemen well skilled in geology pronounce it pure anthracite. Still others pronounce it Cannel coal of very fine variety." Evidently the coal experts came to the territory very early.
In its third number, published September 25th, the editor reviewed the progress made in the territory, and
* These were: brigs, Orbit, George Emery, Leonesa, Daniel and Eagle; barks, G. W. Kendall, John Davis, Brontes and Jane; schooners, Exact, Demaris Cove, Susan Sturges, Franklin, Alice, Mary Taylor, Cynosure, Honolulu Packet, Mexican and Caesar, and the Hudson's Bay steamer Beaver and brigantine Mary Dare.
t "Columbian," Nov. 20, 1852.
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particularly at Olympia since the arrival of the Simmons party, and among the improvements specially mentioned was "the elegantly furnished frame hotel, of which E. Syl- vester is the gentlemanly proprietor." The growth of Steilacoom, where the rival townsites of Balch and Chap- man were contending sharply for precedence, was also noticed. This town already had "two stores and a good hotel" besides a saw mill, owned by T. M. Chambers. Warbassport on the Cowlitz had been platted, and there was a store, a hotel and a saw mill and grist mill there. There was also a mill on the Chickalees-as Chehalis. was then spelled-owned by a man named Armstrong. Settle- ment was progressing at various points, particularly at Monticello, Cape Flattery, New Dungeness and Whidby Island, and "the experienced engineer Mr. J. W. Trutch was making a preliminary reconnoissance for a railroad from Skookum Chuck to Olympia" in order to bring coal easily to tide water. "The Indian's Canoe," the editor says exultingly, "has been supplanted by our majestic brigs and schooners, which float up and down the Sound, affording easy transportation for all who wish it." And now a steam- boat was promised at an early day, by Captain A. B. Gove of the Potomac, and a member of the firm of Kendall & Co., which owned two ships, and maintained a general store in Olympia, of which Joseph Cushman was manager, and where "a full stock of implements of all kinds, as well as dry goods, groceries, crockery, boots and shoes is con- stantly kept on hand."
This same number contains an advertisement of "a great attraction for one night only. Mr. A. C. Thacher will give a lecture on astronomy, to be concluded with an excep- tionally good phantasmagoria lantern exhibition, an amusing
REV. JOHN F. DEVORE.
This pioneer minister of the Methodist church was born near Lexington, Ky., December 7, 1817. He was for a time a member of the Rock River Conference in Illinois, and came to Oregon in 1853. His first church in the territory was at Steilacoom; his second at Olympia. He was presiding elder for the Puget Sound district, from 1856 to 1859. He died in Tacoma in 1888
THIE RISE AND PROGRESS
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des a saw mill, owned by F. M Chambers. Waitwwwpart on the Cowlitz had been plotted, and there more, a hotel and a www mil od p. U There. Time was also a million the Chesals Dusalis was When spelled-ovmed by w in = cwd Armstrong, Settle- mo was progressing at various points, particularly at Mumvedlo, Cape Flattery, New Dungeness and Whidby Land, and "the experienced engineer Mr. J. W. Trutch making a preliminary reconnoissance for a railroad from Skookum Chuck to Olympia" in order to bring coal easily to tide water. "The Indian's Canoe," the edinen rays exultingly, "has been supplanted by our majestne brigs and schooners, which float up and down the Sound, affording easy transportation for all who wish it." And now a steam- boat was promised at an early day, by Captain A. B. Gove of the Potomac, and a member of the firm of Kendall & Co., which owned two shit, mot maintained a general store in Olympia, of which Imeph Cucliman war manager, and where "a full stock of implements ef all kinds, as well as dry goods, groceries, crockery, boas and shoes is con- wantly kept on hand."
This same number contains an advertisement of "a great wwwcuon for one night only. Mr. A. C. Thacher will 's a legure on astronomy, to be concluded with an excep- noilly good phantasmagoria lantern exhibition, an amusing
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OF AN AMERICAN STATE
and instructive after piece." This was probably the first public entertainment given in the territory.
In the issue of April 2, 1853, there is another review of "the present flourishing condition of northern Oregon." "One year ago," the editor says, "a few vessels did all the business between Olympia and other points; now twice as many are employed. Nearly every week a new vessel is seen." "One year ago we had no minister, and no church service. Now we have services every sabbath which are well attended." "There are more ladies in the community, and society is much improved." The hope is expressed that more ladies will continue to come, so that the condition of "our bachelors" may be more hopeful. The number of farms has increased. The donation land law has been extended for two years. Fisheries have increased. The salmon catch was more than double that of the preceding year, and plans are being made to explore the coast for codfish.
The first church service was conducted by Rev. Benjamin Close, who had arrived in Olympia during the preceding winter. A school had also been opened during November, and there were "several hundred dollars in the county treasury of which new districts might have a part as soon as organized."
Rev. John F. De Vore arrived in Steilacoom in August 1853. He was an enterprising religious worker, and had secured some contributors toward building a church in that place, from his fellow-passengers on the ship by which he came to the Sound from Oregon. Among the latter were some army officers who admired his spirit, and possibly also his splendid physique, for he was six feet two inches in height and of muscular proportions. They readily contributed to
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THE RISE AND PROGRESS
help build his first church, and the other passengers followed their example. The church was built during the following year, and appears to have been the first protestant church in Washington. A stone monument, marking its site, has since been erected by the Methodist conference and the State historical society.
The new territory was also beginning to have a fair supply of lawyers. First of these to arrive, so far as can now be ascertained, was Colonel Ebey, who came in 1848, and had advised the settlers in making their remonstance against the attempt of the Puget Sound Agricultural Com- pany to pasture its cattle on the south side of the Nisqually. John B. and John M. Chapman, father and son, had come in 1850, when the elder had taken a claim on Gray's harbor, on the lower Chehalis, and attempted to start a town there, though without success. Daniel R. Bigelow had come on the Exact, with the Denny party, from Portland, and later formed a partnership with Quincy A. Brooks. Their card appeared in the first issue of the "Columbian." Brooks and Simpson P. Moses, the new collector of customs, and Elwood Evans were all admitted to practice in the courts of the territory, at the first session held at Olympia by Associate Justice Strong, in January 1852. In November following McConnaha & Wiley opened an office in Olympia and published a formal announcement in the "Columbian," in which they referred to Senators Thomas H. Benton, John B. Miller, and Thomas Corwin, Governor Burnett of Cali- fornia and all California newspapers.
Most of the practice of these pioneer lawyers was in the justice courts, of which there were three in the Sound country. Not one of the justices was a lawyer. Two of them were doctors and the third was, or had been, a clerk in Balch's
FIRST PROTESTANT CHURCH NORTH OF THE COLUMBIA.
This pioneer church was built at Steilacoom, through the enterprise of Rev. John F. Devore. Its site is now marked by a permanent monument.
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
НТЯОТ. НОЯОНО ТТЕТЕСТОЯТ ТСЯТТ
balp bail Ine Bret church and thantheropassengers followed then esphen The churchwas built during the following no, andi appeals to molto been the first protestand church in Washington. A stone monument, marking its site, has uno been erected by the Methodist conference and the State Wwwwwrical society.
The new territory was also beginning to have a fair supply uf lawyers, First of these to arrive, so far as can now be wcertained, was Colonel Ebey, who) came in 1848, and had advised the settlers in making their remonstance Ngamet the attempt of the Puget Sound Agricultural Com- pang to pasrure its cattle on the south side of the Nisqually. Julio B. and John M. Chapman, father and son, had come o Wwp. when the elder had taken a claim on Gray's harbor, the lower Chehalis, and attempted to start a town there, without success. Daniel R. Bigelow had come on Tand with the Denny party, from Portland, and later bo4 + partnership with Quincy A. Brooks. Their card app sud in the first isone of the "Columbian " Brooks and Simp-og P. Moses, the new collector of customs, and Elwood Fvans were all admitted to practice in the courts of the territory, at the first session held at Olympia by Associate Justice Strong, in January 1852. In November following McConnaha & Wiley opened an office in Olympia and published a formal announcement in the "Columbian," in which they referred to Senators Thumar H. Benton, John B. Miller, and Thomas Corwin, Governo Burnett of Cali- fornia and all California newspapers.
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