Prior to the arrival of explorers from Europe, this region of the
Pacific Coast had many established tribes of Native Americans, each with
its own unique culture. Today, they are most notable for their totem
poles and their ornately carved canoes and ma
sks. Prominent among their
industries were salmon fishing and whale hunting. In the east, nomadic
tribes travelled the land and missionaries such as the Whitmans settled
there.
The first European record of a landing on the Washington coast was by
Spanish Captain Don Bruno de Heceta in 1775 on board the Santiago, part
of a two-ship flotilla with the Sonora. They claimed all the coastal
lands up to the Russian possessions in the north for Spain.
In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook sighted Cape Flattery, at
the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but the straits would not be
explored until 1789 by Captain Charles W. Barkley. Further explorations
of the straits were performed by Spanish explorers Manuel Quimper in
1790 and Francisco Eliza in 1791, then by British Captain George
Vancouver in 1792.
The Spanish Nootka Convention of 1790 opened the northwest territory to
explorers and trappers from other nations, most notably Britain and then
the United States. Captain Robert Gray (for whom Grays Harbor county is
named) then discovered the mouth of the Columbia River and, beginning in
1792, he established trade in Sea Otter pelts. In 1805 the Lewis and
Clark expedition entered the state on October 10.
In 1819 Spain ceded their original claims to this territory to the
United States. This began a period of disputed joint-occupancy by
Britain and the U.S. that lasted until June 15, 1846 when Britain ceded
their claims to this land with the Treaty of Oregon.
Due to the migration along the Oregon Trail, many settlers wandered
north to what is now Washington and settled the Puget Sound area. The
first settlement was New Market (now known as Tumwater) in 1846. In 1853
Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory.
Washington became the 42nd state in the United States on November 11,
1889.
Early prominent industries in the state included agriculture and lumber.
In eastern Washington the Yakima Valley became known for its apple
orchards while the growth of wheat using dry-farming techniques became
particularly productive. The heavy rainfall to the west of the Cascade
Range produced dense forests and the ports along Puget Sound prospered
from the manufacturing and shipping of lumber products, particularly the
Douglas fir. Other industries that developed in the state include
fishing, salmon canning and mining.
For a long period Tacoma was noted for its large smelters where gold,
silver, copper and lead ores were treated. Seattle was the primary port
for trade with Alaska and the rest of the country and for a time
possessed a large ship-building industry. The region around eastern
Puget Sound developed heavy industry during the period including World
War I and World War II and the Boeing company became an established icon
in the area.
During the depression era a series of hydroelectric dams were
constructed along the Columbia river as part of a project to increase
the production of electricity. This culminated in 1941 with the
completion of the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest in the United States.
