THe beginning of Seattle history
The coast of Washington is rich with the history of early America. While much of the United States was still in its infancy, Washington was thriving with industry. Though the industry was large, the towns were just beginning to grow.
Though Washington’s coastal towns offered much to its citizens, it was the logging industry that started it all. In this paper, I will discuss the growth of the logging industry, specifically in relation to Seattle, and the resulting extension industries in the development of what is now our nations largest port city.
I. The early industry:
The laborers who sat idle during the fur trading off-season were of great concern to George Simpson, resident governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1821. As he sat in his newly transferred building situated on the north bank of the Columbia River, he noticed the commanding view, in which he saw endless stands of thick timber. By order of Simpson, command of the new post, Fort Vancouver, was secured by one John McLoughlin and together, the two established the first Washington timber mill (Ficken 1987). The mill, which began operation in 1828, was charged with the responsibility of supplying timber up and down the southern coast of the United States and where ever markets were deemed profitable. This venture enabled the company to cover expenses throughout the remainder of the year and according to Simpson, “…yielded quite a handsome profit” (Ficken 1987).
The mighty Columbia had proven useful in transporting logs to the port in the Puget Sound. The successful Fort Vancouver sawmill constituted the only timber exploitation resource in the Pacific Northwest for over a decade. As the industry became more and more profitable, the inevitable happened, and the Americans came to the Northwest.
II. The potential of Seattle is realized:
In 1851, Arthur Denny and a small crew built small log shelters on the beach of Elliot Bay. As Denny and his party recognized the availability of timber in the region, they moved camp to the more protected eastern shores of the bay to erect facilities to process the lumber they would soon be harvesting (Ficken 1987). As they laid out their settlement, they called their village Duwamps (later to be know as Seattle). The industry grew and soon mills were showing up all over the coast of Washington.
Before recorded history, people lived along the shores of Henderson Inlet. These people were the Nisqually. The historical evidence of Nisqually habitation in the area is the presence of a shell midden on lower Chapman Bay by archaeological explorations. The natives lived in small groups, their livelihood was determined by availability of food and the local topography. Because a fresh water stream meant a source of potable water and proximity to salmon runs, these small groups were always located along a steam or near its mouth. Marian Smith, an ethnologist, provided a more exact location as “on South Bay or Henderson Inlet between the creek at the head and that on the south.” She called this small group tuts’e’tcaxt. While the exact location of this small group is no longer known, some uncertain conclusions can be made about Native American activity in the Woodard Bay area. Tuts’e’tcaxt was a permanent village, consisting of two cedar plank houses that measured approximately 30 feet by 100 feet. Here the natives lived during the severe winter months. (Andrew Poultridge. 1991)
Logging is a huge industry in the Pacific Northwest for obvious reasons. The abundant, lush, forests are an ideal location for major logging companies to stake their claim. For many Pacific North westerners, and Americans in general, the logging industry is a major part of the economy. Many loggers have been raised and trained for their entire life to become loggers. Many loggers know no other skills to support themselves other than logging and the logging industry. There are many communities located in the Pacific Northwest that are supported fully by the logging industry. Without the logging of the old growth forests, their families and their livelihoods would be ruined.
Since the early seventeenth century, French explorers had been able to keep peaceful relations with the Native Americans as a result of fur trading. Samuel de Champl...
In 1855, miners discovered Gold in the Colville mines of northeastern Washington Territory. Newspapers such as the Oregonian began running daily advertisements to attract miners into the region. Exciting articles with bold titles of “Colville Gold Mines” exclaimed that, “with a common pan we made $6, $8, $10, and as high as $20 per man!” This news created an influx of white settlement to Washington. Territorial Governor, Isaac I. Stevens encouraged the settlement and proposed to consolidate fourteen tribes w...
When the "new" management took over Pacific Lumber the process of "selective cutting" was abandoned and "clear cutting" was adopted. Although "clear cutting" is a way to obtain so-called fast cash, it wa...
Fur trading started between the Europeans along with the Aboriginals when the most valuable beaver pelts was a substituted for metal and clothing goods such as iron knives and axis, copper kettles, blankets and trinkets. The beaver pelts were well desired by the Europeans for the reason that using this fur for headgear provided an elegant way to keep dry. However these pelts were for fashion, as men and women could be instantly noted within the social hierarchy by according to their beaver hats. It was so valuable that the sand on the floor was filtered to save every hair that has fallen off. For the Europeans, captivating advantages of the rich furs from the Indians in the New World was a major factor in generating handsome profits, and there is no other pelt exchanging business enterprise like the Hudson's Bay Company. It is the oldest venture of Canada and it inspired many by its domination in the fur trading industry during its early years. They equipped their own armies, minted its own coins and even issued its own medals. The company had controlled fully one-third of present-day Canadian territory and were thought by many as a kingdom by itself in the fur industry. They had trading posts from the very north Arctic Ocean to Hawaii and as far south as San Francisco. HBC's revenue didn't generate simply from this one way trade in furs to Europe; it also consists of large amounts of European goods to North America. These goods incorporated many other products that local people cannot construct such as gunpowder, bullets, weapons, tobacco, kettles, pots, beads, fishing hooks, needles, scissors, and so much more. The Hudson's Bay Company showed a great measure of success since its formation, but it didn't come without s...
Natural resourses was the main reason why there was a westward expansion in the first place.
There have been many discoveries that have shaped our nation as a whole. Discoveries have allowed our country to thrive and become one of the most powerful nations in the world. When we look back at our nation's rich history, it is clear to see that there was one discovery in particular that had a vast impact on the United States; the discovery was gold in California. It was in this vastly unoccupied territory that the American dream was forever changed and California emerged as a powerful state busting at the seams. The California Gold Rush shaped California into the state that it is today. California is defined by its promise of entrepreneurial success and its acceptance and encouragement of obtaining the American Dream.
People have been drawn to the big and beautiful Columbia River Basin for thousands of years. During the last century, natural resource-based industries supported small, growing communities. Today, people still appreciate the basin's rural flavor and quality of life.
Washington is the 20th largest state and has very different western and eastern natural environments, which are divided by the Cascade Range. It is home to 6 million residents (2001 census estimate) who are employed in a diverse economy dominated by aviation; software and other technological enterprises; wheat, apples, beans, and other agriculture; forest products; and fishing. The state is a major exporter of manufactured goods, foodstuffs, raw materials, and hydroelectricity, and it is a popular tourist destination.
In the late 1800s Seattle, then the heart of the industrialized Olympic Peninsula saw many changes. Industrialization is not a cheap endeavor for cities so Seattle contracted workers from China. White and Native Americans saw the Chinese as labor competition and prejudices quickly developed. Victor Smith, head and founder of the Puget Sound Cooperate Colony and emerging entrepreneur opposed the new labor force so greatly that he decided to move to an area where he could attain and retain more power. In 1862 Smith was given permission by President Abraham Lincoln to set aside 3,520 acres of raw land in the upper most corner of Washington State. The same year Port Angeles was established as a city, Thomas Aldwell another entrepreneur arrived by steamboat into the recently established community - Aldwell traveled with a vision to harness uncharted lands.
Raw materials, new techniques in the workplace, a massive increase in the labor force, and numerous technological inventions all played integral parts in the United State’s economic and industrial boom. Large quantities of coal, iron ore, silver, and gold were discovered in various regions in the West. Lead, quartz, zinc, copper, and other precious metals were also found as new areas were uncovered. Around the mines and quarries gathered the workers of the sites along with their families. These people created towns known as “boomtowns”, which required transportation in the form of trains for their supplies. The same process happened with numerous other raw materials found in the country as well (Brinkley, 449).
Aboriginal women had occupied an essential position in the fur trade of the North American region from its birth during the 17th and 18th centuries. Even though this is true, the role of women, especially those of the Native American society, has been ignored a great deal in the entire history of fur trade. Contrary to the belief that the whole fur trade activity was only male-dominated, it very much depended upon Native women and their participation and labor in order to ensure survival as well as economic success. This paper will attempt to illuminate how Native women played the role as important producers when it comes to fur trade of the American Plains and, of course, the Canadian region. This paper will also deal with the two important company's namely the North West and Hudson's Bay Company and tell how each functioned during the time of fur trade. The term “fur traders” is the term often used to described anyone who was interested in the traffic of furs. The traditional picture has been that of a male in buckskin shirt and a raccoon cap, dispensing alcohol and trinkets to gullible savages, in turn for the quality furs worth 10 times their value.
In the early 1800's, seaboard ports were the largest centers of commerce. These were small towns, with basic transportation systems. Most of the goods exported were either simple products or seafood from the nearby ocean. Many farms surrounded the seaboard ports. The growing conditions were not too favorable, as the fields were muddy most of the time. Seaboard ports were an essential part of the local trade.
Feature, W. (n.d.). Genetically Modified Foods (Biotech Foods) Pros and Cons.WebMD. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-biotech-foods-safe-to-eat