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CENSUS IN WASHINGTON TERRITORY-- 1860 Pioneers living in all of the former Oregon Country were composed of a variety of people: •twenty-two percent of the settlers were from the Old Northwest area around the Great Lakes, •twenty-one percent of the population was from the slave holding states of the South, •Missouri, a slave-holding state, contributed ten percent -- more than any other single state, •eight percent of the residents came from the Middle Atlantic states, •four percent of the inhabitants were from New England, Washington Territory had to overcome this varied mixture of residents to receive any attention from national politicians then facing an impending sectional crisis Population numbers from the census of 1860 further demonstrated the population difficulties: Clark County -- 2,384 Thurston County -- 1,507 Walla Walla County -- 1,318 King County -- 302 these small numbers resulted in Washington Territory being almost universally ignored Four additional weekly newspapers were established west of Cascades by 1860 these were inadequate to the task of generating interest in the remote region ANOTHER WASHINGTON TERRITORIAL GOVERNOR DEPARTS Governor R.D. Gholson chose to return to Kentucky (and saw fit to remain there) -- January 1860 lack of support from the territorial legislature escalated his frustration level to intolerable six months in office was enough to convince him of the futility of his unifying efforts Territorial Secretary Hiram H. McGill served as Acting Territorial Governor (for more that a year) unlike Governor Gholson before, McGill attempted to focus local governmental attention on issues of local concern President James Buchanan and Southern Democrat Congressional leaders could not seem to find anyone who was interested and capable of acting as governor PIONEER SOCIAL LIFE IN WASHINGTON TERRITORY In rural communities debating societies, annual picnics and school programs provided entertainment Going to church in pioneer times gave isolated people a chance for a little social interaction they might briefly exchange words before church about the crops and other local topics of interest before the final hymn restless children might slip out to where the animals were tied for a little rough play men and women greeted one another and shook hands after the services Ladies Aid societies were formed church socials became more frequent if folks were not “agin it” there were dances for the young people SearchableHistory.com 1860-1869 P. 1 marriage and funeral services became more elaborate social events Free Masonry and other secret and semi-secret societies or lodges appeared these were appealing to social-hungry people LIEUTENANT JOHN MULLAN CONTINUES HIS ROAD BUILDING EFFORT Undiscouraged by the harsh difficulties encountered during the winter, Lieutenant John Mullan obtained fresh animals from the Flathead Indians His survey and construction crews pushed on across the Continental Divide at Mullan Pass at one time 150 men were at work cutting a 25-foot swath through heavy timberland for a distance of 120 miles across the mountains GROWTH IN WASHINGTON TERRITORY Spokane County government was finally organized (after the county was created in 1[858]) Pinkney City, a small trading post near Colville, had been named the county seat -- 1860 Chehalis opened as a military camp established at Grays Harbor -- February 11, 1860 by Captain Maurice Maloney, U.S. Fourth Infantry near the mouth of the Chehalis River Chehalis Indians threatened the settlement Everett began as an Indian trading post built at Elliott Point this location had been named Mukilteo by the Indians -- 1860 SCANDINAVIANS MIGRATE TO AMERICA FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS Many Scandinavians came to America for various reasons: •some sought religious freedom they had no desire to pay taxes to the organized churches at home especially if they were not members, •others came to escape the draft, •some wished to escape social pressures imposed by a rigid class system, •but most left for America because of growing pressures on the natural resources at home as population increased, children found their family farms inadequate both in size and in economic potential, Many who came to America had no intention of staying they were single men who hoped to return home with enough money to begin life anew in the “old country” EARLY DAYS ON FIDALGO ISLAND (SKAGIT COUNTY) Fidalgo Island (named for Spanish explorer Lieutenant Salvador Fidalgo) is one of the San Juan islands located very close to the mainland (in today’s Skagit County) After the Fraser River gold rush [1858] the first permanent settlers built his home on the island SearchableHistory.com 1860-1869 P. 2 at the head of Fidalgo Bay was a large fern-covered prairie which had served for untold centuries as an Indian camp ground new arrivals saw the location as prime farm ground surround by dense forest Several pioneers built cabins (at today’s March Point) others followed by more settlers [in the 1860s] including John T. Griffin and his wife Almina Richards Griffin who is credited with being the first white woman to live on Fidalgo Island BRITISH GOVERNMENT PLACES MARINES ON SAN JUAN ISLAND After much diplomacy among American General Winfield Scott, British Admiral Robert Lambert Baynes and British Columbia Royal Governor James Douglas it was agreed to continue a joint occupation of San Juan Island Tempers had quieted down enough -- by March 1860 that the English felt it was safe to land 100 Marines under the joint occupation agreement ENGLISH CAMP IS ESTABLISHED ON SAN JUAN ISLAND British campsite was a tangle of vegetation shooting up wildly from an enormous shell midden (garbage pile) created over the centuries around an ancient Salish village Marines leveled the snowy-white mounds of shells to create a parade ground Perhaps thinking of their stomachs as well as being practical British Royal Marine Light Infantry used one especially fertile spot for a vegetable garden shortly after arriving on Garrison Bay -- March 1860 AN INDIAN PROPHET COMES FORWARD TO LEAD THE PEOPLE Wanapum Indians lived along the Columbia below the mouth of the Snake River in the Wallula area for centuries these Indians practiced a religion known as Washani meaning in the native language “Dancers” or “Worship” they believed the Creator was responsible for creating the world certain people were chosen to live in specific regions Mother Earth (or Earth Spirit) provided fish, game and vegetation for the people they believed in a Dreamer-prophet who would appear at the end of the Wanapum world this crisis could be a natural event such as an earthquake or flood, or could be initiated by invaders their Dreamer-prophet would have experienced a temporary death and visit the spirit world before returning to earth with a message from the Creator their Dreamer-prophet, through his teachings and example, would prepare the Wanapums for a new life following the crisis SearchableHistory.com 1860-1869 P. 3 Wak-wei, a Wanapum Indian, was born [between 1815 and 1820] in the way of the Northwest Indians, Wak-wei, was known by several names in his youth: •Wak-wei or Kuk-kia meaning Arising from the Dust of the Earth Mother, •Yuyunipitqana translated as the Shouting Mountain, •Waipshwa or the Rock Carrier, •eventually he was known as Smohalla, The Dreamer His father sent him at the age of twelve to be educated at Rev. Henry Spalding’s Lapwai Mission where for three years he learned the ways of whites and became a Christian there he made extensive contacts with his cousins -- Nez Perce Indians settlers who had met him described Wak-wei as being peculiar and less than pleasant looking Concern over increasing white influence on the Wanapum culture prompted Wak-wei as a young man to journey to a mountain sacred to his people (La Lac) in quest of his Guardian Spirit while waiting for the appearance of his spirit he fasted and meditated Wak-wei experienced a religious revelation -- according to legend he died on the mountain however, his spirit was refused entry into the land of the dead he was ordered by the Changer to return to his people to save them from cultural extinction this fate could only be prevented by rejecting white influences and returning to the traditional sacred beliefs and doctrines of the Washani religion Wak-wei returned from his Spirit Quest with his account of death and resurrection he began to preach his revitalization of the Washani doctrine [about 1850] he preached the Wanapum belief that the Earth must not be disturbed dividing the land into parcels as the whites did was an outrage to the Creator Wak-wei’s followers believed he had returned to them from the dead with his message he was subject to epileptic trances he and his followers believed visions came to him in that state he soon gained a reputation as a visionary able to foretell the future and the approaching doom Many of the tribes of the Columbian Plateau became involved in the Yakima Wars [1855- 1856] but not the Wanapums -- Wak-wei did not advocate violence against Whites DREAMER RELIGION EXPANDS AMONG THE COLUMBIA BASIN INDIANS Wak-wei explained to his listeners that the victory over the Indians in the Yakima Wars [1855-1856] was because the White God is strong and Indians had abandoned their traditions He told the Native Americans the Changer was angry with them for abandoning their traditions but was about to raise the dead and drive out the Whites and restore the former ways he commanded them to return now to the old ways Because of his teachings Wak-wei became known as Smohalla, the Dreamer-prophet Smohalla's reputation as a holy man grew -- so did the jealousy of other Indian leaders Chief Moses, leader of the Indians of the Columbia Basin, feared Smohalla who was living nearby SearchableHistory.com 1860-1869 P.

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