Incidents and Annals of Settlement

The following 6 part series about the early settlement of land north of the Columbia river, was published in the Washington Standard, during the summer of 1918. The articles were originally written by Edmund Sylvester and first published in the Washington Standard on February 22, 1868.

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Incidents and Annals of Settlement I

On the 20th day of October, 1846, Edmund Sylvester of Deer Isle, state of Maine, commenced the occupation of the claim upon which the town of Olympia, as originally located, is situated. He erected his cabin on the point of land about two miles from the extreme head of Budd's Inlet, the southernmost arm or branch of Puget Sound, at what may be styled the head of navigation of that remarkable inland sea, the great special feature of Washington territory, and by the way of the Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca, about 200 miles from the entrance of the latter into the Pacific ocean. Its altitude is 47 degrees 55 minutes west.

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Incidents and Annals of Settlement II

The occupancy of the site of the future Olympia. the then "Smithfield" of New Market precinct, Lewis county, having been noted in the previous article, it now becomes necessary to make an extended notice of the advent of population to the adjacent region, in order to appreciate the elements of Olympia settlement and progress. The history of all Oregon settlements, and this includes those made in the portion now known as Washington territory, exhibits a slow development of towns or communities, attributable to the restrictive provisions of the first land law of the Oregon Provisional government, continued by the donation act of 1850 and not materially amended by the present homestead law, which compels parties who desire to acquire title to lands to reside continuously upon and cultivate them.

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Incidents and Annals of Settlement III

The late Colonel M. T. Simmons headed the small party of American families who settled in the vicinity of the falls of Des Chutes river in October, 1845, about one year anterior to Mr. Sylvester occupying the Olympia claim. Colonel Simmons was of the emigration of 1844, being colonel in the Independent Oregon company commanded by General Cornelius Gilliam. These offices were created and conferred by the emigrants. Colonel Simmons and family and those in his immediate train or subcompany wintered at Washougal, in Clarke county, spending however about one month at Vancouver.

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Incidents and Annals of Settlement IV

To return of the Simmons party.

They reached the shores of Puget Sound in August and obtained canoes, went down the Sound examining the various points, passed around the north end of Whidbey's island, returning through Deception pass on the east side of said island. The party having returned to the Columbia river, Colonel Simmons and his family was then joined by James McAllister (killed In the Indian war of 1855) and family, David Kindred and family, Gabriel Jones and family, George Bush and family, and Messrs. Jesse Ferguson and Samuel B. Crockett. Peter Bercier again acted as guide, conducting through the first American colony for Puget Sound.

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Incidents and Annals of Settlement V

It will be remembered at the reorganization of the provisional government of Oregon, July, 1845, the territory north of the Columbia river was all included in the Vancouver district or county. James Douglas, M. T. Simmons and James Forrest were the first county commissioners or county judges. Lewis county was organized by act of the Oregon house of representatives, approved December 21, 1845, to go into effect after the June election of 1846, and was constituted of all the territory lying between the Columbia river and 54 degrees 40 minutes north latitude, west of the Cowlitz river.

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Incidents and Annals of Settlement VI

Shortly after Captain Hill's company occupied Fort Steilacoom, Hon. J. Quinn Thornton, Indian sub-agent north of the Columbia, visited the Sound and offered (Sept. 7. 1849) a reward of 80 blankets for the delivery of the Indian murderers of Wallace, within three weeks. This had the desired effect and shortly after the return of Agent Thornton to Oregon City. Chief Patakynum delivered at Fort Steilacoom six Snoqualmie Indians, to Captain Hill. 

The Oregon legislative assembly being then in session, on being apprised of the capture of the murderers, Governor Lane submitted a message asking the assembly to pass an act attaching Lewis county to the first judicial district for judicial purposes and providing for a special term of court to be held by Chief Justice Bryant at Steilacoom on tbe first Monday of October, 1849.