Incidents and Annals of Settlement V
Washington Standard - Olympia
March 29, 1918

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.

At the June election, 1846. Dr. Wm. P. Tolmie of Nisqually was elected the first representative. The county continued of the limits defined in the act erecting it. until the treaty of June 15, 1846, made the 49th parallel the northern boundary of Oregon. A continuation of these data, however interesting, must be omitted, as this article has already attained much greater length than intended and the "Smithfield" of 1847 must engage attention.

On the August 24, 1847, a trail between Smithfield and the falls was blazed out. On June 14, 1848. Rev. Pascal Ricard with a small party of Oblate missionaries established the Mission of St. Joseph on the east side of Budd's Inlet, about a mile north of Sylvester's claim. Shortly after Samuel Hancock located the claim on the west side of the Inlet (now Conrad Schneider's) and built a warehouse and wharf.

In the winter of 1849, just after the first discovery of gold in California, Messrs. Ebey, Shaw, Moore and Jackson bought the American brig "Orbit" and brought her up to Budd's Inlet, where she loaded with a cargo of piles and returned to San Francisco. Colonel Simmons bought the interest of Jackson. This was the first American vessel owned by Washington territory owners and hailing from Olympia, Puget Sound.

In 1850 Mr. Sylvester dedicated his claim as to town site. It was first surveyed by William L. Fraser and afterwards by Major H. A. Goldsborough. At the suggestion of Mr. Smith of the firm of Simmons & Smith, who established here that year the first store, it received the name of Olympia, from the beautiful snow-capped mountains of the Olympic or Coast range which form the grand relief as well as background of that glorious scenery enjoyed upon every clear day looking northward from Olympia.

The store ot Simmons & Smith was established in the large two-story frame store at the corner of Main and First streets. This building was afterwards used as the first custom house for the district of Puget Sound, the first office of the Columbian, the first newspaper published in this Territory, the first lodge room of the Masonic fraternity, long the wareroom of George A. Barnes, and afterwards in its later career known as the hall of that large and flourishing order, the U. F. of F. U.

While it was being erected Messrs. Simmons & Smith opened at the Priest's. During the year Mr. Sylvester disposed of many town lots and Messrs. W. Wallace, H. Murray. Asher Sargent, Colonel Simmons. Captain Dunham (afterwards killed by the falling of a tree and the first death in the little settlement). Colonel Isaac N. Ebey and J. A. Goldsborough became interested.

In 1851 Olympia had become the recognized port of Puget Sound and by act of congress approved February 14, 1851. It was established as the port of entry of the collection district of Puget Sound. By the same act Nlsqually was created as a port of delivery.

Colonel Simpson P. Moses was the first collector and was sworn in by Henry P. Wilson, a Justice of the peace, November 10, 1851, arriving at Olympia. November 25, 1851. General W. W. Miller was the first surveyor, reaching Olympia about a month previous to the collector's arrival. To appreciate the growing importance of the Territory, of which Olympia was at this time the leading settlement, it should be noted that in 1850 Colonel Isaac N. Ebey made the first settlement on Whidbey's Island. E. D. Warbass located at the old Cowlitz Landing, at the head of navigation on the Cowlitz, calling it Warbassport. 

Hon. F. A. Chenoweth took the claim at the Lower Cascades, nominating the town he laid out as Cascade City. Daniel F. Bradford took the claim at the Upper Cascades. In 1851 Captain Lafayette Balch established Port Steilacoom (the Lower Town) and J. B. Chapman the upper one, called by him Steilacoom City, both now going by the name of Steilacoom. Captain Bachelder and Mr. Plummer took the present site of Port Townsend, but the former attempted no permanent settlement. Henry C. Wilson took a claim adjoining and Messrs. Hastings and Pettygrove so took their claims that in connection with A. A. Plummer they became owners of the site of the present town of Port Townsend.

Alki Point was first taken by John N. Lowe (called New York), who subsequently abandoned it, to be retaken and claimed by Charles C. Terry. Dr. D. S. Maynard, first a resident of Olympia, located and made the first settlement at Seattle, though a little later than this time.