- Heath Farm Marker (lakewoodhistorical.org)
Joseph Thomas Heath was born on Sept. 22, 1804 in Exeter, England. On Sept. 21, 1843 he signed a contract with the Puget Sound Agricultural Co. (Hudson’s Bay Co.) and left Cherbourg, France for the Pacific Northwest. Sailing on the British ship “Cowlitz” around the horn of South America to Hawaii. He arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River on June 1, 1844. On June 17, the “Cowlitz” arrived at Fort Nisqually. Heath moved into an existing log house and barn that was built and abandoned by one of the Red River (Canada) settlers about 1840. In the next five years, Heath built a granary, barn, corn shed, Dutch barn, smoke house, kitchen, tool house, dairy, pig sty and an ox shed. He fenced his yard and another 40 acres. Heath kept a very detailed diary, however, only part of it survived. Much of the diary from Jan. 1, 1845 until he became sick on Feb. 9, 1849 still exists. Heath died at the age of 44 just after the end of the diary. He was buried at Fort Nisqually in an unmarked grave. After Heath’s death, a U.S. mounted artillery unit, Company M, arrived, leased and later purchased the property from Hudson’s Bay Co. In August of 1849, Fort Steilacoom was established using the Heath’s Farm log buildings. Heath’s house became the Fort Adjutant’s (HQ) office. As the Fort grew the log buildings were replaced. Heath’s log house was located very close to this historic marker.
- Fort Steilacoom (1849-1868) (historylink.org)
Fort Steilacoom, located in south Puget Sound near Lake Steilacoom, was established by the United States Army in 1849. Protection of settlers in the area had become an issue. As well, the United States was anxious to plant the flag on land claimed by Britain. (Britain had ceded the territory south of the 49th parallel in 1846, but claimed this land as a commercial enterprise. Fort Steilacoom was established in what was then Oregon Territory. Congress would create Washington Territory in 1853.) In August 1849 the U.S. Army moved onto the Joseph Heath farm to establish the fort, leasing the land from the British Hudson’s Bay Company. The fort served as a headquarters in the 1855-1856 Indian Wars, but there were no hostile actions here. A major event was the incarceration of Nisqually Chief Leschi (1808-1858) in the fort guardhouse. The post commander and other officers protested his trial and murder conviction, arguing that he was probably not guilty, as a state of war had existed. Fort Steilacoom was closed in 1868 and became the site of the Western State Hospital, a psychiatric facility. Today (2012) the Fort Steilacoom Museum is also located on the site.