- Olympia — Thumbnail History (historylink.org)
The Olympia area was well established by 1853 thanks to the Hudson’s Bay Company’s nearby Fort Nisqually and Puget Sound Agriculture Company, the early U.S. settlement at Tumwater, and Catholic missionary activity. The discovery of coal and a good harbor boosted the pioneer economy and Olympia served as the terminus of the Cowlitz Trail, the northern extension of the Oregon Trail, where settlers could transfer from foot and wagons to canoes and ships and spread outward along the shores of Puget Sound. The town grew with its own economy as Washington grew as a state, in addition to serving as the seat of government from 1853 to the present time.
- When Kautz wrote of the lower Sound he meant that area closest to the Ocean. The upper Sound was near Olympia.
- [William Alloway] Slaughter had gone to Olympia for two or three days, and I was acting as quartermaster during his absence. The captain had discovered that some Post mules were in use by a farmer, and he came to me and ordered them to be brought in. I replied that I did not know Mr. Slaughter’s arrangements concerning the mules, and therefore did not like to interfere. He turned to me and said sharply: “You will do it, By G– if I order you to,” whereupon I answered in the same tone: “I won’t do it, by G–, unless you do.” He at once changed his tone and manner and said the he had meant it as an order, and naturally I answered that IF that were the case I would obey him.
- Judge Strong, who was one of the territorial judges, always came to the post on his trips to hold court. He lived on the Columbia. Starling was the Indian agent. Moses was collector of the post, and lived at Olympia. Goldsborough, Mason, Simmons, in fact, all of the first pioneers were seen at the post frequently during the few months of my tour of duty. Steilacoom was the place where the vessels landed, and it was called a city, although there were only a few houses. Dr. Webber had a store and dealt in lumber. Mr. John M. Chapman had taken the best of the ground for the town and Lafayette Balch had taken a claim adjoining to the north, and was in partnership, too, with Webber.
- The 30th [May 1853]. was spent in visitng old man Crockett, who with a large family was located on the prairie on the top of Admiralty head. A large number of Suqualmish Indians engaged in gathering camas were encamped on the bay.17 From them the doctor [John Miller Haden] and [Edmond] Starling succeeded in procuring transporation to Steilacoom. For this reason the doctor and Starling had come to the island with me. They were prettily fooled by Col. Eby, on whom they expected to impose, as the colonel was going to Olympia to assume his office as successor to [Abram Benton] Moses, and they planned to return at his expense.
- Olympia, Washington (Wikipedia)
Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is 60 miles (100 km) southwest of the state’s most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region.
