- 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 [Steilacoom] site was very fine for a city, with a good roadstead, but its ambitious beginning was rudely curtained into a suburb of Tacoma, which did not spring up until twenty years later. The congress that closed on the 3rd of March, 1853, had created the Territory of Washington, and President Pierce appointed I.I.Stevens, an ex-army officer, Governor. The new administration made many removals, among them Judge Strong, and Agent Starling. The news of the changes did not come to us until early in the month of May, and were matters of great moment to the people.