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Placentia, CA
I am delighted to have one of the traveling books make it to Placentia, CA because it is the city where I grew up. I attended Wagner Elementary, Tuffree Junior High School (which is now Tuffree Middle School) and graduated from El Dorado High School - Home of the Golden Hawks. So it is especially gratifying to have one of the books stop off in what I consider my home town.
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Indiana
The United States of America accepted Indiana as the 19th state to enter the union on December 11, 1816.
Anderson, IN
Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States, and is part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area. The city is the county seat of Madison County. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county.
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Quebec
Quebec is a province in the eastern part of Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.
Montreal, QC
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Montreal is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec and the second-largest city in Canada. Montreal was the largest city in Canada up until the 1970s. Originally called Ville-Marie (’City of Mary’), the city takes its present name from Mount Royal, the three-headed hill at the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the city is located.
The official language of Montreal is French as defined by the city’s charter. Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris. As of the 2006 Canadian Census, 1,620,693 people resided in the city of Montreal proper. The population of the Montreal Census Metropolitan Area (also known as Greater Montreal) was 3,635,571 at the same 2006 census. In the census metropolitan area, French is the language most spoken at home by 70.5% of the population (as of 2006 census). In 2007, Forbes Magazine ranked Montreal as the 10th cleanest city in the world. In the June 19th, 2008 edition of London based Monocle Magazine, Montreal was ranked 16th in a list of the world’s 25 most liveable cities. Contributing factors included a strong arts community, booming aerospace industry and a vast network of free wireless internet.
There is archaeological evidence of various nomadic native peoples occupying the island of Montréal for at least 2,000 years before the arrival of Europeans. The St. Lawrence Iroquoians established the village of Hochelaga at the foot of Mount Royal. The French explorer Jacques Cartier visited Hochelaga on October 2, 1535, claiming the St. Lawrence Valley for France. He estimated the population to be “over a thousand”.
Seventy years later, French explorer Samuel de Champlain reported that the St. Lawrence Iroquoians and their settlements had disappeared altogether from the St. Lawrence valley, likely due to inter-tribal wars, European diseases and out-migration. Champlain established in 1611 a fur trading post on the Island of Montreal, on a site initially named La Place Royale, at the confluence of Saint-Pierre river and St-Lawrence river, where present-day Pointe-à-Callière stands. In 1639, Jérôme Le Royer de La Dauversière obtained the Seigneurial title to the Island of Montreal in the name of the Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal to establish a Roman Catholic mission for evangelizing natives. Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve was the governor of the colony.
Ville-Marie became a centre for the fur trade and a base for further French exploration in North America. It remained a French colony until 1760, when it was surrendered to Great Britain.
Montreal was incorporated as a city in 1832. The opening of the Lachine Canal permitted ships to bypass the unnavigable Lachine Rapids, while the construction of the Victoria Bridge established Montreal as a major railway hub. By 1860, it was the largest city in British North America and the undisputed economic and cultural centre of Canada.
Montréal was the capital of the Province of Canada from 1844 to 1849, but lost its status when a Tory mob burnt down the Parliament building to protest passage of the Rebellion Losses Bill.
After World War I, the Prohibition movement in the United States turned Montreal into a haven for Americans looking for alcohol. Unemployment remained high in the city, and was exacerbated by the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression. Canada began to recover from the Great Depression in the mid-1930s, when skyscrapers such as the Sun Life Building began to appear.
During World War II, Mayor Camillien Houde protested against conscription and urged Montrealers to disobey the federal government’s registry of all men and women. Ottawa was furious over Houde’s insubordination and held him in a prison camp until 1944, when the government was forced to institute conscription (see Conscription Crisis of 1944).
Montreal’s population surpassed one million in the early 1950s. The Saint Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, allowing vessels to bypass Montreal: a development that would in time help to spell the end of the city’s economic dominance. However, the 1960s saw continued growth, including Expo 67, the construction of Canada’s tallest skyscrapers, new expressways and the Montreal Metro system.
The 1970s ushered in a period of wide-ranging social and political changes, stemming in large part from the concerns of the French-Canadian majority about the conservation of their culture and language, given the traditional predominance of the English-Canadian minority in the business arena. The October Crisis and the election of the separatist political party, the Parti Québécois, resulted in major political and linguistic shifts. Many companies and people left the city. In 1976, Montreal was the host of the 1976 Summer Olympics.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, Montreal experienced a slower rate of economic growth than many other major Canadian cities. By the late 1990s, however, Montreal’s economic climate had improved, as new firms and institutions began to fill the traditional business and financial niches.
Montreal was merged with the 27 surrounding municipalities on the Island of Montreal on January 1, 2002. The merger created a unified city of Montreal which covered the entire island of Montreal. This move proved unpopular, and several former municipalities, totalling 13% of the population of the island, voted to leave the newly unified city in separate referendums in June 2004. The demerger took place on January 1, 2006, leaving 15 municipalities on the island, including Montreal.
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Corona, CA
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Incorporated in 1896 as a small farming community best known for its produce, Corona is now a quality community with a population of more than 147,428 and a diverse economic base.
The City of Corona is located approximately 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles in western Riverside County. The City limits encompass 39.2 square miles and the population is approximately 147,428. A city whose heritage spans more than a century, Corona has emerged as an ethnically diverse community, where a significant percentage of the population is made up of young, well educated families.
The Corona community boasts many amenities that provide a first-rate quality of life for residents. The City has more than 394 acres of parks, with sports fields, basketball courts, playgrounds, tennis courts, two skateparks and an outdoor pool.
Corona was founded at the height of the Southern California citrus boom in 1886, advantageously situated at the upper end of the Santa Ana River Canyon, the only significant pass through the Santa Ana Mountains. The town of Corona, once laid claim to the title “Lemon Capital of the World.” A museum there presents the lemon’s former role in the local economy. It derived its name (and its nickname, The Circle City) from the curious layout of its streets, with a standard grid enclosed by the circular Grand Boulevard. The street layout was designed by Hiram Clay Kellogg, a civil engineer from Santa Ana who was an influential figure in the early development of Orange County. Also, the renowned circular Grand Boulevard is where three international road racing events took place in 1913, 1914 and 1916. Corona was also home to the Corona road race, a Grand Prix race in the early 20th century.
In more recent years it has been known as the Gateway to the Inland Empire. Prior to the 1980s, Corona was a largely agricultural community, dominated by citrus orchards, ranches, and dairy farms. Sky-high real estate prices in Los Angeles and Orange counties made the area’s land desirable to developers and industrialists, and by the late 1990s it was considered a major suburb of Los Angeles.
In recent years, Corona has become an elite working-class bedroom community for Orange County and the larger cities of the Inland Empire. The development of commerce and industry in the city has been accelerated by congestion on the Riverside Freeway, with many firms leaving northern Orange County to be closer to their employees’ homes in Corona and Riverside.
The construction of the Chino Valley Freeway nearby has also linked Corona to the Pomona and San Gabriel valleys, with the result that the once largely white city has experienced an influx of Asian American residents who commute to Asian-oriented businesses in cities such as Alhambra and Diamond Bar.
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Atlantic Highlands, NJ
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The Borough of Atlantic Highlands, once known as Portland Pointe, was originally part of Middletown Township. During the late 1800’s, the pleasant climate together wit the rolling hills bordering on the Raritan Bay appealed to a number of investors.
In 1879, a surveyor was engaged to lay our roads and lots for a permanent community. The Atlantic Highlands Association was formed by prominent members of the Methodist Church. This organization developed the community of Atlantic Highlands.
Individuals and groups came from New York City and the surrounding vicinity to camp along the water in tent colonies. An outdoor amphitheater was created with a large seating capacity and outstanding acoustics. An indoor auditorium was built, which was utilized for entertaining visitors at the camp meetings. In 1887, Atlantic Highlands was incorporated as a Borough, containing 1.2 square miles of prime real estate bordering on the Raritan Bay.
The major construction occurred from the 1880’s trough 1900. It included hotels, cottages, rooming houses, and private homes. A substantial pier was built extending well into the bay to accommodate steamboats from New York City The next twenty years saw rapid development within the community A water and sewer system was constructed, cottages were erected, and the road system was completed. During this period of development a strong and effective fire department was organized, which is today a well-respected organization within the Borough.
A number of churches saw their beginning in the 1880’s: the Central Baptist, First Presbyterian, Saint Agnes Roman Catholic, First Methodist, and Saint Paul’s Baptist Church.
Steamer service was a major source of transportation during the formation of the Borough, through the 1940’s. The Central Railroad of New Jersey built a major pier at the end of First Avenue. Several trains at a time could continue to the end of’ the pier to off load steamboat passengers. From the teens through the forties, the steamers “Sandy Hook” and the “Monmouth” navigated the waters bringing businessmen and vacationers to Atlantic Highlands.
In the 1890’s, rail service came to Atlantic Highlands. This opened up Highlands and points south to vacationers. The 1920’s saw twenty-six passenger trains daily passing through the Borough.
Some of the names that played a major part in the development of Atlantic Highlands were: Thomas Henry Leonard (businessman developer, first mayor), E.G. Martin (builder), Nimrod Woodward (master mason, builder of the Stone Bridge), George F Laurie (businessman), and Rev. James E. Lake (Pastor of Atlantic Highlands First Methodist Church, promoter of Atlantic Highlands).
Many famous people lived in Atlantic Highlands or were associated with the Borough. Simon Lake, considered by some to be the father of the submarine, tested his craft the ‘Argonaut Jr.” in Atlantic Highlands. The New York Herald reported the testing in the January 8, 1895 issue. In the 1890’s, Charles Payne Sears, a prominent watercolor artist, resided in the Borough. His works were exhibited in the national portrait gallery in Washington D.C. Corwin Knapp Linson, an artist and illustrator also resided in the borough from the twenties through the fifties. The scene at the baptismal within the Central Baptist Church is a Linson rendering. And, anyone who bought the Sunday Daily News in the forties and fifties recalls a full page of cartoons in the comic section created for many years by resident artist, Reamer Keller.
The creation of our municipal harbor took place from 1938 through 1940. This harbor was built with municipal, state, and federal funds; the Atlantic Highland’s Lions Club supplied the vision and determination. Today, the municipal harbor is the largest on the East Coast, home to 715 craft including high-speed ferry service to New York City In 1962, the existing Central Railroad of New Jersey pier was destroyed by fire. In 1992 high-speed ferry service was introduced into our Borough. Today, eleven runs a day leave Atlantic Highlands for the “city.”
It is interesting to note the names that appear in the directories of the 1890’s. These same names populate the Borough and run businesses m the community today. The bungalows on the East Side of the Borough, which in the twenties were summer bungalows, are now year- round homes. The Victorian homes remain a reminder of our glorious past. The waterfront is alive with activity as it was in the 1890’s, welcoming the recreational boater.
Today Portland Pointe, a five-story senior citizen building, provides housing for our elderly. The business community just as at the turn of the century provides for our town and the visitor as well. An array of great restaurants, unique shops, theaters (from a great 5- screen movie house to live theater), provides the residents and the visitor with a reason to spend dine in our unique community A little bit of Victorian America tucked away at the Jersey Shore, Atlantic Highlands is truly the Jewel of the Bayshore.
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Woodinville, WA
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Basic Facts About Woodinville
City Stats
• City Population: 10,390 (As of 4/1/2007)
• Incorporation date: March 31, 1993
• Latitude: 47 degrees 45 minutes
• Longitude: 122 degrees 09 minutes
Land & Roadways
• City geographical area: 5.65 square miles
• Park acreage: 100.84 acres
• State highway in city limits: State Route 202
Annual Events
• Cityhood Celebration as part of Celebrate Woodinville (March/April)
• Chipping Event (April/May)
• Earth Day Volunteer Event (April)
• Family Fitness Event (June)
• Summer Concert Series (July/August)
• Sammamish ReLeaf (September/October)
• Harvest Festival (October)
• Spring & Fall Recycling Events
• Light Festival (December)
Largest Employers in the City (2007–2008 Budget)
• W.A. Botting Company: 289
• Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Ltd: 252
• Molbak’s Nursery & Greenhouse: 249
• Loud Technologies: 238
• Target: 200
Historic Woodinville
The Woodins were the first family to settle in the Woodinville community when they homesteaded 160 acres along the banks of the Squak Slough. Later renamed the Sammamish River, the slough served as the highway for the early pioneers since there were no roads. During the early years, lumber mills and logging were the main employers. Woodinville’s mills included the Machias and Saginaw Sawmilles and the Woodinville Shingle Mill.
The commununity of Woodinville did not develop until the Seattle-Lake Shore & Eastern Railway arrived in 1888. The early business district evolved around the railroad depot located where the railroad split at Woodinville. For the first time, stores, saloons, roads and bridges were built.
As the land was cleared and the valley flooding tamed with the lowering of Lake Washington in 1916, produce and dairy farming extended across the Sammamish Valley. Much of the produce was processed at the DeYoung Produce Packeing Shed and shipped by railroad to the East Coast as well as to Seattle. This later became the Lowell DeYoung Feed Mill, which continued to operate until the 1980s. Early dairy farms included Jess Brown’s Millview Dairy and Fred Stimson’s Hollywood Farms which is the current site of Chateau St. Michelle Winery.
Woodinville’s first post office, school and Sunday School were held in the home of Susan and Ira Woodin. As Woodinville grew, the Calkins family donated land for a one-room school which was built in 1892. Today, the land is the current site of the Carol Edwards Center/Old Woodinville School (NE 175th Street/133rd Avene NE). This building was replaced by a two-room schoolhouse in 1906 which burned from a chimney fire two years later.
In 1909, the first brick school east of Lake Washington was built on the site. It was enlarged by the Work Project Administration in 1935 and expanded to its current size in 1948. In the 1960s, the school ceased to be a regular elementary and was called the Woodinville Annex to house an overflow of students. From 1993 to 2001, the building served as Woodinville City Hall.
Historical Timeline
| 1800’s | The area along Squak Slough (today known as the Sammamish River) was inhabited by the Simump Tribe. The word “Squak” was a term used by local Native Americans which meant swampy area. |
| 1862 | National Homestead Act signed by Abraham Lincoln. This act stimulated homesteading of 160 acres per family for more than just timber claims. |
| Sept 1871 | Ira and Susan Woodin homesteaded 160 acres along Squak Slough and became the first permanent white settlers in the region. |
| 1874 | Emanuel Neilsen and Gustav Jacobsen, who were brothers that immigrated from Norway to America in 1870, each homesteaded 160 acres south of the Woodin’s homestead. |
| ca.1874 | Mary B. Neilsen, age 16, married Eric Jaderholm, age 49, and jointly homesteaded 160 acres next to her father’s homestead and just south of the Woodins. This became the early business district. |
| 1876 | The first steamboat to be put into use on Squak Slough (later renamed Sammamish River) was the Mud Hen. The side wheeler made only one trip up the meandering slough because her wheels became entangled in the reeds and grasses. It is believed the Mud Hen remained on Squak Lake and provided freight and passenger service there. |
| 1877 | The Calkins came from Kansas and homesteaded 160 acres in the valley floor east of the Neilsen’s homestead. |
| 1885 | The “Little” White Methodist Church was built at the corner of 131st Ave NE and NE 175th Street. |
| 1885 | The Seattle-Lake Shore & Eastern Railway was formed because the Northern Pacific Railway initially terminated its line in Tacoma rather than in Seattle. |
| 1887 | The Seattle-Lake Shore & Eastern Railway reached Woodinville. |
| 1888 | Woodin-Sanders Store was built on pilings next to the railroad platform and operated until 1898. |
| 1889 | On April 4, 1889 the Woodins deeded one acre for a cemetery in Woodinville. Two small girls, Regine Hammer and her sister, died of diphtheria and were the first recorded burials here in 1888. |
| 1889 | Anderson-Kennedy Rainier Saloon was built on pilings near the railroad platform and owned by the Seattle Brewing and Malt Company. The saloon ceased operating as a saloon on August 15, 1912 when the County Commissioners did not renew their license based on the strength of a Citizen Petition. |
| 1889 | American House was built by Joe Redberg and operated as a saloon and hotel. It burned down in the mid 1890’s. |
| 1889 | The Stringtown Bridge over Squak Slough connected Woodinville and Bothell. The bridge was built by Emanuel Neilsen using an ox powered pile driver he designed. |
| 1889 | Washington granted statehood. Woodinville citizen Mary B. Neilsen Jaderholm was the first person granted citizenship in the State of Washington. |
| 1890 | Town of Woodinville was platted by Mary B. Neilsen Jaderholm which was not incorporated until 1993 – more than 100 years later. |
| 1890 | (Teegarden’s) Mercantile Store was built and initially operated by Milt Russell. The store was sold to Clara and Sara Jacobsen who sold groceries, fabric, feed, etc. It also included a blacksmith shop operated by Harry Teegarden who married Clara in 1914. |
| 1892 | First “permanent” schoolhouse in Woodinville had just one-room and was located at the intersection of 131st Ave NE and NE 175th Street on land donated by the Calkins. Four schools were built on this site between 1892 and 1934. |
| 1892 | The Grace School was built. The school ceased operation in 1928 due to the lack of students. |
| ca.1893 | A permanent railroad depot was built at Woodinville. |
| 1894 | The Forester’s Lodge was built on land donated by Andrew Hansen. The upper floor was used for community activities and served as a local court room when required. The first floor housed the Ruelle’s Brothers Company also known as the Woodinville Trading Company. It eventually disbanded as the need was no longer there for an organization to help widows & children of deceased loggers. |
| 1895 | Emanuel Neilsen’s General Merchandise Store opened on Front Street (became the site of the Woodinville Mercantile Company in 1927). |
| 1895 | The Paradise Lake Cemetery was established. |
| Late 1890’s | A one-room wood frame schoolhouse was built at Derby. |
| 1897 | Klondike Gold Rush begins – several prominent Woodinville residents ventured north. These included Ira & Frank Woodin and several Calkins. |
| 1898 | Snoqualmie Falls underground hydroelectric power plant #1 was constructed. It was the first major hydroelectric plant in Washington. |
| ca.1900 | The Cottage Lake School was built in the center of a logging community. |
| 1903 | Machias Sawmill was built on Squak Slough by Charley Niemeyer and Colonel Miller. Later the Machias Sawmill was obtained by Jesse Brown and operated as a shingle mill until 1926. |
| 1904 | “The Belt Line” of the Northern Pacific Railway from Black River Jct (Renton) to Woodinville was completed. |
| 1906 | The Woodinville Lumber Company located in Grace was established by Jesse Brown. |
| 1907 | Dodd’s Adjustable School Desk Factory was built. Mr. Dodd, a school teacher and principal, started the factory but soon went bankrupt. The factory was sold at auction on May 15, 1909 to the Ruelle Brothers. |
| 1908 | The two-room Woodin School burned. For ~2 years, the empty Dodd Adjustable School Desk Factory was used as a school. The school was replaced by the first brick schoolhouse on the eastside of Lake Washington. |
| 1908 | On August 18 at 5:00 PM, a passenger locomotive train that was running about two hours late crashed head-on into a freight locomotive at Woodinville. |
| 1908 | The Superior Brick, Tile & Pottery Company was built by George Shaw and operated until ~1930. |
| 1909 | Seattle hosts the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition which opened on June 1st. |
| 1909-10 | Electrical power and telephone systems arrived in Woodinville. |
| 1910 | Hollywood (dairy) Farm was built by the wealthy Seattle lumberman Frederick S. Stimson. Mrs. Stimson had several large greenhouses and sold flowers all over the world. Today this is the site of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery |
| 1912 | The Derby School built of wood was replaced by a brick schoolhouse paid for by Mr. Stimson and renamed Hollywood School. It operated for only two years and closed for lack of students. |
| 1912 | Squak Slough was straightened and dredged between Redmond and NE 145th Street at a cost of $60,000 paid for by the valley farmers. The valley still flooded at times. |
| 1913 | Hollywood Poultry Farm was founded by Mr. Mort Atkinson on 40 acres of timber land owned by Fred Stimson. By 1930, he was brooding about 30,000 chicks per year that were shipped worldwide. |
| 1916 | Lake Washington was lowered nine feet to install the Ballard Locks. This made Squak Slough very difficult to navigate. |
| 1916 | The first Boeing built airplane, the B&W, made its maiden flight from Lake Union on June 15th. |
| 1917 | Lake Washington Ship Canal opens on July 4th. |
| 1929 | The road between Woodinville and Cottage Lake was paved and electrical power was finally extended to Cottage Lake. |
| 1940 | Lake Washington Floating Bridge is dedicated on July 2nd. |
| 1944 | The Lowell DeYoung Feed Mill Company was established. |
| 1947 | The Summit Fire District located next to Lake Leota was established. Fred Luzzani remodeled his barn to accommodate a fire truck which was purchased from King County at public auction June 2, 1947 for $500. |
| 1953 | Saginaw Sawmill was built on the Sammamish River at Woodinville. |
| 1963-64 | Sammamish River (formerly Squak Slough) flood control project was completed. The river was straightened, widened and deepened to protect adjacent farm lands from spring flooding. |
| 1974 | First stoplight was installed in Woodinville. |
| 1978 | First All Fool’s Day Parade held in Woodinville. |
| 1980 | At 8:32am on Sunday May 18th, 1980, Mount St Helens erupts and sends a cloud of ash nearly 40,000 feet into the air. More than 200 square miles of forest was blown over or left dead and standing. |
| 1993 | City of Woodinville was incorporated March 31, 1993. (103 years after the Town of Woodinville was initially platted by Mary B. Neilsen Jaderholm in 1890.) |
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Durango, CO
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Durango, Colorado is located in one of the most beautiful areas in the Four Corners region. Surrounding areas plunge from 14,000 foot peaks to desert valley floors, supporting alpine forests and aspen groves, rolling mountains rich with ponderosa, piñon and juniper trees and lush green valleys. Sagebrush and yuccas are framed by dramatic cliffs of purple and crimson rock.
At an elevation of 6,512 feet above sea level, Durango enjoys an ideal four-season climate with 300 days of sunshine and moderate temperatures year-round. Winters are usually mild and sunny with temperatures ranging from 10 to 50 degrees. Despite Durango’s average snowfall of 71 inches, accumulations don’t stay long in town and snow removal is manageable. Spring brings warmer weather and rain. Summer temperatures seldom climb above the upper 80’s and rivers and reservoirs stay relatively full in summer, fed by melting snow in the San Juan Mountains. Autumn days are dry and cool, creating wonderful fall colors to view while hiking, biking or driving the area’s Scenic Byways.
Due to its ideal climate, beautiful landscapes and plentiful natural resources, Durango has enjoyed a long and rich history.
Founded in 1880 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, historic Durango is perched at 6512 feet above sea level and is the county seat of La Plata County.
Best known for the Historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, as the home of Fort Lewis College, and for its proximity to Mesa Verde National Park, Durango is a popular year-round destination. From pristine snow and waterways, majestic mountains to superb shopping and dining, fascinating arts and culture, you’ll find an array of activities as relaxing or adventurous as you like.
Fun History Fact: The narrow gauge rails are 36 inches apart, whereas standard gauge rails are 56 inches!
Durango History
During the period beginning 2,500 years ago until the 1300s, Ancestral Puebloans called this area home. By the time the Ute Indians settled here, centuries later, these ancient people had mysteriously disappeared from their last homeland - the area now called Mesa Verde National Park. The Ute Indians sheltered in the abandoned dwellings and enjoyed ample fishing and hunting opportunities the area offered.
In 1860, a lucky prospector discovered gold. Within the year, miners, farmers and families flocked to the area.
Twenty years later, railroad officials created plans for the railroad, Main Avenue, Second and Third Avenues, and by 1881 the City of Durango was incorporated and became the county seat.
By the turn of the century, Durango had become a vacation destination, with the creation of the San Juan National Forest in 1905 and Mesa Verde National Park in 1906.
The 1900s brought many of the modern-day amenities that residents still enjoy today, including the Durango Municipal Airport in 1929, the expansion of Fort Lewis College to a four year college in 1957 and Purgatory ski resort in 1965.
Present-day Durango sees multitudes of visitors each year who embrace the many opportunities to fish, hike, mountain bike and ski, and welcomes history buffs taking in Durango’s historic downtown and nearby archaeological wonders.
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Washington
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General Information, Facts & Symbols
The United States of America accepted Washington as the 42nd state to enter the union on November 11, 1889.
Abbreviation:
WA
Capital of Washington State:
Olympia
Primary Agriculture:
Washington state is a leading lumber producer. The types of lumber include stands of Douglas fir, hemlock, ponderosa and white pine, spruce, larch, and cedar. The state currently ranks first in the nation for apples, pears, edible dry peas, red raspberries, hops, lentils, spearmint oil and sweet cherries. Washington also ranks high in the production of grapes, apricots, asparagus, peppermint oil and potatoes. Livestock and livestock products make important contributions to total farm revenue and the commercial fishing catch of salmon, halibut, and bottomfish makes a significant contribution to the economy of the state.
Primary Industry:
The top Washington manufaturing industries include lumber, aircraft/missiles, food processing, shipbuilding, transportation equipment, metals/metal products, chemicals and machinery.
Washington State Nickname:
The Evergreen State
Washington State Motto:
Al-Ki (Indian word meaning By and By)
Washington State Flower:
Coast Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)
(Legislation of 1892)
Washington State Tree:
Western Hemlock (Legislation of 1947)
Washington State Bird:
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
(Legislation of 1951)
The Willow or American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) is a typical North American seed-eating member of the finch family, averaging 4-1/4 inches in length that breeds across southern Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland and through most of the United States north of the Gulf of Mexico and core Southwestern States.
They molt all but their black wing and tail feathers in the spring, and the bills of both sexes turn orange. The male of the species takes on a brilliant canary yellow plumage with a jet black cap and has a very pleasing call song. A white rump contrasts with the black tail while in flight. Their winter plumage is a duller olive-brown with some yellow still showing on the head.
Washington State Fish:
Steelhead Trout (Legislation of 1969)
Washington State Insect:
Green Darner Dragonfly (Legislation of 1997)
Washington State Gemstone:
Petrified Wood (Legislation of 1975)
Official State Seal:
Depicted to the right is the state seal of Washington. The seal of the state of Washington is a symbol of the authority and sovereignty of the state and is a valuable asset of its people. It is the intent of the state government to ensure that appropriate uses are made of the state seal and to assist the secretary of state in the performance of the secretary’s constitutional duty as custodian of the seal.
Official State Flag:
Depicted to the left is the state flag of Washington. The flag of the state of Washington is a symbol of the authority and sovereignty of the state and is a valuable asset of its people. The Washington flag is flown over all state buildings just below the country flag of the United States of America.
State Commemorative Quarter:
From the 1999-2008 United States Mint 50 State Quarters® Program
The second commemorative quarter-dollar coin released in 2007 honors Washington, and is the 42nd coin in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters Program. Washington, nicknamed the “Evergreen State,” was admitted into the Union on November 11, 1889, becoming our Nation’s 42nd state. The reverse of Washington’s quarter features a king salmon breaching the water in front of majestic Mount Rainier. The coin bears the inscriptions “The Evergreen State,” “Washington” and “1889.”
Mount Rainier is an active volcano encased in more than 35 square miles of snow and glacial ice. It is the symbolic bridge between the eastern and western parts of the State. The salmon is another important symbol of Washington. It is a traditional image of Pacific Northwest culture, and this fish has provided nourishment for the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Newsman and real estate pioneer C.T. Conover nicknamed Washington the “Evergreen State” because of its many lush evergreen forests.
Quarter Specifications
Release Date: April 11, 2007
Reverse (tails) Side: The Evergreen State
Engraver: Charles Vickers
Standard Weight: 5.670g
Standard Diameter: 24.26mm (0.955 in)
Thickness: 1.75 mm
Edge Detail: Reeded
Composition: Cupro-Nickel Clad
(8.33% Nickel / 91.67% Copper)
Important Historical Figures of Washington
George Washington
Black founder of Centralia. George Washington was the son of a slave and a woman of English decent. Soon after his birth, his father was sold to a new owner and his mother took him to the home of the Cochranes, a white couple who later adopted George. Anti-black laws, restrictions, and prejudice followed George and the Cochranes through six moves and six different states from Virginia to Washington. Prior to 1857, a law barring blacks from land ownership prevented George from owning the property he found in Washington. The Cochranes filed for the land chosen by George in order to protect it for him. In 1857 the law was repealed and the Cochranes deeded back to George, the 640 acres he had lived on and developed for the past five years. At last, receiving that title symbolized the attainment of basic rights and in 1875 George filed his intention of laying out a new town, originally named Centerville. In 1889 the town had a population of 1,000 and George had sold his 2,000th lot. In the Panic of 1893, Centralia was hard hit, and George saved the town by purchasing properties gone to the auction block and making wagon trips alone to Portland, Oregon for supplies, and by lending considerable sums of money with no interest or terms for repayment.
Dr. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman
1802-47: The Whitmans were early Protestant missionaries to the Cayuse Indians near what is now Walla Walla. Narcissa was one of the first two women to cross the continent over land. Their mission became an important stop for emigrants traveling the Oregon Trail in the early 1840s. On November 29, 1847 a small group of the Cayuse Indians, angry, possibly, as a result of cultural differences and a smallpox outbreak, murdered Dr. Whitman, Narcissa and 12 other at the mission.
Chief Seattle
1786-1866: Among the Pacific Northwest Indians, Chief Seattle is one of the most known. Called Sealth by his native Suquamish tribe, his frame rests largely upon his leadership and a speech he gave in 1854 when Governor Stevens visited Seattle for meetings with Native Puget Sound Tribes, he spoke about life and the environment. This particular speech was well known during the 1970’s environmental movement.
Captain George Vancouver
1757-98: In 1792, Captain George Vancouver, of the British Navy, sailed his ships into Puget Sound and named many of the mountains, bays and islands. His goal was to explore the inland waters and make one last attempt at finding the Northwest Passage.
Captain Robert Gray
1755-1806: Captain Robert Gray sailed out of Boston to explore and trade along the Northwest Coast in the late 1700s. Gray discovered Grays Harbor, then continuing south, he finally discovered the mouth of the Columbia River.
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