The Birth of Washington Territory
Arthur Denny recounts the 1852 Monticello Convention that successfully petitioned Congress to split the Washington territory from Oregon.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The first attempt at organized government in Oregon territory was the provisional organization in 1843, and it might be remarked here that this organization did not include the territory north of the Columbia river. In 1852 active steps were taken to secure a division of Oregon and the formation of a separate territorial government, which culminated in the holding of a convention at Monticello. On November 25, 1852, a convention was held in Monticello, then one of the prominent towns of Northern Oregon, for the purpose of obtaining a division of the territory. This convention framed and unanimously adopted a memorial to congress. The bill for the formation of Columbia territory, in answer to this memorial, was earnestly supported by Delegate Lane. On motion of Mr. Stanton, of Kentucky, the bill was amended by striking out the word 'Columbia' and inserting 'Washington' in lieu thereof. On February 10, 1853, the bill thus amended passed the House by a vote of 128 yeas to 29 nays. On March 2 the bill passed the Senate without opposition.
“The southern part of Oregon territory, having a majority of voters, have controlled the territorial legislature, and Northern Oregon has never received any benefit.”
Denny’s recollection highlights the perpetual Pacific Northwest tension between geography and governance. Just as the settlers in the 1850s felt ignored by a distant capital in the Willamette Valley, regional identity remains a defining and often frustrated component of Washington politics today.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.