The Laws That Built the Frontier
A look back at the 1879 Territorial Assembly's agenda, from banning wandering hogs to regulating the earliest salmon canneries.
In the seventh biennial session of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Washington, held in October and November 1879, a wide range of legislative acts were passed to organize the burgeoning territory. Notable enactments included measures prohibiting hogs from running at large in Yakima and Whitman counties, and new regulations for the scaling and measurement of logs to support the lumber industry. The Assembly also focused on natural resource management, creating the office of Fish Commissioner for the Columbia River to monitor salmon harvests and encouraging the establishment of fish hatcheries. Other legislative items addressed public safety and civic organization, such as legalizing ordinances for the city of Seattle, authorizing the construction of a wharf by the Puget Sound Iron Company, and providing for the care of children of territorial convicts. The session also saw petitions sent to Congress regarding railroad subsidies, the establishment of military posts, and the improvement of river navigation.
“To provide for the scaling and measurement of logs, and the formation of lumber districts.”
The 1879 legislative session reads like a precursor to today's familiar Pacific Northwest priorities: managing salmon populations, regulating sprawling corporate interests, and the eternal debate over land-use and infrastructure. It is striking how the same struggles—protecting the Columbia River and balancing the growth of small towns—have defined the political landscape of Washington for over 140 years.
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