The Great Northwestern Migration
Economic promises and the promise of a new life draw thousands to Washington Territory, fleeing the hardships of the eastern plains.
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.
Washington, the new state, the far removed northwest corner of the nation, is today attracting more attention than any other territory in the Union. Her advantages have been heralded abroad; her resources have become of too much magnitude to be kept secret. Of late years the eastern farmer has been harassed by uncertain crops, insects, cyclones, tornadoes, and blizzards. Blank ruin is staring thousands of them in the face, and they are selling off their stock to seek refuge in the northwestern states and territories. We have here over 300,000 happy, industrious people, and room for several millions more. Here, the terrible cyclone is unknown; the hot winds that sweep across the plains are unheard of; a failure of crops is not recorded. Every through train on our two connecting lines to the east is composed of from twelve to eighteen passenger coaches, all crowded with immigrants bound for Washington.
“Blank ruin is staring thousands of them in the face, and they are selling off their stock and what property they may have free from incumbrances to seek refuge in the northwestern states and territories.”
The rhetoric of Washington as a 'promised land' for those fleeing climate disasters and economic ruin in the Midwest has deep roots. Just as in 1888, modern migration into the Pacific Northwest is heavily driven by climate and economic instability elsewhere, putting immense, ongoing pressure on regional housing and infrastructure.
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