Olympia Votes on Its First Public Square
Citizens overwhelmingly approve donating land for county buildings during a 1861 municipal election.
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.
On Monday last, the annual election was held at the Council Room, and the following gentlemen were selected as Town Trustees for the ensuing year: T. M. Reed, B. F. Harned, S. W. Percival, E. Evans, and A. Frankel. Ninety-six votes were cast in favor and one against the donation of the Public Square for the use of the county buildings.
“Ninety-six votes were cast in favor and one against donation of the Public Square for the county buildings.”
The creation of public space and infrastructure was a foundational act of early Olympia, setting the template for the city's civic heart. Today, the debate over how to manage and densify municipal property continues to define local politics.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.