Ellensburg, Olympia and Yakima Vie for Capital
As Washington prepares for statehood, a vicious battle erupts between Yakima, Ellensburg, and Olympia over which city deserves to be the capital.
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A fierce competition is underway to determine the site of the future state capital. Ellensburg is aggressively lobbying and allegedly using corruption funds to influence the constitutional convention. Meanwhile, Olympia is accused of creating a 'hotel-boarding-house-room-to-rent trust' to gouge members of the convention. Yakima, however, maintains that it is the most desirable location due to its central geographic position, its placement on the Northern Pacific main line, and its potential as a hub for the coal, iron, and timber industries. Yakima insists it will rely on its own merits rather than bribery to secure its status as the capital of the territory.
“It will be amusing to see Olympia and Ellensburg work their schemes. Of course it will help to prolong the social occasion.”
The selection of the state capital was one of the most intense political battles in Washington's early history, highlighting the fierce competition between cities that still colors regional rivalries today. The accusations of 'pay-to-play' politics and influence peddling echo modern concerns about corporate lobbying in state government.
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