A Centennial Fight for Recognition
Local leaders urge the state to honor Captain Robert Gray’s discovery of Grays Harbor, fearing the legislature has sidelined local history in favor of the Chicago World's Fair.
Judge Swan has written to Governor Ferry suggesting that the state recognize the centennial of Captain Robert Gray’s 1792 discovery of the Columbia River and Grays Harbor. The piece argues that Gray’s discovery was pivotal, asserting that if not for his actions, the region might have remained under British rule. The author expresses frustration that the state legislature, which readily voted $100,000 for the Chicago celebration, failed to even acknowledge the local centennial, emphasizing that honoring the state's own history is more important than the distant Columbus celebration.
“The celebration of the day which gave these states to the Union is of more importance to us than the discovery of Columbus.”
This reflects the ongoing civic struggle to define regional identity against national trends—a struggle that still echoes in how local historical anniversaries compete with global narratives for funding and attention.
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