The Shadow of the Indian Wars in the Snohomish Valley
As rumors of conflict and uprisings on the upper Columbia stir the frontier, Snohomish locals organize a volunteer militia to defend their settlements.
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.
Every season since the war with the Nez Perce has been one of spread disaffection and danger of a general outbreak extending from the Mississippi valley to the Pacific. The military has each year been effective enough to put down the original outbreak, but no punishment has been administered severe enough to deter the Indians from a repetition of these disturbances. This week, telegraphic news indicates trouble of a very serious character on the upper Columbia. The news from Falls City, near Snoqualmie Falls, also indicates that just east of the mountains, there are plenty of Indians ready to make trouble for the people in this Territory, regardless of Moses' personal declarations. Should the Indians in Eastern Oregon meet with success, the real cause of these troubles is wider than this government; it underlies the whole system of our dealing with the Indians. A company was organized here, mostly composed of veteran soldiers with experienced officers. Arms have been repeatedly promised to them but never issued; had they been issued, the men would have provided uniforms and kept up regular drill. As it is, a company of at least 75 men under proper officers can and will be ready to go from this place with one week after notice is received from Gov. Ferry or General Howard that their services will be accepted. Should the service of any be accepted or required from this Sound country, we shall go with them regardless of the sacrifice of private business it may require.
“A company of at least 75 men under proper officers can and will be ready to go from this place with one week after notice is received.”
This report captures the pervasive anxiety and settler-colonial framing of the late 19th-century Pacific Northwest, where fear of Indigenous uprising was frequently used to justify local militarization. Today, the Snoqualmie Valley reflects a very different relationship between settlers and the Snoqualmie Tribe, who are actively reclaiming their ancestral lands and asserting their sovereignty in the region.
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