The Steilacoom Gold Rush Fever
Reports from Colville suggest a new mining boom is drawing men away from the territory's established industries.
We are indebted to Troy & Co. for the following transcript of a letter received by them from a gentleman who is perfectly reliable: Colville, Oregon, Oct. 27, 1859. I have been informed by Mr. Rogers, who has just arrived from Colville, of the departure of 25 or 30 government men from that place for the Steilacoom mines, and he states that the richness of the diggings is an established fact with them. He is down for the purpose of purchasing mining tools and goods. It is known at Colville that parties are purchasing all the mining tools they can find at any point, intending to take them up to the mines. There is no doubt that gold will be found in the Steilacoom region, and the excitement is spreading among the miners.
“There is no doubt that gold will be found in the Steilacoom region, and the excitement is spreading among the miners.”
In 1859, the promise of gold was the primary engine of regional migration and economic speculation. Today, the 'boom' cycle in the Pacific Northwest has shifted from mineral extraction to tech and real estate, yet the frantic, speculative energy remains a constant feature of the region's growth.
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