Olympia Loses the Capitol: A Letter Writer Predicts the Seat of Government Will Move to Vancouver
A Steilacoom correspondent gloats that Olympia's 'mandarins' overplayed their hand in the territorial legislature — and that the $30,000 Congress set aside for a capitol building will sit unspent while the prize drifts south.
To the Editor of the Puget Sound Herald.
Olympia, W. T., Jan. 20, 1860.
The respective branches of the Legislative Assembly held their joint convention on Tuesday, for the election of Territorial officers, which resulted in the election of Edward Furste as Printer; David L. Phillips, Treasurer; J. C. Head, Auditor and Librarian; and Allen P. Abrams, George Gallagher and Capt. E. S. Fowler, Capitol Commissioners.
Mr. Furste received a majority of one vote over his competitor, Mr. Lloyd Brook, of Vancouver city.
The anti-clique Democracy triumphed in electing their Capitol Commissioners; hence the Capitol is not yet a permanent fixture. The $30,000 appropriated by Congress for the construction of this building must remain unexpended a little while longer. The citizens of Olympia, especially the property-holders, are deeply mortified at this, to them, 'sad result.' If their delegation had given to the North or South the Public Printing, they now might quietly and nicely have been in the possession of the seat of government. This they had no reason, and were justly entitled to, and had a right to expect.
But the Olympia mandarins would not listen to reason. They claimed the right to the Capitol. Thus it will inevitably be removed to Vancouver, none but interested men will deny; and with it will go the capital. But, gentlemen, your course has cost you much. You have staked your claims upon your contempt by your dismissal of their rights. You have abused those you should have conciliated.
In short, you should have conceded the printing to them. So you and the Capitol will go to those whom you were pleased to call the 'dirty Democracy.'
“Thus it will inevitably be removed to Vancouver, none but interested men will deny; and with it will go the capital.”
The fight over where Washington's capital would sit — and who would profit from the printing contracts and property values that came with it — is the same fight towns still have over courthouses, state facilities and the jobs that follow them. Olympia won in the end, but in 1860 the outcome looked anything but settled, and a Steilacoom editor was happy to say so.
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