The Name That Wasn't: How Washington State Got Its Name Back
In February 1889, Congress nearly erased Seattle's home state from the map, replacing it with 'Tacoma' in a final admission bill. A last-minute correction saved the territory's identity just before statehood.
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.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—Congress rushed the omnibus bill for the admission of new states through the House with cheers and little discussion. The vote was received with applause on both sides of the chamber.
The bill provides for the admission as states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington. However, a significant controversy arose regarding the name of the latter territory. Until late in the proceedings, the name 'Washington' had been changed to 'Tacoma' in the draft of the bill.
'The Silly Name Tacoma Dropped,' reported one observer, noting that the change was stricken out at the last moment. The delegates selected for a constitutional convention in Washington were instructed to assemble on July 4th to declare their adoption of the U.S. Constitution and form a state government.
The bill also addressed land grants, setting a minimum price of $10 per acre for school lands and exempting mineral lands from these grants. It divided Dakota into two states along the 70th standard parallel, with conventions meeting in Bismarck and Sioux Falls respectively.
In the Senate, the report on the territorial bill was admitted without division after a long discussion. The House had previously passed the direct tax bill, signed by the Speaker and sent to the President. The admission of the new states was finalized as the Senate agreed to the conference report, preserving the name 'Washington' for the new state.
It is hard to imagine Seattle without its state's name, but in 1889, political maneuvering nearly renamed Washington State after Tacoma. This moment highlights how fragile civic identity can be and how close the region came to losing its namesake entirely due to legislative oversight or bias toward a rival city.
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