The Forgotten Pioneer History of the Puget Sound
A remarkable 1888 address recalls the precarious early years of Washington Territory, from the first colonial settlements to the grit required to build a government in the wilderness.
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.
In the fall of 1845, a party led by Michael T. Simmons and George Bush settled at the head of Puget Sound, near the mouth of the Deschutes River. This marked the commencement of Washington Territory settlement. George Bush, a Black man who settled there, earned the gratitude and respect of all people, inducing Congress to donate the 640 acres of land which he had settled, which under existing laws discriminating against colored people, he could not otherwise acquire. In 1853, President Fillmore signed the act creating the Territory of Washington. The entire white population of the Puget Sound basin numbered only 2,063 inhabitants. The discovery of gold in California in 1849 caused a general rush for the mines; many abandoned their farms, and all industrial pursuits stagnated. It was not long before a reaction set in, and the tide of immigration landed many men whose names are honorably identified with our early history. These early pioneers, despite the hardships of traveling through pathless forests and living on the most meager fare, laid the foundations of our political structure, our schools, and our towns. Our duty is not yet fulfilled; we are only in the gray twilight of our day.
“George Bush, a colored man, who settled there, earned the gratitude and respect of all people, inducing Congress to donate the 640 acres of land which he had settled, which under existing laws discriminating against colored people, he could not otherwise acquire.”
This speech highlights the foundational role of Black pioneer George Bush in early Washington history, reminding us that Washington's land and policy development has always been tangled with issues of racial discrimination and exclusion. Today’s debates over housing equity and land use in Seattle echo the same questions about who has the right to settle and build a legacy in the Pacific Northwest.
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