Browsed by
Tag: Classics in Washington History

The Whitman Tragedy – Part 2

The Whitman Tragedy – Part 2

For decades after the tragedy at the Whitman Mission, writers, preachers and others sought to place blame for the event itself and for the underlying causes. Resentments against the Hudson’s Bay Company and religious prejudices often colored narratives, and led to charges of cowardice or malice. Square in the middle of these disputes was Rev. H. H. Spalding, a colleague of the Whitmans. While there was often tension between the two families, the Whitmans and Spaldings were also colleagues and…

Read More Read More

The Whitman Tragedy – Part 1

The Whitman Tragedy – Part 1

The Whitman Massacre of November 29, 1847 provides a painful window into a time of conflicting cultures, priorities and prejudices. Piecing together what happened from contemporary accounts can be both frustrating and fascinating. Were the Cayuse Indians misguided, evil, deceived, or somewhere in between all of those? Were the missionaries heroic martyrs or discouraged idealists? Did sectarian prejudice between Catholic and Protestant exacerbate a volatile situation? You can explore a variety of theories, personalities and testimony surrounding this horrific event…

Read More Read More

A Frontier Army Wife

A Frontier Army Wife

In 1871 Frances Marie Antoinette Mack married Fayette Washington Roe.  Both had been raised in upstate New York, though Faye (as he was known) was born in Virginia.  The wedding occurred immediately after his graduation from West Point, and they quickly left to travel to his first army assignment in Fort Lyon, Colorado far from their quiet upstate homes.  Kit Carson, Colorado Territory, October, 1871. Tis late, so this can be only a note to tell you that we arrived…

Read More Read More

What’s New in Digital Collections: a list of the latest newspapers, books, maps

What’s New in Digital Collections: a list of the latest newspapers, books, maps

Historical Newspapers in Washington Puget Sound Weekly Argus: 1876 (Port Townsend) Jan. 1, 1876 – July 27, 1877 Puget Sound Herald (Steilacoom) March 12, 1858 – Dec. 27, 1860 Yakima Herald Feb. 2, 1889 – Dec. 29, 1892 Classics in Washington History County and Regional History Fort Colvile, 1826-1871 by U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service. Contents: This pamphlet summarizes the history of Fort Colvile, founded by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1825. Military History 600 days’ service…

Read More Read More

Ranald MacDonald

Ranald MacDonald

The son of a Hudson’s Bay factor and Raven, the daughter of Chief Comcomly of the Chinooks, Ranald MacDonald grew up on trading posts in the Northwest.  Fascinated by the idea of visiting Japan since his youth, he conceived the plan of shipping out on a whaling vessel and marooning himself on the Japanese shore.  Despite the fact that the government of Japan threatened death or imprisonment to foreigners trying to enter the kingdom, he did just that in 1848….

Read More Read More

Washington Historic Newspapers Now Available in PDF

Washington Historic Newspapers Now Available in PDF

Washington State’s Historical Newspapers as digitized by the Washington State Library are now available in PDF format. This means that teachers, students, and public library users no longer need to download the DJVU viewer in order to use the historical newspaper collection online. (DJVU format is still available for those who prefer it.) To view and/or search the newspaper collection, go to the Historic Newspapers in Washington site or search our Washington electronic newspaper holdings in the Washington State Library Catalog. Historical newspapers from…

Read More Read More

Inauguration Day

Inauguration Day

Photograph of Lincoln taken by Alexander Gardner, 1863. On this Inauguration Day, and in anticipation of Abraham Lincoln’s bicentennial in February, we thought it appropriate to revisit Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address, one of the great speeches of American history. The text of the speech is found in the Congressional Globe (1865, pages 1424-1425), which is housed in Washington State Library’s federal collection. President Lincoln delivering his inaugural address on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol, March 4, 1865….

Read More Read More

A Woman’s eye on Washington Territory

A Woman’s eye on Washington Territory

“… and before us was a dark sea-wall of mountains…” With those words, Caroline Leighton ended a journey from the civilized eastern states and began recording her responses to fifteen years on the Pacific coast.  Born and educated in New England, she worked in a school for former slaves in Washington DC during the Civil War.  There she met her future husband, Rufus Leighton.  After the war they married and sailed for the Pacific Northwest where Rufus had an appointment…

Read More Read More