Panoramic View of Olympia Harbor ~ Courtesy of Olympia Chamber of Commerce Square Deal pamphlet 1907.

Dugout canoes of Coast Indians and a wooden house. An etching from J.G. Swan's "The Northwest Coast," New York, 1857.

Olympia's waterfront 1890s. Regular lines of steamers ply between Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle. ~Jeffers photograh; Courtesy of Washington State Historical Society.

Olympic Mountains from Olympia, 1890s. Thurston County contains 768 square miles of territory. It has a shoreline of about 100 miles bordering on Puget Sound. The main watercourses are the Deschutes, Nisqually, Skookumchuck, Scatter, Black and Chehalis rivers. ~Courtesy of Olympia Chamber of Commerce from Square Deal pamphlet.

The buildings of the Capital Brewery, built in 1896, were the first structures built by Leopold Schmidt. Original buildings included a four-story wooden brewhouse, a five-story cellar building, a one-story ice factory powered by the lower falls, and a bottling and keg plant. The brewery's name was changed to Olympia Brewery in 1902. ~Olympian photo archives.

Ross Chilson Cabin, Middle Street, Olympia. ~Courtesy of Washington State Historical Society.

Our Heritage

Dreams founded Olympia, tenacity brought it to life.

One hundred fifty years ago pioneers chose South Puget Sound to plant their dreams, partly because of the scenic land, pure water and abundant resources, but also because of their belief in equality for all members to claim land. It would have been an easier choice to stay in Oregon where a settlement was already under development, but more difficult to live with their decision. George Washington Bush, a mulatto, was in the Simmons' wagon train party and was well respected and liked. After equally enduring the hardships of travelling west to Oregon, he would have been denied the right to claim land as the others were entitled to do. The groups' respect for cultural diversity and unwillingness to accept nothing less than total equality set the tone for our multi-ethnic region.

Olympia's heritage, culture and vision have included uncommon leadership and tenacity to complete the dream without jeopardizing the integrity of the whole.

We have reason to celebrate their dreams and the dreams of others who came after. In this publication, we have intentionally downplayed the negatives and accentuated the highlights for your pleasure on this historic occasion. In this spirit, we invite you to take a few moments to reflect on the unique characteristics that shaped the region, and to contemplate the possibilities of Olympia's future as you turn the pages of Celebrating the Dream.

Our Heritage

Heritage is something handed down from one's ancestors or past: property, culture, characteristics, traditions, rights, burdens, or status resulting from being born in a certain time or place. Olympians of today have indeed inherited a rich environment, prosperous economy, unparalleled beauty and opportunity. Many of the same qualities experienced by the first inhabitants.

About 11,000 years ago, the first inhabitants, the Southern Coast Salish Indians, looked across the sheltered bays to the snow-capped Olympics and Cascades with the same wonderment as a newcomer standing at Pericval Landing relishing the panoramic view. Perhaps songbirds filled the air in melodic calm.

American Indians were the first to inherit the land, characteristics, rights and burdens of the area called "Chit-hoot" (or "Cheet-woot," meaning 'bear'). Chit-hoot was a favorite spot for hungry bears to come after hibernation and grub for skunk cabbage roots that grew in the swampy ground. Indian bands, like the Squaxin, used the area now called Priest Point for camping, council meetings, as a trading center, and for burials.

Many of these early sites have been lost due to the perishable materials used; natural causes such as tides, earthquakes and erosion; or logging, fill and vandalism. Most sites that remain are "shell middens," which typically consist of masses of marine shell, bones of fish and birds, charcoal, fire-cracked rock, antlers and stone tools. Stone tool fragments have been found at a few local sites, and a site on Eld Inlet has prehistoric rock art.

Land

We inherited land with rich soil, scenic vistas, abundant timber, fruit, berries and game. Landforms and their underlying geology have shaped, and will continue to shape, Olympia's development and commerce. These forces have determined economic resources and commerce routes, quality and quantity of groundwater supply, the infrastructure, spectacular views and varied recreation.

Glaciers inundated Puget Sound at least four separate times, both from the north and from the surrounding mountains to the east and west. These glaciers were responsible for carving the protected inlets and transporting and transforming rock from Canada into fine silt or depositing boulders of varying sizes throughout the area. The strength and mineral make-up of granite makes the sand and gravel of our region very durable and desirable for construction.

Early Indian settlements consisted of seasonal summer camps and winter villages along the rivers that flowed into sheltered saltwater bays perfect for oysters, clams, geoducks and salmon. American Indians evolved from aquatic foragers to having a more marine and river focus and becoming specialized seasonal collectors. Women gathered wild foods, dug tubers and picked berries. They also made blankets and cedarbark cordage, mats and baskets. The men were skilled woodworkers who built plank houses, canoes and fishing gear. Cedar-planked houses were the focal point of most social and ceremonial life.

Settlers soon recognized the bounty South Sound had to offer beyond furs and fish. It didn't take long for early settlers to capitalize on the natural resources and building materials when they arrived in the mid-1800s. Lumber, rich soil and a kind climate attracted thousands of pioneers seeking a chance to start a new life under the Land Donation Act.

Timber was logged close to the shores for development and easy transport to ports south. Clearing thick forest areas plus the substantial amount of earth moving and filling have altered what early Olympia and surrounding areas resembled.

Water

Because of their strong connection with the water, the first inhabitants were known as "people of the water." Food from the heart of the earth, such as clams, oysters, herring and salmon, offered much more than mere physical nourishment; it provided spiritual sustenance as well. The waterways of Puget Sound is where their lifeblood began and flowed. They were skilled fishers, hunters and plant collectors.

For centuries before Olympia was founded, the Southern Coast Salish had long-established trade networks with their neighbors. Their songs rippled across the waterways in a low chant as they paddled their magnificent cedar canoes on their way to gather, trade, or attend a potlatch.

The hydrology of Olympia is directly affected by the permeability characteristics of the glacial sediments. Water travels easily through coarse, porous sediment and along surfaces of finer sediment with low permeability. Where contacts between these layers intersect, we find springs. Where water is trapped below layers, it becomes under pressure. Once tapped into by well drilling, this water reaches the surface as an artesian well. Olympia is known to have at least 90 artesian wells that once supplied most of the town's drinking water.

The first well in Olympia was drilled in 1895. The city used Watershed Park, known historically as Moxlie Creek, and surrounding artesian wells as its water source from 1913 to the late the 1930s, and in 1949 the city's water operation was moved to McAllister Springs.

One of the most notable uses of artisian water was by the Olympia Brewing Company. Founder Leopold Schmidt, a Montana brewer, made Olympia famous with his simple slogan: "It's the water." Olympia beer's purity, rare flavor and light, sparkling qualities made Olympia Brewery an overnight success.

It is now owned and operated by another master brewer, Miller Brewing Company. You can imagine the thrill of discovery as you close your eyes and listen to the roar of Tumwater Falls and enjoy seeing the rocks that are rounded by thousands of years of the bubbling stream cascading over them.

At first glance there appears to be unlimited waterfront for everyone to enjoy. The Olympia area has abundant lakes, rivers, streams and bays. Fortunately, our founding fathers set aside public areas to enure future access to the water and they continue to acquire lands for public enjoyment.

Rights & Burdens

For those who have chosen to enjoy the inheritance of Olympia, there are rights and burdens. We all share in the future of Olympia's ecosystem, natural beauty, resources and quality of life. To that end we are all stewards. The Squaxin and Nisqually, people of the water, continue to serve to retain the water's lifeblood. The settlers, people of the land, continue to serve to conserve the resources. The visionaries, the people of the future, are the architects, artists and religious leaders who continue to serve to shape the quality of life. The political leaders, people of the rights and burdens, continue to serve to maintain the freedoms and expectations we've come to enjoy.

Some of the burdens we inherited simply come with the territory. Olympia, with all its splendor, is built on terrain prone to earthquakes and is near the base of two active volcanoes: Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens.

Although serenely posed in the background, Mount Rainier is lethal. About 628,000 years old, according to rocks found at the mountain, it commands looming consideration for Olympians who have chosen to live in its shadow. Because of the huge snow and ice cover, geologists predict massive mud flows when this granddaddy decides to wake. With age, Mount Rainier has decayed and creates a greater risk of shaking apart during an earthquake.

So, as you can see, our heritage is a complex and fragile one that is filled with challenges and opportunities for dreams yet to unfold.

Additional Information/Reading:

Noson, Linda Lawrance, et.al., "Washington State Earthquake Hazards" WA Div. of Geology and Earth Resource Info. Circular 85, 1988.

The Olympian Copyright 2000

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