4 WASHINGTON The Cascade Range adds majesty to Washington’s landscape Washington is sometimes called the Chinook State after a Native American group of the Columbia River area The state motto is Alki It is a Chinook word meaning by and by Early pioneers at a place now called Alki Point had named their new settlement New York They changed it to New York Alki hoping the area would become the New York of the West coast by and by INTRODUCTION Although it is known as the Evergreen State Washington has far more to offer than its trees There are many lakes towering mountains and diverse natural regions Along with Oregon and part of Idaho Washington lies in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States This area has rugged landscapes abundant wildlife and a rich Native American heritage Washington’s Native Americans celebrate their culture during powwows held throughout the state
INTRODUCTION 5 Washington is bordered by Oregon to the south and Idaho to the east The Pacific Ocean lies to the west and Canada is directly north Visitors can reach Washington by many forms of transportation Most airlines fly into both of the state’s main airports Seattle-Tacoma International and Spokane International A network of highways and roads takes people to all corners of the state and beyond By train visitors can enter Washington from the north south or east When coming from the west most travelers arrive on one of Washington’s many ferries Washington’s most important river the Columbia River provides a route for large oceangoing vessels The Columbia enters the northeastern part of Washington turns south and east and flows westward to the The ferry is a popular form of transportation for tourists visiting the San Juan Islands in Puget Sound Pacific Ocean along the Oregon border The river is an important source of hydroelectric power Washington Location Map The state flag features the state seal in the center of a dark green background The Columbia River forms most of Washington’s southern border with Oregon The Grand Coulee Dam built on the Columbia River is the largest concrete dam in the United States Capital Olympia Population 5,894,121 Interstate highways Size 68,126 square miles 0 0 60 97 120 193 Mi Km Scale Highest peak Mount Rainier 14,410 feet
6 WASHINGTON George Washington Washington My Home was named the state song in 1959 Helen Davis wrote the words and music The square dance was chosen as Washington’s state dance in 1979 Washington is the only state named after a president of the United States The history of Washington is closely tied to that of Oregon its neighbor to the south The first white settlers in the area came along the Oregon Trail which ran from Independence Mo to the Columbia River region along the border between the present states of Washington and Oregon First used by fur traders and missionaries the trail was suddenly in the 1840s thick with the wagon trains of thousands of settlers At first the newcomers mainly stopped in the Willamette River valley of what became the state of Oregon Gradually they moved into the area north of the Columbia River in what is now Washington In 1848 the U S Congress established the Oregon Territory which included all of the present-day states of Oregon Washington and Idaho and parts of Wyoming and Montana As the population around Puget Sound grew settlers urged the government to form a separate territory north and west of the Columbia In 1853 Congress created the Washington Territory including parts of present-day Idaho and Montana The territory was named in honor of George Washington the first president of the United States The creation of Idaho Territory in 1863 reduced Washington to its present boundaries Finally in 1889 Washington was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state River crossings such as this one were among the obstacles encountered by pioneers of the Oregon Trail
INTRODUCTION 7 Washington is well recognized for its beautiful scenery and wildlife However the people of the state also contribute to its popularity Microsoft founder Bill Gates who ranked as the richest person in the world for more than 10 years helped put Seattle on the map as a center for high technology In the 1990s Seattle was also a trendsetter in the music industry Many grunge bands were formed following the lead of Seattle bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam Another famous name in Washington is Mount St Helens In May 1980 this volcano erupted for the first time in 123 years The eruption sent ash 12 miles into the air Many towns were blanketed by volcanic ash Airborne ash covered 22,000 square miles and some of the ash drifted as far east as Montana The eruption was one of the most violent ever recorded in North America The eruption of Mount St Helens gave geologists a chance to study a volcano in action Bill Gates a cofounder of Microsoft Corporation was born in Seattle on Oct 28 1955 The capital of Washington is Olympia at the southern end of Puget Sound It became the capital of the Washington Territory in 1853 and was kept as the state capital when Washington entered the Union in 1889 The area of Washington is 68,126 square miles It is the 21st largest state Ten million trees were blown down during the 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens The amount of timber lost could have built 300,000 two-bedroom homes
