End of the Indian Wars, Part 1

 

The following article, The End of the Indian Wars, was published in The Cashmere Valley Record, Vol. 30, No. 8, on 20 February 1936. I share it with you because it was of interest to Washington history buffs.

 

The next time you drive from Spokane to Pullman and Lewiston, take particular notice of Steptoe Butte. If you have ever driven over this road you will remember it, for it is a landmark for miles around. It was a guide post for the gold seekers at Colville and Pierce and for missionaries, stockmen and homesteaders.

The hill was named for Lt. Col. Steptoe, one of Col. George Wright’s assistants in the Indian Wars of the ‘50s. During the summer of 1856, and throughout 1857 and 1858, the Indian troubles had continued on about the same three fronts as already noted: the Seattle-Puget Sound country, the Yakima Valley, and the Palouse-Walla Walla area. Col. Wright had wintered at Vancouver and had started upstream in March. Leaving the portage around the rapids in the Columbia, from which the city of The Dalles, Ore., takes its name, guarded by a handful of men, he pushed on, heading for Walla Walla and the upper country.

It was at this portage that the Indians resumed the war on March 26, 1856. An attack was made and several whites killed and scalped. Help arrived from Vancouver under Sheridan just in time to avoid a complete massacre. Thus the first state of the ’56 campaign ended in the whites’ favor. Col. Wright then crossed Simcoe Pass to the Yakima Country. Here Wright, who clung to the idea that the Indians had been wronged, spent several months in parleying for peace.

But the governor remembered well his experiences at the hands of the Nez Perces. They had saved his life…and he well knew it. He therefore determined to place a force at Walla Walla that would insure the fair treatment of his friends.

Col. Wright, avoided going to the “aid” of the Nez Perces, and sent Col. Steptoe instead. The Governor went himself to try and make another peace, but it fared little better than the big peace council formerly held there. The two factions had too many differences…there was too much involved. As a result of this 1856 failure, Gen. Wool, commanding the regular army regiments concerned, ordered the area vacated by all except soldiers and missionaries. And, too, Fort Walla Walla was built…just where the present city stands.

Please stay tuned for Part 2 next time.

 

Trivia Time

 Hopefully we're into the hottest days of summer, so tiz a good time for some genealogy and history trivia!

"In the 1800s the method of making one plank (long board cut from a log) was that a pit was dug. The tree was placed over the pit. Two men would go into the pit, and two men would be on top of the log and together they would handsaw each plank. The men down in the pit would get sawdust in their eyes and that was how the expression "it's the pits!" originated."  (Church of Our Lord tour guide, Victoria, BC)

In November, 1217, the 10-year-old King Henry III signed a charter giving England's common people some legal rights for the first time. One big provision is that the concept of "royal forests," where common folks could not hunt and poaching was a death sentence. This new rule reduced the size of these off-limits forests and restored ancient hunting rights. (History Magazine, from England, 2024)

Ever heard of Frozen Charlotte Dolls? Frozen Charlotte dolls are small, solid, porcelain or bisque dolls that were popular in the mid-1800s to early 1900s, particularly in Europe and the United States. They are named after a popular poem and song about a young woman named Charlotte who froze to death while refusing to bundle up for a winter carriage ride. The dolls were mass-produced in Germany and became a common bath toy and a relatively inexpensive children's toy. 

The Mayflower Society

 

In 1620, a brave group of 102 men, women, and children sailed across the Atlantic on the Mayflower in search of a better life. 
In 1897, the General Society of Mayflower Descendants was established to pay homage to the Pilgrims through preservation and education.

The General Society of Mayflower Descendants is committed to research on the lineal descent of the Mayflower Pilgrims and education about the Pilgrims who traveled aboard the Mayflower in 1620. The Society provides education and understanding of why the Mayflower Pilgrims were important, how they shaped western civilization, and what their 1620 voyage means today and its impact on the world.

Think you're eligible to join this Society? Want to know more? Visit www.themayflowersociety.org. All your questions will be answered and your interest heightened! 

The Society also offers a channel on YouTube....... several short videos will help you know more about this group and their goals. One really good vid is "Things They Left Behind," presented by the Gov. General, Lisa Pennington. 

The State of Lincoln?

 

We in Eastern Washington were almost in the state of Lincoln. A Spokane proposal in 1907 called for a new state, Lincoln, to be created from eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon and Northern Idaho. Are we sad or glad this apparently never happened???

The good folks of Eastern Oregon were frustrated with being coupled with Portland. The citizens of north Idaho felt they had nothing in common with their capitol, Boise, or the entire southern half of the state. And many of those in Eastern Washington know themselves to be Republicans but Washington always seems to fall to the Democrats in elections due to the "Cascade Divide" of our state. 

How come this didn't happen nor likely never will? Wikipedia gives the answer: "Multiple senators at the time objected to naming a territory after a single man, acknowledging Washington Territory (named in 1853 for George Washington) as the sole exception." 

Put this factoid in your trivia folder for when you get invited to be a contestant on Jeopardy. 

Visit Butchart Gardens

 

In early June, when I was house/dog sitting for my kiddos in Port Angeles, I took the Coho ferry across the Strait to Victoria and then the shuttle bus to the world famous Butchart Gardens. (Took advantage of a package offered by the Blackball Ferry; was about $100 for the ferry both ways, shuttle both ways and garden admission.) Been there? You must plan to go....... especially if you're a fan of gardens and flowers.

Butchart Gardens covers more than 55 acres of the large estate of Jennie and Robert Butchart. It was Jennie's genius to convert a worked-out limestone quarry into the Sunken Garden we go to see today. By the 1920s, more than 50,000 people visited each year. Today the gardens boast over 265,000 annuals of 900 varieties, 280 different roses, 40 different geraniums, 100 varieties of dahlias and 191 different tulips! As I wandered the paths, there was not a weed in sight, nor a dead leaf. The garden is super well tended. 

The information center offers the garden guide in 25 different languages! That was impressive, I thought. And a Q&A booth which told me that the Blue Poppy would likely not be happy in Spokane. 

My favorite flower, and what Butchart is famous for, is the Himalayan Blue Poppy. The gift shop sells seeds for the adventurous.

Spokane Women Learn To Cook On 1917 Stove

 

EWGS member Richard Sola is, for many of us, Mr. Spokane History. His encyclopedic knowledge of everything and everybody in the 1910 period is amazing….. and just as amazing, he eagerly shares his knowledge in an animated style.

I was recently on the Southside Community Center’s tour bus with Richard to learn more about the “movers and shakers” of Spokane in 1910. Scribbled way too many notes to include here but this one tidbit might interest you. One stop that day was at the Spokane’s Womens Club. The prominent women of Spokane (think May Arkwright Hutton) founded the club in 1907. In 1910 the current building became headquarters to address the needs of Spokane’s women by providing education, schools, child care and cooking classes. And the organization thrived! Collectively these women helped forge national policy (1910 womens’ suffrage!)

In the downstairs of the club building sits a real antique. In 1917, a local business donated this stove to the club in order to teach cooking to women………. “how to cook with rationed food and food restrictions during the World War I years,” Richard quipped. . 

(Want to know more? Google:  teaching women to use rationed food in 1917)

EWGS member (Tony Birch) Spotlighted!

 

Tony Birch and his late wife, Janette, were the EWGS meeting greeters when we used to meet at the Central Library downtown. Cindy Hval, The Spokesman columnist, did a story on 5 June 2025 about Tony and his unusual collection of once-candy-filled-glass-toys.

A favorite gift in the late 1800s, glass containers filled with candy were a favorite for decades. In the 1950s, glass was replaced by plastic. Tony and Janette would haunt garage sales for these treasures and amassed quite a diverse collection:

Quoting from Hval's story: "I think the trains are my favorites," Birch said. "My father gave me my first one when I was about six," he recalled. "The best part is after the candy is eaten, you still have a toy," Tony shared. 

Thanks, Tony, for sharing your story!

What about YOUR ancestors' hobbies? What did they collect? What do you collect (and treasure) that you hope one of your kiddos will want and love? 

Clallam County Genealogical Society

 

The Clallam County Genealogical Society is really looking up! I visited their huge collection in May when I was in Port Angeles house/dog sitting for my kiddos.

A good part of the reasons why interest and membership is up are these:

·         They applied and got a grant for 7 brand new computer stations and 3 laptops.

·         A generous member donated a much-needed new roof.

·         Their library is a FamilySearch affiliate; in the library you can freely use Ancestry, FindMyPast, GenealogyBank, Newspaper.com, Fold3 and American Ancestors.

·         New members are stepping up to accept Board positions.

·         The society offers regular classes and great workshops.

·         They do have a Facebook page too.

Ginny (Virginia) Majewski is once again the president but no surprise; she’s such a mover and shaker in the group that they keep reelecting her.

The coolest big news from the group is that their building (which has lots of space for the library and meeting rooms) is getting an update. Port Angeles is known for its murals on buildings and the Board received another gift to paint a mural on their building! (Used to be the State Patrol office and was a rather dull-looking squatty building.) Won’t this be fantastic! There are easily 100 reasons to visit PA and the Olympic Peninsula but for genealogists, a visit to this library is a must!

P.S. Scrolling through their library catalog, looking for books on Maine, I had to laugh out loud. If it took a few extra seconds for that whirling circle to find what I wanted, these words would appear: “This might take a while…. We suggest you read a book………… or even write a book!”

 

Symbolism of Flowers

 

Since time immemorial, flower symbolism has been used to private correspondence and expressing unspoken feelings. People became especially fascinated by flower symbolism during the Victorian Era and books explaining "flower language" were nearly as common as the Bible in Victorian homes. Here are some common meanings of flowers:

        Daisy - new beginnings

        Sunflower - adoration, loyalty

        Iris - faith, trust, wisdom, hope

        Zinnia - thoughts of absent friends

        Rose - joy, happiness, love

        Poppy - remembrance of fallen soldiers

How about our Washington lilac?

For a complete list, go to Wikipedia, "list of plants with symbolism." 

4th of July Trivia Test

 

Were you awake in your high school history class? How much do you know about the celebratory founding day of our country?? Test your memory:

1. Where was the first celebration of Independence Day held?

2. Every Independence Day, how many times does the Liberty Bell ring?

3. What was the U.S. population on July 4th, 1776?

4. The 4th of July commemorates which document?

5. What is the proper way to fold the American flag?

6. Which American president was born on July 4th?

7. Which U.S. president was the first to host a 4th of July celebration at the White House?

8. How many stars and stripes does the U.S. flag have?

9. How many men signed the Declaration of Independence?

10. What food is most commonly consumed on the 4th of July?

11. What is the name of our national anthem?

12. Who gave the Statue of Liberty to the U.S.?

1. Philadephia, 1777

2. 13 times

3. 2.5 million people

4. The Declaration of Independence

5. In a triangular shape with specific ritual and etiquette.

6. Calvin Coolidge, born on July 4, 1872

7. Thomas Jefferson in 1801.

8. 50 stars and 13 stripes (and what do they represent??) 

9. 56

10. Hot dogs!

11. The Star-Spangled Banner

12. The people of France. 

Ice Cream Is America!

 

What's more American than ice cream?? "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" right?

According to an article in The Saturday Evening Post, July-August 2024, "... at any given moment, 87% of Americans have a tub of ice cream in the freezers, pushing the value of the U.S. ice cream market alone to more than $19 billion in 2024. 

Ice cream was what most people ate on Independence Day almost since the very first one; it forms the sweet, sticky bedrock of our childhood nostalgia. (What is YOUR favorite flavor???) 

According to Google ice cream ingredients typical include mild, cream, sugar and flavorings. Some recipes include eggs. Thomas Jefferson was the first U.S. president to serve ice cream to his guests. Here is his original, handwritten, recipe and transcription:

Will you be making homemade ice cream for 4th of July? What recipe do you use?????

Military Facts That May Surprise You

(SSBN-617 Alexander Hamilton; on which my husband served during Cold War)

Surely somebody in your family, or yourself, served America in a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. The scope and power of this group is truly fascinating. Consider:

1. The scope of our military is spread between six branches (Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard) and employs nearly 3,000,000 people with an annual budget of $700 billion. (All of this to keep you and me safe in our beds; do not forget.)

2. The Army is older than the country itself. George Washington led the first Continental Army in June of 1775.

3. The Department of Defense is the world's biggest employer with about 2.91 million employees; the Army with its branches is the biggest employer.

4. The Department of Defense owns over 30,000,000 acres of land (bases, testing, training).

5. The Army is responsible for mapping the entire United States. The Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery were an army unit and traveled 4900 miles over two years, mapping the way.

6. There have been only five 5-Star generals; the rank didn't exist until 1944. It was retired in 1981 when Omar Bradley, the final recipient, died.

7. The Air Force used to be part of the Army. The U.S. Army Air Corps, formed in 1907, remained such for forty years until WWII and the need for an independent force was needed.

8. The Army is responsible for creating Ray-Ban sunglasses. In order to help Air Force pilots block the sun's rays to reduce nausea and headaches while flying, Lt. General John MacCready asked Bausch & Lomb to create special glasses for them to wear.

9. The military used submarines as early as the Revolutionary War. Most people think of submarines as fairly modern inventions; however, the world's first use of a submarine in warfare took place in 1776 when the American vessel The Turtle attempted to attach a time bomb to the bottom of the British ship Eagle in New York harbor. It was hand powered with only one person aboard; unfortunately the mission failed and the bomb blew up far away from its intended target. 

Cigar Store Indians

 

(Skaneateles, New York)

Have you ever seen a "real" cigar store Indian? Weren't they often seen in days of yore? 

The cigar store Indian was an advertisement figure, in the likeness of a Native American, used to represent tobacconists. The figures were often three-dimensional wooden sculptures measuring several feet tall. They are still used for their original advertising purpose but today are more often seen as decorations or advertising collectibles. 

Why wooden Indians to sell tobacco??? Because of general illiteracy of the populace, early store owners used descriptive emblems of figures to advertise their shops' wares; for example, barber poles advertise barber shops and the three gold balls represent pawn shops. American Indians and tobacco had always been associated because American Indians introduced tobacco to Europeans. As early as the 17th century, European tobacconists used figures of American Indians to advertise their shops.

Don't we still today look for advertising images??? The Golden Arches? The Starbucks mermaid? The Nike swoosh? 

Balloons Bombed Oregon?

 

In the last desperate year of WWII, the Japanese attacked the American continent with thousands of large balloons carrying bombs. 

Using the newly discovered Jet Stream, the first such weapon was  launched from Honshu, directly beneath the Jet Stream, on 3 Nov 1944. U.S. officials at first thought the balloons were errant weather balloons. Between that November and the following July, some 9000 bombs were launched and 268 of them making it to North America. 

Imagine! These balloons were constructed by Japanese school children to paste together paper balloons in seven factories near Tokyo. By 1944, Japan was suffering acute wartime material shortages. 

The only American fatalities were the Mitchell family. On Sunday, May 5, 1945, the Rev. Archie Mitchell and his pregnant wife, Elsie, were taking five of their Sunday School students on a picnic near their home in Bly, Oregon. As Mitchell was parking his car, he heard his wife call out: "Look what we found! It looks like some kind of balloon!" Before Mitchell could warn his wife to keep away, the bomb went off. Elsie and four boys were instantly killed and one girl died later from her injuries. The above image is of a memorial to those dear Americans.

The really sad part of this tale is that the War Department had known about these balloons since December, 1944, but had its Office of Censorship keep information out of the news in order not to cause panic. That press blackout was lifted o May 22 in an effort to prevent further injuries or deaths. 

Sources: Charles Apple's Further Review in The Spokesman Review newspaper, 4 May 2025;  The Pacific Northwesterner, Summer 1976, article by Randall A. Johnson: image from Wikipedia. 

U.S.-Canada Border Crossings

 

Ever find a brand new pencil in your desk or cupboard? Looking at it, you wonder where on earth did I pick up this pencil???? So it was with this pencil. Brand new, never sharpened. But it did sprout the idea of a blog to share with you!

According to the Ancestry Family History Learning Hub: The U.S. and Canada share the longest international border in the world with its 5525 miles stretching from Maine to Alaska. The Alaska portion of the border is 1538 miles long! Today, the 120 land ports of entry are busy as folks regularly cross the border for work, to visit family and to vacation. 

The U.S.-Canada border as we know it today only dates back to 1903. It formed as a result of centuries of colonization, war, revolution and land acquisition through treaties with Indigenous peoples as well as through diplomacy. (Dave Obee, www.CanGenealogy.com, gave a great presentation to EWGS couple of years ago on how often ancestors went back-and-forth across the Washington-Alberta-British Columbia border.) If your ancestor lived in either country near the border you might realize this and research accordingly.

Despite all of the conflict surrounding the border, the U.S. and Canada have often worked together to build roads, bridges and canals along it to streamline trade and the movement of people. The earliest cross-border infrastructure projects were in the east.... Niagara Falls, NY, and Albans, Vermont, to name two. The iconic Peace Arch crossing sits between Seattle and Vancouver. Our Washington shares 427 miles of border with British Columbia and has 13 border crossing stations.

My son and dau-in-love (yes!) regularly transverse the Oroville-Osoyoos crossing. Perhaps they picked up that mystery pencil??????

Mourning Rings: Have One From Your Ancestor?

 

Have you a mourning ring in an ancestor's memorial box? Have you ever heard of mourning rings? Mourning Rings were (and sometimes still are) jewelry worn to remember someone who has died. Such rings ran the gamut from plain bands to diamond studded. 

Mourning rings of yore were engraved with the person's name and death date and might have contained a hand-painted image or lock of hair. Today, they might have a tiny box for ashes. The tradition of mourning rings dates to ancient times although they gained popularity during the Victorian era. 

The article I was reading gave several examples of metal-detector folks have found such treasures buried in the sand or under a house. 

"If you think one of your ancestors may have had a mourning ring, we recommend searching their last name and the keyword "mourning ring" on the Newspapers.com homepage."

(Found this in the official blog of Newspapers.com; bit penned by Jenny Ashcraft, 8 Oct 2024.)

Washington Digital Newspapers

 

Bet you've searched online newspapers at the several websites offering such. But did you know that there is a website devoted to our very own state newspapers?? Here's the fine print in the image: Washington Digital Newspapers brings together over 600,000 pages from Washington's earliest Territorial newspapers to the present day, freely accessible to the public. And this collection continues to expand! Clicking to the website, you can search by title, by date or by subject.

When I first learned of this resource back in February 2025, I did a search for the surname PHILLIPS, 1900-1960, and got 43,186 hits!  For the surname OSWALD, 3996 hits! For Fort George Wright, 12, 690 hits! 

If you have ancestors, direct line or collateral, and they lived and worked in the Evergreen State, do check out this resource. 

Remember I've taught you always: If it's free, take two! :-) 

Vinegar Flats: Why THAT Name?

 

Vinegar Flats - The Keller-Lorenz Vinegar Works

Jesse Tinsley crafts a Then And Now column in The Spokesman-Review daily newspaper in Spokane. This bit comes from one of his insightful columns:

In an area that was once a seasonal village of Spokane Indians along Latah Creek, a neighborhood was platted in 1888. It became known as Vinegar Flats because of the tangy aroma from a vinegar production plant that opened in 1889....... The Keller-Lorenz Vinegar Company made cider and vinegar and sold the product to stores in bottles or to wholesalers in barrels.... the company grew rapidly and in 1912 the company used 15,000 tons of apples from Spokane's orchards to make 225,000 gallons of cider and 5,000 gallons of vinegar.... their two primary products were pickling vinegar, made from barley malt and molasses, and apple vinegar which starts as cider...... eight men worked full time at the plant with up to 14 more added seasonally..... 

"When the factory began operations in 1890, vinegar was especially important for the preservation of a variety of foods. In an era before household refrigeration, pickling in vinegar was a common method of preserving fruits and vegetables. The Vinegar Works operated in the three-story building at 11th Avenue and Spruce Street until 1958 producing cider, malt, and white wine vinegar. It wasn’t until the 1930s that refrigerators became commonplace and the need for pickling foods became less important. This new era of both commercial and domestic refrigeration, coupled with better roads for transportation, meant that factories like the Keller -Lorenz Vinegar Works eventually went out of business."

 Next time you drive south to Pullman from Spokane on Hwy 195, sniff the air. It just might smell a bit tangy still. 

Roxanne Lowe: A Gem Among Us

 

Roxanne Lowe is a world traveler; here she is in Switzerland. I know she's also been to Cuba and several other wonderful places. 

Roxanne lives in McCleary which is west of Olympia a tad bit. She's been active with the WA State Gen Soc for nearly 20 years and continues to inspire, share and teach us. Short while ago she offered a multi-page handout of FREE GENEALOGY-RELATED INTERNET SITES. Now she offers it again to all of us; here's the link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ReR_ur57ODbfbp0phtGj_ugocSYoX2F-/view?usp=drive_link

If you'd like to refresh your memory or learn more about Roxanne, she offered a snippet-autobiography to the WSGS Blog on 21 June 2023.... complete with her 3-yr-old pix!

Summer suggestion: On a hot day when you're already sunned-out, have this handout handy (with lemonade!) and have some researching fun!

Honoring Memorial Day Part 2

 

  

In a small cemetery in the Dutch city of Roermond, one can visit this most unique set of tombstones. It comprises two almost identical pillars on either side of a wall separating the Catholic part from the Protestant part. Each pillar has a carved arm and hand that clasp the other across the wall. The monument marks the graves of Josephina Van Aefferden, a Catholic, and Jacobus Van Gorkum, a Protestant, who were happily married in life but had to be buried in separate sections of the cemetery. This Dutch listed it as a State Monument in 2002 and the "Grave with the Little Hands" proves that love is stronger than death. (And certainly stronger than mens' rules.)

Did you know that Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day? In the spring of 1866, Henry C. Welles, a druggist in the village of Waterloo, NY, suggested that the patriots who died in the Civil War should be honored by decorating their graves. A committee was formed and the plan was implemented. Decoration Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 and was first observed officially on May 30, 1868. The South did not observe Decoration Day, preferring to honor their dead on separate days until after WWI. In 1882 the name was changed to Memorial Day and soldiers who had died in other wars were also honored. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be held on the last Monday in May. While families may use the day for welcome-to-summer-fun, the original intent was to honor those who died for our freedom. 

Honoring Memorial Day

 

 

   

Available from Amazon.

Who would have guessed? 

Fidalgo Island Pioneer's 1923 Obit

 

This Washington-Pioneer-History-Tidbit comes from the Anacortes American, April 19, 1923. Titled "First Fidalgo Settler Buried," I have excerpted portions from the long (and most interesting) obituary for you.

Charles W. Beale, the first white settler of Fidalgo Island was buried in the Fern Hill Cemetery where he had hunted deer over 65 years ago. Capt. Beale was the oldest living pioneer of the county and six past presidents of the Skagit County Pioneer Assn were pallbearers. 

Mr. Beale is survived by four sons and three daughters; his home was in Anacortes. He was a Virginian and stricken with gold fever crossed the plans by ox team in 1851 landing in Sacramento. He drove a team there for five years and then in 1856 headed out overland to the Fraser River gold diggings. Instead of washing gold, he became a river steamboat captain. While making a trip to Whatcom in a flatboat, he was wrecked and forced some frightened Indians at gunpoint to paddle him to Fidalgo. In 1862 Beale went to the Cariboe (sic) and when he returned in 1866 he found that his claim had been sold. He took up another claim, built his cabin and stayed.

Capt. Beale sometimes told of an experience in the winter of 1859 when the snow was deep and food was scarce and the six settlers on the bay had little to eat save what their rifles brought them. Beale had shot a deep on the slopes of Mt. Erie and packed it on his back out through deep snow and the jungles (sic) to what is now Weaverling's Spit where his fellow settlers were to meet him with a canoe and take him and any possible game across the bay to the cabins. But the canoe was not there. Night came on and wolves, great gaunt grey fellows, followed his trail through the snow by drops of blood. Beale was compelled to wade out into the water to get away from the wolves bearing the deer carcass with him. In deadly cold water he stood until finally a canoe appeared. 

The Beale children were: Capt. Charles, Jr., John R., George C., Frank D., Mrs. A.O. Clem, Mrs. Lacretia Monroe, Mrs. Emma Laborte. I wonder if any descendants of this Fidalgo Island pioneer are still in the area????

Bison or Buffalo?

 

  

Buffalo or Bison? Which do we have in the American West?

I recently taught a lesson to my 11yo and 7yo great-grandkids on this subject. We have BISON in America. Bison have humps, shorter horns, live on the prairies  and are ill-tempered. BUFFALO live in the wetlands of Asia and Africa, have long broad horns and are more mild-mannered, and so in Asia have been domesticated by man. 

Did you know: Male bison an weight up to 2000 pounds and stand 6' tall. (And we see videos posted on YouTube of stupid tourists in Yellowstone trying to pet a bison and getting gored.) Females are slightly smaller. Bison calves weigh 30-70 pounds at birth. 

American bison are a keystone species that provide many benefits to other animals and the land. Their manure and grazing patterns increase the amount of nitrogen to prairie plants which facilitates plant growth giving habitat to nesting birds. Thick bison fur catches and disperses native seeds. Bison wallows, where the animals roll and scuffle, create specialized habitats for plants and capture moisture. Using their big heads as plows, bison push through deep snow creating paths for other animals such as elk and antelope. 

Bison are the official mammal of America and also the states of Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. But the history of the American bison is full of a lack of appreciation. Long ago, the continent held an estimated 40,000,000 bison. Then came hunting and by 1884 the official estimate of remaining wild bison was a mere 325.

There are volumes more to the full story and there are many books written on the subject of the history of the American bison. Want a good read? 

P.S. Did you catch the phrase "keystone species?" Google that phrase for some really interesting knowledge. 

(Thanks to the North Columbia Monthly, Dec 2024, for this story.)

Remembering Mt. St. Helens

 

If you were living in Washington on Sunday, May 18, 1980, do you remember what you were doing? I was walking to church on that sunny day and remember hearing what I thought was a sonic boom. (Fairchild AFB is just west of town.) An hour later, I fled home and was among thousands of Washingtonians wondering WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING?

At 8:32 that morning, Mt. St. Helens erupted as the result of an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale. Here's what happened:

• Eruption lasted 9 hours
• Nearly 230 square miles of forest were destroyed
• The explosion blew a crater 1968.5 feet deep and almost 1 1/2 miles wide from rim to rim on the mountain's face
• The speed of the subsequent landslide was estimated to be between 70 and 150 mph
• As much as 600 feet of debris were deposited in the nearby North Fork Toutle River
• An estimated 7000 big game animals were killed in the blast
• An estimated 12 million chinook and coho fingerlings and 40,000 young salmon were destroyed
• 60 people living near the mountain were killed

I remember gathering my family close, including my future son-in-law. I remember them playing RISK for hours. I remember waking up Monday and Tuesday morning to everything coated with white ash..... and nobody knew how dangerous it might be to breathe or to our cars. Spokane, among many eastern Washington cities, stood in shocked stillness. 

Now, 45 years later, we still see white streaks in the banks along I-90 when we head west. And I wonder how many baby girls born that day were named Helen or Ashley???

Will Mt. St. Helens blow again? She is considered the volcano in the Cascades most likely to erupt again in our lifetimes,  and scientists expect it to erupt again though the timing and magnitude are uncertain. (So says Google.)

Wreck of the Peter Iredale

 

 (note the horse and wagon)   

Strollers along a particular stretch of Oregon beach sometimes are lucky enough to see the fading remnants of a shipwreck. I'd bet that when they do, they wonder "what happened?" 

Ships, and everything about ships, is vital to our collective family history. Our ancestors traveled in ships, fished from small ships, explored in ships, fought battles in ships, migrated in ships .......... and often died in ships. 

The Peter Iredale is rather famous. She was a four-masted steel bark built in Maryport, England, in 1890. In September, 1906, she sailed north from Mexico bound for Portland where she was to pick up a cargo of wheat to return to England. From the Oregon History Project website we learn:

"Despite encountering heavy fog, she managed to safely reach the mouth of the Columbia River in the early morning of October 25. The captain of the ship later recalled that as they waited for a pilot 'a heavy southeast wind blew and a strong current prevailed. Before the vessel could be veered around, she was in the breakers and all efforts to keep her off were unavailing.' She ran aground at Clatsop Beach, hitting so hard that three of her masts snapped from the impact. Fortunately, none of the crew were seriously injured."

Our Washington coast, particularly around the Columbia River mouth, is known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific," and has seen approximately 2000 wrecks since 1792 with about 700 lives lost. The sandbar at Columbia's mouth is three miles wide and reaches seven miles into the open ocean, and being sand, is constantly shifting, making it a navigational nightmare.

Do you have ships mentioned in your family history? If you do, and would enjoy learning more, click to www.ShipIndex.org. This is a fabulous database all about ships.........sailing, steam, fighting or sunken ships. 

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