THE WEST SHORE.
63
THURSTON COUNTY, W. T.
THIS is one of the oldest and most important countios
in Washington Territory. It was oreated January
21, 1S52, by the Legialulure ol Oregon Territory, of
which "Washington was then a portion, and was named in
honor of Samuel W. Thurston, first Dolognte to Congress
from the Territory of Oregon. It was the third county
north of the Columbia River, and embraced the flint
American settlement on Puget Sound In 1845 Colonol
M. T. Simmons, who had crossed the plains the yoar
before, located, with a few companions, where the Dos
Chutos River empties, into Budd's Inlot Their little
settlement was called " New Market," now the town of
Tumwater, less than two miles from Olympia. During
the next five yearB many Americans located about the
head of Puget Sound, and the town of Olympia was
founded, which, being the only one on the shore of that
great inland sea, was given the custom house when the
Puget Sound collection district was creatod Fobruary 14,
1851. It was naturally made the seat of justice when the
county was oreated the following year. In September,
1852, T. F. McElroy and J. W. Wiley bogan the publica
tion of the Columbian at Olympia, the first pajer within
the present limits of Washington Territory. Whon the
Territory was creatod by Congress, by the Act of March
2, 1853, Olympia, being the most important Bottlomont,
was made the capital, and rotains that honor to the
present day.
Thurston County is of irregular shape, lying along
the shores of Puget Sound, whose long arms, suoh as
Budd's Inlot, Oyster Bay, eta, iudont it dooply in several
places. It has an area of COO square miles, including a
large water frontage and much exoellont agricultural land
Its watercourses consist of Black River, a tributary of
die Chohalis; Dea Chutes River, flowing into Build's
Inlet, and many smaller streams, which, with uumorous
springs and several beautiful lakes, give an amplo and
never-failing supply of water. The surface of the coun
try is gently rolling woodod hills, reaching, in places,
quite high altitudes, especially on the western end, where
it bordors the Coast Range Mountains. There aro many
small valleys, flats and Btrotchos of bottom land along the
streams where agriculture may be carried on, whilo sev
eral tracts of prairie laud add considerable to the arable
area.' Those latter contain a number of the finest farms
to be seen in Washington Territory, and have been culti
vated with uniform success for many years. The entire
area, in its natural state, is densely wooded with fir on
the hills, and cedar, oak, maple, ash and aider on the
lower levels. This vast quantity of tnorchantuble timber,
combined with the facilities for handling and transport
ing logs oiTored by tho many miles of deep water adja
cent, has ronderod luraWing one of the leading indus
tries. There are cut annually alsmt 9,000,000 fwet of
lumber in the county, whilo a largo quantity of logs cut
within its limits are made np into rafts and towed by tug
boats to mills located at various joints on the Sound Imj
yond the county limits. Besides those brought by water,
logs are taken to the mills at Tumwater and Olympia by
the Olympia A Cholmlis Valley (narrow gunge) Railroad,
which penetrates oue of the best timbor tracts in tho
Territory.
What is said in the accompanying description of
Lowis County about tho valuo of these forest lands, whon
cleared of timbor and proparod for the plow or soodod to
olover, applies with equal force to lauds similarly situ
ated in Thurston County. For divorsifiod agriculture,
dairying, raising cattlo, hogs, poultry, oto., they are twioo
as valunblo as he boHt open prairio land to be found any
whore. The best of grain, vegetables, buttor and fruit
are produced thoro, challenging competition with any
region on the globe. To Thurston County wheat was
awarded one of tho premiums of tho Contonuiid Exposi.
tion in 1870. There is much vacant land subjoot to entry
under tho land lnws of tho United States, which, when
olonrod for cultivation, will equal tho best now under
plow. It requires onorgy and persistent labor to carvo
out a farm from the forest, and no one should undertake
it who does not fully appreciate tho task before him. If
he does begin the work with full knowlodgo, ho will un
doubtedly have, in a few years, both a homo and a valu
able farm. This, of oourso, applies to ouo who depends
solely upon his own lalxr for suoooaa. lie who can afford
to have all or a portion of his clearing dono by contract
will escape tho personal hardships of tho poorer Bottler,
and have a productive farm bo much tho sooner. Tho
game is certainly worth tho powder, as any of tho older
settlers will testify men who hnvo onoountorod difficul
ties which do not now exist, suoh as no sale for timber or
wood, poor transportation facilities, and almost no market
for produce,
Thurston has now a population approximating C,0()0,
and an assessed property valuation of t.'l,M!),2.'l(I. Ac
cording to tho Assessor's roHrt in 1884, thero were
50,000 bushels of wheat raised in tho oonnty, while at tho
same timo thero were 15,000 head of livo stock. Tho
oouuty was divided into thirty-four school districts, and
oontainod 1,475 children of the legal school age. Tho
culture of hops has boon undertaken in Bovoral localities,
and is meeting with good success. Oysters, clams and
fish are taken from the Sound and find a ready market in
the interior. Olympia oystoni aro well known on tho
Coast, and though much smaller thau tho giant bivalve
of Atluntio waters, its flavor is preferred by many. The
clam of Puget Sound is of Titanic proportions and ex
tended reputation.
Tho city of Olympia, besides being tho oldest on
Puget Sound, is, in many mmmwU, the most attractive,
and has tho most beautiful location. Lying at tho head
of Budd's Inlet, with woodod hills closing it in and rising
gradually alsive it, it extend back along the extremo
arm of the inlet nearly to the mouth of the Des Chute,
at the town of TumwnUtr. This jMirtion of Olympia lies
on a high and gradually rising tulilo laud, which termi
nates in an abrupt bluff on the edge of the inlet Across
this runs the well-traveled road connecting Olympia and
Tumwater, along which the town is so rapidly spreading
that the two plueos must m united Ijofore many years.