Olympia

From Ordo Dracul

Located on the southernmost point of Puget Sound, the peninsula known as Olympia was "Cheetwoot" (the black bear place) to the Coastal Salish who occupied the site for many generations before the American settlement was established. The end of what we now know as Budd Inlet was a favorite shellfish gathering site for many Coastal Salish tribes, including the Nisqually, Duwamish and Squaxin. Evidence exists that potlatches, the Northwest tribal custom in which tribal leaders shared their wealth with neighboring tribal groups, were held both east and west of the Inlet near Olympia.

The first American settlers were Levi Lathrop Smith and Edmund Sylvester who claimed the town site in 1846. The town was officially platted in 1850 by Sylvester. The Maine native laid out a town in a New England style with a town square, tree lined streets, land for schools, a Masonic Hall, and capitol grounds.

The name of Olympia was selected by Isaac N. Ebey, a local resident, and reflected the view of the majestic Olympic mountains on a clear day.

Drawn to the small peninsula as the first access to Puget Sound from the Columbia River on the Cowlitz Trail, American settlers numbered 996 in the area by 1853. Olympia welcomed the first Custom House on Puget Sound in 1851, and by 1852 was the county seat for the newly organized Thurston County. When Washington Territory was formed in 1853, Olympia was named as the provisional territorial capital by Isaac Stevens, Washington's first territorial governor.

In the mid-1850's, Olympia developed around the waterfront and quickly became a hub of maritime commerce. Federal officers and those seeking the opportunities of the capital flocked to the city which, at one time, boasted the largest population of any town on Puget Sound. An especially difficult blow fell when Olympia was bypassed by mainline railroads in the 1870s. City residents had to build their own line to connect with the Northern Pacific mainline at Tenino - 15 miles to the south.

Olympia's title of capital was often contested during the early years, but townspeople fought challenges by Vancouver, Steilacoom, Seattle, Port Townsend and Tacoma for location of the seat of territorial and, later, state government.

When Washington became a state in 1889 with Olympia as the capital, the city grew and prospered adding amenities such as an opera house, city water system, street car line, street lamps, and a new hotel to accommodate visiting legislators. State government has been housed in a series of buildings in Olympia, including the former county courthouse in downtown.

Changes were made to the topography of the city in 1911-12, when almost 22 blocks were added to the downtown area in a gigantic dredging and filling effort to create a deep water harbor and fill the sloughs to the north and east of the city. A more reliable bridge to the west side made that area more accessible as well.

With the increased growth in state government and the economic stimulus of World War I, the city began to grow in population and development. Olympia became a center of lumber processing and the city boasted as new smokestacks went up on the waterfront. Downtown buildings were constructed and residential areas south and west of the city developed. By the time of the completion of the grand domed legislative building in 1927, the city had become a fitting setting for such an imposing structure. A devastating earthquake in 1949 damaged or destroyed many historic downtown buildings.

State government grew rapidly in Olympia after World War II, but many state offices were moving to other parts of the State. A Washington State Supreme Court decision in 1954 mandated that Olympia was the seat of government and that state office headquarters must locate here.

Both the city of Olympia and the State of Washington have a demonstrated commitment to providing an exemplary setting for State offices consistent with responsible urban growth. Careful long-range planning in recent years has helped ensure that the development of downtown Olympia and state office facilities is consistent with State and City objectives. The Master Plan for the Capital of the State of Washington, the City of Olympia Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and an urban design strategy all work together to realize the full potential of Olympia's Capital City concept.

In recent years, Olympia, with its neighbors of Lacey and Tumwater, have witnessed phenomenal growth. The small, muddy, bustling village of the 1850s is only a memory, but the tenacious spirit of Olympians over more than a century echoes through the vibrant city of Olympia.