The Five Moments in History That Shaped Washington State

Even though Washington State was admitted to the Union towards the tail end of ratified states (42 of 50), there are plenty of moments in our history that have shaped where we are today.  While these five events are far from the definitive list, they all brought significant attention to or led to a major event in the state.

The Washington Territory Breaking From Oregon Territory/Statehood

I'm combining the two of these because they moved toward the same goal, creating what became known as Washington State.  The Washington Territory was established in 1853 when it separated from the existing Oregon territory.  Roughly 36 years later, on November 11th, 1889, statehood was granted with our state constitution ratified a mere 41 days earlier.

There were a number of major events happened before 1853 that brought more interest, notoriety, and growth in the area (Lewis & Clark Expedition and the Whitman Massacre as examples).  The true history begins with the establishment of the territory followed by acceptance by the Congress of the United States.

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Klondike Gold Rush/Growth of Seattle

The Klondike Gold Rush was one of the most significant events in American history.  It could be argued as one of the greatest creators of wealth period.  What began in 1896 reached Seattle the following year.  The city's port became a major player.  It became known as "The Gateway to the Gold Fields" where aspiring prospectors could get everything they needed.

The city became a hub for meeting food, clothing, site needs (like tents and other equipment, and transportation.  While the gold rush played a huge role in catapulting Seattle's stature, population, and coffers...another event would cement Seattle as a hub for a particular industry

Boeing

After taking a plane ride in 1914, William Boeing decided to build a hanger next to Lake Union.  In July of 1916, The Boeing Airplane Co. was born as the result of William Boeing incorporating another airplane business.  One year later the Model C would fly over Lake Union.  Over the next century plus, Boeing would become the world leader in aviation.  The expanded from aircraft manufacturing to national defense and then to outer space.

It's fair to ask how much Washington's economy, and the growth of it's largest city, would have been impacted without the establishment and success of Boeing.  You could even say without the technological advances created there, the tech sector in the state today may not have become as big as it has.

The Manhattan Project

Those of us on the east side of the Cascades are very familiar with Washington State's contribution to nuclear research.  Many on the other side of the mountains and around the country simply see the Hanford Nuclear Reservation as a "glowing" piece of land that stores old radiation.  We know that without Hanford the United States doesn't end World War II.

In 1943 the federal government decided the towns of White Bluffs and Hanford would be ideal for the Manhattan Project.  The B Reactor was fully operational roughly two years later (though fuel began being loaded at the end of 1944).

The plutonium produced here was used in the famous "Trinity Test", as well as the bomb dropped on Nagasaki (called "Fat Man") that would eventually end the war.  Another Washington piece to this was the plane that dropped "Fat Man" was named "Bocksar" and it was a Boeing F-29 Superfortress.  You can watch the famous Trinity Test below.

Hanford was decommissioned in 1968 and cleanup continues to this day.  The cleanup project brings in billions of dollars to the state economy and probably will not be finished in my lifetime, or my great-grandchildren's lifetime.

The Mt. St. Helen's Eruption

May 18, 1980 put Washington State firmly in the global news cycle.  Mt. St. Helens erupted after a series of smaller eruptions occurred roughly two months prior.  not only was it the first eruption in the continental U.S. in modern scientific history, it was also the deadliest.  For nine hours volcanic ash filled the sky.  When it was over the devastation was unimaginable.

• 230 miles around St. Helens was devastated
• 540 million tons of ash was emitted
• an estimated $1 billion in damage was caused
• 200 houses, 47 bridges, and 185 miles of highway were destroyed
• it produced the largest landslide in recorded history
• 57 people lost their lives

A 5.0 earthquake was the spark that lit the fuse.  Today the missing northern flank of the volcano serves as a reminder of that day and how quickly lives could change and history could be written.  For those that have never seen video of the eruption, you can revisit the cataclysmic event below.