Established in 1853, Washington remained a Territory until admitted into the Union thirty-six years later in 1889. Few other territories in the American West languished longer in dependent status. Bec
Pacific Northwest history writer Robert E. Ficken describes the effects of the Fraser River gold rush of 1858 on the development of the Pacific Northwest. He explores how opposing forces and governmen
This economic and political history of territorial Washington identifies factors such as dividing mountain ranges (The Cascades) and lack of adequate internal transportation as explanations for Washin
In November 1889, Washington - 70,000 square miles brimming with timber, coal, salmon, and rich farmland - became the nation's 42nd state. In a sequel to Washington Territory' (WSU Press, 2002), Rober
