|
40,000-10,000 BC |
Paleo-Indians arrive in Pacific Northwest. |
|
1300 - 1850s |
Skagit, Snohomish, Kikialos, and Clallam clans of the Salish Nation
inhabit Whidbey and Camano Islands. |
|
1543 |
Pacific Northwest claimed by Spain |
|
1592 |
Discovery of Strait of Juan de Fuca claimed by Juan de Fuca |
|
1579 |
The Washington coast is sighted by Sir Francis Drake and claimed for
England |
|
1774 |
Juan Perez commands the first Spanish expedition to explore the
Northwest Coast and sights the Olympic Mountains |
|
1775 |
Bruno de Hezeta lands on the Washington coast and claims the area
for Spain |
|
1778 |
James Cook (British) explores and charts the Northwest Coast |
|
1792 |
June 10. Captain George Vancouver compiles the first truly
extensive maps of the Northwest coastline. He names Whidbey Island
for Joseph Whidbey (1755-1833), Master of the HMS Discovery. |
|
1805 |
Captains William Clark and Meriwether Lewis reach what is today part
of the Washington State during their Corps of Discovery's
Transcontinental Expedition of the lands west of the Missouri River. |
|
1818 |
United States and Great Britain agree to joint occupation of the
Oregon Territory. |
|
1841 |
The Puget Sound, Grays Harbor and portions of eastern Washington
explored by the Wilkes Expedition/ (Lieutenant Charles Wilkes was U.S.
Navy officer with a scientific background). |
|
1844 |
James K. Polk becomes President of the United States. Among his four
goals is the designation of the Oregon Territory's northern border to
extend to 54' 40", even if through an act of war. |
|
1846 |
Treaty between United States and Great Britain sets boundary at 49th
parallel |
|
1847 |
Camano Island given its present name for the Spanish explorer
Jacinto Caamano Moraleia, leader of the last Hispanic exploration of
Alaska. |
|
1848 |
"Oregon" --the Pacific Northwest--becomes an official U.S.
territory.
Thomas W. Glasgow, first white settler on Whidbey Island files a
claim on what would later become Ebey's Prairie. |
|
1850 |
Oregon Donation Land Act
|
|
1851 |
February 4. Oregon Territorial Legislature creates Pacific
County on the north side near the Columbia River's mouth.
August 29.
Settlers meet at Cowlitz Landing to discuss the establishment of a new
territory north of the Columbia River. |
|
1852 |
January 12. Thurston County created by the Oregon Territorial
Legislature with boundaries extending from the northern boundaries of
the Pacific and Lewis counties, north to the Canadian border, east to
the Cascades and west to the Pacific Ocean. The county seat was
established at Olympia.
November 25. Settlers meet again at
Monticello (present-day Longview, Washington) and draft a memorial to
Congress requesting the establishment of a new territory north of the
Columbia River, to be named "Columbia Territory." Oregon
Territorial Governor Joseph Lane and the Oregon Territorial legislature
support the memorial and forward it to Congress. |
|
1853 |
January 6. Island County formed from Thurston County.
It was named for the many islands within its boundaries and is the only
county in the United States named “Island.” The bill creating the county
would have passed earlier, but there was much discussion in the
legislature about its name. Amendments to name it Atchison, Calhoun and
Webster were introduced, discussed and defeated. Its boundaries covered today's Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, and San Juan
counties. Coveland was the county seat.
March 2. Congress creates Washington Territory
in honor of the "Father of the Country," George Washington. It extends
east to the Rocky Mountains, and includes all of present-day Washington,
(current-day) western Idaho and (current-day) western Montana. The
law was known as the Organic Act and served as the basis for law in
Washington until the Territory became a state in 1889.
NOTE: Island County is no longer under the jurisdiction of Oregon
Territory. April 4. Island County's first Commissioner's
meeting takes place in Coveland.
Coupeville established |
|
1854 |
March 9. Whatcom County created out of Island
County by the Washington Territorial Legislature taking present day San
Juan and Skagit Counties. |
|
1855 |
First white settlers on Camano Island. |
|
1858 |
Admiralty Head lighthouse built. |
|
1859 |
Oregon becomes a state. |
|
1861 |
January 14. Snohomish County created out of
Island County |
|
1862 |
The Homestead Act is passed, providing 160 acres of surveyed but
unclaimed public land to each citizen. Title is awarded if resided
on and improvements made after five years. |
|
1881 |
March 3. Coupeville replaces Coveland as county
seat |
|
1889 |
Washington granted statehood. |
|
1890 |
Langley platted. |
|
1900 |
January 12. Freeland incorporated.
U.S. Army assumes command
of the Admiralty Head Lighthouse. |
|
1901 |
Fort Casey on Whidbey Island, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island,
and Fort Worden at Point Wilson formed a "Triangle of Fire," creating
fortified harbor defenses of Puget Sound. |
|
1903 |
Admiralty Head Lighthouse rebuilt. |
|
1911 |
Island Transportation Company founded. |
|
1913 |
Langley incorporated. |
|
1915 |
Oak Harbor incorporated. |
|
1920 |
Fire destroys much of Oak Harbor |
|
1929-1939 |
Great Depression |
|
1941 |
Navy construction units arrive to build a naval air station on
Whidbey Island |
|
1942 |
Ault Field, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island commissioned |
|
1942 |
Fort Ebey built |
|
1949 |
Camano Island State Park established. |
