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Economics, Status, & Trade Amongst the Tribes - Economics
During the end of the 18th Century, prior to the white man settling in the PNW the Indians traded amongst each other. The Chinook were centrally located and acted as a middle-trademen for the surrounding tribes. Shells from the coast were traded to the interior tribles. Slaves were traded for canoes amongst other things. Nuts, roots, fish and game were also traded. -
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Native Dwellings - Art/Architecture
Nootka Indian HouseWhen Captain James Cook had a months layover in the Nootka Sound they were able to carefully observe the lives of the Nootka Indians. The Nootkas were Coastal Indians who lived in wood buildings, called longhouses which were generally 20'-40' wide and 50'-100' long. They normally had three houses to accomodate summer fishing, cold winters, and salmon runs. -
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Population Decline - Environment
Nez Perce statisticsSmallpox that was brought over by Euro-Americans and introduced to the Indians proved fatal. The native people had not been exposed to any germs of this kind. They had no resistance built up and thousands died over a few years, wiping out full tribes at times. In this instance, white traders introduced the disease to the Nez Perce tribe in 1781. It devistated the Nez Perce and other Plateau Indians. -
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The Corps of Discovery - Science/Technology
Lewis & Clark - Teaching PrimaryMeriwether Lewis and William Clark set off and led a scientific expedition to map and explore a passage to the Pacific Ocean. The Lewis and Clark expedition brought information via drawings, maps, and artifacts regarding plant-life, wild-life, terrain, and native people of the West. -
The Trek for Christianity - Religion
Chief Spokan GarryChief Spokan Garry Spokan Garry would leave on this day to venture through the Canadian Rockies and arrive at the Red River Settlement. Here he would become fluent in French and English and learned in the way of agriculture. Most importantly he was able to read, understand, and teach the Bible. Five years later he would return to the Spokane area and evangalize to his native people. -
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The Boundaries of the PNW - Government
Before seperating, the Oregon Territory encompassed around 350,000 square miles. In 1859, Oregon became a state and Washington and Idaho Territories started forming. There was much dispute over where the boundary lines would be. Some of Idaho went to Montana and Wyoming Territory. Larger cities in territories wanted to divide and become their own. Eventually in 1889 and 1890 both Washington and Idaho were granted Statehood. -
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De Smet's Missionary Work - Religion
Life, Letters, and Travels of Father Pierre-Jean De Smet
Pierre Jean De Smet was a Jesuit missionary who spent six years in the Pacific Northwest setting up missions. He was a great negotiator between the whites and Indians. He was passionate about Indian missions. -
The Whitman Massacre - Religion
In 1936, a group of Presbyterian missionaries set out west on what is now known as the Oregon Trail. Among them was a newly married couple, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. They built Waiilatpu, or the Whitman Mission, and preached the gospel to the local Cayuses and Nez Perce Indians. Tensioned built between the two cultures. The Indians felt that Whitman was killing them with witchcraft among other problems. They retaliated by the Whitman's and a dozen other whites living amongst them. -
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The Cataldo Mission Gets Rebuilt - Art/Architecture
Cataldo MissionAnthony Ravalli, a Jesuit missionary, worked with the Coeur d'Alene Indians to rebuild the old mission into a permanent structure. With only primitive tools and man power they were able to construct the Mission in five years. Ravalli used his prior training in architecture to replicate some of the Renaissance touches he found in Italian cathedrals. He forged chandeliers from tin cans, dyed the ceilings blue from huckleberrys, and hand painted newspaper walls to resemble European wallpaper. -
The Table Rock Treaty - Environment
Council of Table Rock
The Table Rock Treaty was meant to stop bad relations between the white miners/settlers and the Rogue River Indians. Land-hungry whites were mining on the Indians' land. The treaty gave the Indians a temporary reservation where they and their land was protected from the whites. They were also given various goods and services. This was just one of many instances where Indians were losing land. -
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The Pacific Northwest's Mining Boom - Economics
The mining boom created a great amount of personal wealth. Mostly it boosted the economy during the Civil War with the gold that had been mined. Nearly $3 million worth of gold dust was transported down the Columbia River in 1961. Gold dust was worth $16/oz, and was considered legal tender. Gold mining cities popped up throughout Washington Territory bringing in hotels, saloons, stores, and make-shift houses. -
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Advertisements & Postcards - Art/Architecture
Portland's Postcards
With the boom of rail roads and destination travel in the late 19th Century, and the invention of the camera in the mid 1800's, people all over the United States were getting a visual of the Pacific Northwest. Railway companies were making beautiful, artsy brochures and advertisements entising Americans to visit out West. Trade cards and post cards were everywhere by 1901. These displayed new, jaw-dropping photo dipictions of the PNW. -
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Over-Fishing - Economics
Clackamas River Salmon Run
The first hatchery in the PNW (2nd in the US) opened during the late summer months of 1877 on the Clackamas River. The idea was to replace salmon populations that dwindled because of over-fishing. Salmon fishing and canning were huge boosts for the economy providing jobs at canning sites, fisherman, builders, etc. -
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Logging Technology Advancements - Science/Technology
The 1880's provided many technological advancements in timber and forestry. Narrow-gauge logging railroads opened up areas that were once inaccessible for logging. The use of a two-person crosscut saw aided in felling the giant trees of the PNW. The invention of John Dolbeer's "steam donkey", the use of band saws and drying kilns. -
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Where The Buffalo Roam - Environment
The Crow Indians lost thousands of buffalo because of the Northern Pacific Railway that went through their territory. The rail road brought in prospects from the east that wanted buffalo hides. The Crow were devistated by this because they were dependent on all parts of the buffalo. In one year, 200,000 buffalo hides were wheeled out of their area by Northern Pacific. -
The Anti-Mormon Politics - Government
Idaho Test Oath Act In 1885, the Test Oath Act became law in Idaho. It was pushed by Fred T. Dubois who harbored a large resentment towards the Mormons. When the Edmunds Act was passed in 1882 banning all polygamists from voting, Dubois found his opening to derail the Democratic Party in Idaho. This Oath was used to disenfranchise all Mormons whether they were practicing polygamists or not. Finally putting Idaho Republicans as the majority vote. It took almost 100 years to remove the anti-Mormon test oath (1982). -
The Final Spike Ceremony - Science/Technology
The final spike ceremony in Ashland, Oregon was one of the last celebratory railroad ceremony's to gain publicity. The Southern Pacific Railroad was now the longest raillway system in the world. It not only connected the PNW to CA, but now connected Porland to New Orleans. -
Women's Suffrage - Government
In 1896 Idaho became the first Pacific Northwest state to grant woman's suffrage. Abigail Scott Duniway was a pioneer and advocate for this movement.
