Title: Washington — History and Culture
Headings: Washington — History and Culture
Washington — History and Culture
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History
Culture

Content: History
The Pacific Northwest has a rich heritage of Native American tribes. Unfortunately, a smallpox epidemic in the 1770s decimated the local native population. Spanish explorers were first on the scene in 1775 and where followed shortly after by British explorer James Cook in 1778. The Nootka Convention in 1790 agreed to open the entire Pacific Northwest to traders from all nations. Fur trading was the first big industry in Washington, with powerful groups like Hudson’s Bay Company controlling the territory. The Oregon Trail opened up the state to settlers in the mid-19th century. Initial settlement was in the eastern part of Washington, around the Walla Walla Valley. Forts like Fort Nez Perces were built in 1841 to help the fur trade. Fort Nisqually was the first settlement in the Seattle area in 1833. Gradually, timber replaced fur and the ports along Puget Sound boomed, while on the other side of the Cascades, agriculture prospered in the Yakima River Valley.