WASHINGTON TERRITORY (ante) is divided by the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia river into western Washington, lying w. of the Cascade mountains and extending to the Pacific; central Washington, between the Cascade mountains and the Columbia river; and eastern Washington, e. of the Columbia. Western Washington, comprising two-fifths of the whole, is a densely timbered country with a few fertile prairies and some rough and broken mountain lands. The climate is relatively warm in winter and cool in summer, and the rainfall is large. The central division embraces the summits of the Cascade mountains, the valley of Yakima, and a plateau stretching to the Columbia river. 'rime mountains on its western border form an unbroken range from 5,000 to 8,000 ft. above the sea, and several lofty peaks rise from 2,000 to 6,060 ft. higher. The regions about the river valleys are fertile; but the land of the plateau is barren, sterile, and dry. Eastern Washington comprises the valley of the Columbia and its large affluents, the Clark, Spokane, and Lewis rivers, and the Spokane plains or plateau—the latter elevated and sterile, and without forests; the former well watered, fertile, and containing much timber. In this division the climate is dry and the sum. mers are warmer and the winters colder than w. of the mountains. The principal geological formations in the first division are the Cambrian and Silurian, eozoic, cretace ous, and tertiary. Anthracite and bituminous coal is found in various parts, and mines are worked here and there that yield a good average. There are also at the head of the s. fork of the Yakima river gold mines that some years since gave promise of exten sive deposits, but from 1868 the yield has steadily declined. The central and s.e. portions of the territory are of volcanic formation. On the Pacific the territory has a coast-line about 180 m. long. The most noted headlands are cape Disappointment or Hancock, at the mouth of the Columbia, and cape Flattery at the entrance of the strait of Fuca. The principal indentations are Shoalwater bay, n. of the Columbia, and Gray's harbor, both of which are accessible by large vessels. The strait of Fuca extends e. 80 m. and then divides into two channels, Rosario strait on the e. and the canal de Haro on the w., which inclose the archipelago of Washington sound and connect on the n. with the gulf of Georgia. Puget sound extends s. into the territory from the e. end of the strait of Fuca 80 m. in a direct line and abounds in excellent harbors. This sound and the strait of Fuca, with its connecting waters, furnish a coast-line of several hundred miles. The Columbia river affords ship naviga tion nearly to the Cascade mountains, and throughout the territory this river and its main affluents, the Lewis and Clark, afford steamboat navigation, with occasional interruption from rapids. The Lewis flows n., forming the s. portion of the Idaho boundary for 30 m., and then entering Washington territory flows w. 150 m. to the Columbia. It is navigable to the Idaho border. The chief lakes in west Wash ington, none of them large, are Washington, Union, American, and Whatcom. In eastern Washington the largest body of water is lake Chelan.
Washington territory originally formed part of Oregon, and when it was erected into a separate division in 1853 it comprised the region lying between the Pacific ocean and the summit of the Rocky mountains, and n. of the Columbia river and the 46th parallel. In 1859, however, when Oregon was admitted into the union, the region between the e. boundary of that state and the Rocky mountains and n. of the 42d parallel was added to this territory. It then comprised 193,071 sq.m., embracing the present territory of Idaho and parts of Montana and Wyoming. The first American settlement was made at Tumwater in 1845 by a few families who had ventured across the plains. Since then there have been one or two tides of immigration to the territory
caused by discoveries of gold; but it is too remote as yet to offer much inducement to settlers compared with the more eastern territories. Of the total population in 1870, 18,931 were of native and 5,024 of foreign birth, 14,990 males and 8,965 females. The number of families was 5,673, with an average of 4.22 persons to each; the number of dwellings 6,066, with an average of 3.95 persons to each. About 9,800 persons were engaged in occupations, of whom 3,771 were employed in agriculture, 2,207 in profes sional and personal services, 1129 in trade and transportation, and 2,653 in manufac tures and mining. By the census of 1880 the total population was 72,120, of whom 59,259 were of native and 15,861 of foreign birth. The males numbered 45,977 and the females 29,143. About a third of the inhabitants are settled east of the Cascade mount ains, principally in Walla Walla and Columbia counties. A majority of those settled w. of the mountains are located around Puget sound; the others on the Columbia river. The largest towns are Walla Walla, Olympia, Seattle, Steilacooin, Port Town send, and Vancouver. There are seven Indian agencies in the territory for the super. vision of the tribal Indians, who number about 15,000 and occupy 3,933,500 acres of land as a reservation. The names of these agencies, which have become places of more or less importance, are Colville, in the n.e.; Neah Bay, on the coast; Quinai elt, also on the coast; Nisqually, on Puget sound; Skokomish, on Pnget sound; Tula lip, on Puget sound; and Yakima, in the south. In 1870 the number of acres of land in farms in the territory was 649,139, of which 192,016 were improved. The produc. tions were 186,180 bushels of spring wheat, 30,863 of winter wheat, 4,453 of rye, 21,781 of Indian corn, 255,169 of oats, 55,787 of barley, 316 of buckwheat, 15,790 of peas and beans, 280,144 of potatoes, 179 of clover seed, 1682 1b3. of tobacco, 162,713 of wool, 407,306 of butter, 17,465 of cheese, 6,162 of hops, 629 of wax, 23,636 of honey, 612 gallons of sorghum molasses, 235 of wine, and 30,233 tons of hay. The live stock on farms consisted of 11,138 horses, 943 mules and asses, 16,938 milch cows, 2,181 working oxen, 28,135 other cattle, 44,063 sheep, and 17,491 swine. The manufacturing establishments in the territory in 1870 numbered 269; employed 1000 hands; possessed capital of $1,893,674; paid $574,936 in wages; used raw material annually valued at $1,435,128; and produced goods worth $2,851,000. The most important establishments were 46 saw-mills, 7 planing mills, and 20 flouring and grist-mills. The trade of the territory is chiefly in lumber and canned fish, both of which are shipped to the San Francisco markets in large quantities and the latter to the east. The territory consti tutes one customs district, that of Puget sound, of which Port Townsend is the port of entry. For the year ending in July, 1875, the exports to foreign countries amounted to $759,230, including 33,907,000 ft. of assorted lumber valued at $352,510, and live stock, grain, provisions, etc., valued at $406,720; the imports amounted to $49,125. The railroad facilities for internal traffic consist of the Pacific division of the Northern Pacific and the Walla Walla and Columbia narrow-gauge road. The former extends fromlama on the Columbia river to Tacoma on Puget sound, 105 m., and is designed to form part of the trans-continental line completed west to the Missouri river in Dakota. The latter road extends from Walla Walla to Wallula on the Columbia river. 32 miles. There are no banks or insurance companies in the territory.