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Early Washington Maps : A Timeline to Statehood

Early Washington Maps: A Digital Collection is the product of a partnership between the University of Washington Libraries Map Collections and Washington State University's Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections. The maps of this collection have been drawn solely from the collections of these two institutions and are widely varied, ranging from large-scale geographical maps to small hand-drawn sketches of settlements. In the time period spanned by this project, the Pacific Northwest went from being considered "parts as yet unknown" to being the subject of literally thousands of maps concerned with geography, transportation, climate, population, cultures, politics, tourism, and other topics.

This timeline presents a small portion of those maps in a historical perspective. The maps chosen are not necessarily from the noted date, but are instead picked to represent the events of that date. In keeping with the wide spectrum of maps to choose from, some of the maps will provide a general overview of the event in question, while some will be relevant only to one small example of the item. For further maps related to a given event or date, please search the database using either the event or date as keywords.

40,000 to 10,000 BC: Future 'native Americans' arrive in Pacific Northwest.


1792: Captain George Vancouver compiles the first truly extensive maps of the Northwest coastline.


1805: Lewis & Clark reach what is a today part of Washington State.

1811: John Jacob Astor builds Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River as part of his Pacific Fur Company.

1811: David Thompson maps the Columbia from its headwaters.

1818: United States and Great Britain agree to joint occupation of the Oregon Territory.

1823: Monroe Doctrine warns other countries against attempting occupation in U.S. claimed lands.


1825: Hudson's Bay Company sets up Fort Colville and Fort Vancouver. Both lay along the Columbia River. B




1841: Lieutenant Charles F. Wilkes leads an U.S. Naval expedition of the Pacific Northwest. Members of his crew included scientists, who brought back numerous samples of both flora and fauna.





1846: Oregon Treaty peacefully designates the 49th parallel as the northern boundary of the United States, extending its previous line from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

1848: "Oregon" --the Pacific Northwest--becomes an official U.S. territory.


1854-1856:A number of treaties are signed between Native Americans living in Washington Territory and the U. S. government.

1855-1858: War between the U.S. and the Yakima Indians continues.


1859: Oregon joins the Union as a Free State.

1861: The battle at Fort Sumter marks the beginning of the Civil War.


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.

1863: Idaho Territory is formed.

1864: Montana Territory is formed.

1865: Civil War ends. Union Pacific Railroad heads west.

1871: Indian Appropriations Act states that Indians are no longer considered sovereign nations but wards of the federal government.



1883: The Northern Pacific Railroad is completed and runs as far west as Tacoma.


1889: Washington granted statehood.

1890: Idaho granted statehood.

1902: Newlands Reclamation Act passed, beginning a long period of federally constructed dams.Reclamation Service initiates irrigation projects for both the Yakima and Okanogan Valleys.


1905: The Washington State Highway Department is formed, to oversee the construction and maintenance of roads and highways.

1909: Seattle hosts the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific exhibition.

1910: Women win the vote in Washington State.


1936: Completion of Bonneville Dam.

1941: Completion of Grand Coulee Dam.

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