Washington State Historical Facts and Symbols

State Seal:

Capital:
Governor:

Olympia
Christine Gregoire

Timeline:	1579	Sir Francis Drake sailed up the Pacific Northwest Coast and named the entire region New Albion.
	1775	Spain laid claim to the area.
	1792	Many of our state landmarks named by Captain George Vancouver. Captain Robert Gray explored the lower reaches of the Columbia River.
	1805-06	Lewis and Clark expedition explored the Northwest and reached the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River.
	1818	Fort Walla Walla built by the North West Company. This enabled the United States to claim joint occupance of the Oregon Territory with England.
	1819	Spain gave the United States any and all rights claimed by Spain to the Oregon country.
	1846	Oregon Territory became a part of the United States when the United States and Great Britain agreed to the 49th parallel as the northern U.S. boundary.
	1848	Oregon Territory was established with Washington as the northern part of the territory.
	1853	Washington Territory, separate from Oregon, was created. Isaac Stevens was the first territorial governor.
	1863	Idaho Territory was created from part of the Washington Territory.
	1889	Washington admitted to the United States on November 11 as the forty-second state. Elisha Ferry was the first elected governor of Washington State.
	1941	Grand Coulee Dam completed.
	1980	Mount St. Helens erupted in May.
	1989	Washington celebrated 100 years of statehood on November 11.

State Symbols

Arboretum:	Washington Park Arboretum
Bird:	Willow Goldfinch
Colors:	Green and Gold
Dance:	Square Dance
Fish:	Steelhead Trout
Flower:	Coast Rhododendron
Folk Song:	"Roll On Columbia, Roll On" by Woodie Guthrie
Fossil:	Columbian Mammoth of North America
Fruit:	Apple
Gem:	Petrified Wood
Grass:	Bluebunch Wheatgrass
Insect:	Common Green Darner Dragonfly
Marine Mammal:	Orca
Motto:	Alki, meaning "bye and bye"
Nickname:	The Evergreen State
Ship:	"President Washington"
Song:	"Washington, My Home" by Helen Davis
Tartan:	Background: green (rich forests); perpendicular bands: blue (lakes, rivers, and ocean), white (snow-capped mountains), red (apple and cherry crops), yellow (wheat and grain crops), black (eruption of Mt. St. Helens).
Tree:	Western Hemlock