Olympia and Thurston County, WA History
Bibliography
Books, Articles, and Other Materials
Books
Bigelow, Mary Ann. Where the Potholes Are. Olympia: Thurston Regional Planning Council, 1990Bennett, Robert A. A Small World of Our Own: Authentic Stories of the Pacific Northwest from the Old Settlers Contest of 1892. Walla Walla: Pioneer Press Books, 1985.
Blankenship, George E. Lights and Shades of Pioneer Life on Puget Sound Olympia, 1923
Blankenship, George E. History of Olympia Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M. Olympia, Washington 1852–1935. Olympia: The Masons, 1935. [Full Text] [Also see Olympia Lodge #1 F&AM Website]
Blankenship, Mrs. George E. (ed.) Early History of Thurston County, Washington, Together with Biographies and Reminiscences of those Identified with Pioneer Days Olympia, 1914 (Reprint: Seattle: Shorey Book Store, 1972).
Bowman, George. McLane Volunteer Fire Department: Fire Dist. no. 9, 1950 to 1980, Thurston County, Washington Olympia: The Fire Dept, 1989.
Carpenter, Cecelia Svinth. Where the Waters Begin: The Traditional Nisqually Indian History of Mount Rainier. Seattle: Northwest Interpretive Association, 1994.
________. The Nisqually Indian Traditional Use of the Flora and Fauna of the Nisqually River Watershed. Tacoma: Tahoma Research Service, 1988.
Celebrating the Dream: Olympia's 150th Birthday Olympia, The Daily Olympian, 2000.
[Click here for online version]Chase, Cora G. The Oyster Was Our World: Life on Oyster Bay, 1898-1914. Seattle: Shorey Book Store, 1976.
Christie, Rebecca. Workingman's Hill: A History of an Olympia Neighborhood. Olympia: Bigelow House Preservation Association with the Bigelow Highlands Neighborhood Association, 2001.
Coffman, Noah Berry. Old Lewis County, Oregon Territory; an address delivered before the Southwest Washington Pioneers, Rochester, Thurston Co., Washington, August 12, 1926. Seattle: Shorey Book Store, 1967.
Collins, Cary Cole Red Chehalis in a White Northwest: The Americanization of the Chehalis Indians: Prehistory to 1924. MA Thesis CWU, 1992.
Congress of Racial Equality, Washington's Negro Pioneer: George Washington Bush. Washington [19--]
Corcoran, Neil B. Bucoda : A Heritage of Sawdust and Leg Irons Bucoda: Bucoda Improvement Club, 1976.
Crooks, Drew. A Centennial History of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Olympia, Washington. 1994.
Dafoe, Bernadine. History of Maytown, Wash. Olympia: South Thurston County Historical Society, 1985.
Deck, Pam, ed. Long Ago Yesterdays of Thurston County Lacey: North Thurston School District, 1993.
Denny, Arthur. Pioneer Days on Puget Sound. Seattle, Charles Bagley, 1888. [Full Text: 77 kb]
Dougher, Sarah. Sent Out on the Tracks They Built: Sinophobia in Olympia, 1886 ( papercut illustrations by Nikki McClure) Olympia: S. Dougher and N. McClure, 1998.
Downtown Olympia's Historic Resources Olympia: Olympia Heritage Commission, 1984.
Dwelley, Art. Prairies and Quarries: Pioneer Days Around Tenino, 1830 - 1900. Tenino: Independent Publishing Co. 1989.
________. Tenino, The First Hundred Years; A Brief History and Historic Photos of Tenino's Past Tenino: The Tenino Centennial Commission, 1971
Easton, Roger. (ed.) Mere Mention: John Miller Murphy's Local News Column from the Weekly 1889 Newspaper Olympia: Olympia Heritage Commission, 1989. [Full Text: 381kb]
Eaton, Edgar Eugene. A History of Olympia Newspapers from 1852 to 1885. Masters Thesis, University of Washington, 1963.
Fredson, Michael. Log Towns: New Market, Arcadia, North Bay, Union City, Kamilche, New Kamilche, Shelton's Point, Shelton, Lilliwaup Falls, Potlatch, Matlock, Bordeaux. West Olympia: Minuteman Press, 1993.
Fultz, Hollis. Elkdom in Olympia: A History. Olympia: Warren's Quick Print, 1966.
Gibbs, George. A Dictionary of the Niskwalli (Nisqually) Indian Language--Western Washington. Seattle : Shorey Book Store, 1970.
A Glimpse of Tenino and Its Industries: Tenino, Washington Olympia: S.H. Fink, [between 1903 and 1910]
Green, Frank L. A Guide to the Thomas M. Chambers Collection Tacoma: The Washington State Historical Society, 1972.
Heikell, Iris White, The Wind-Breaker: George Washington Bush, Black Pioneer of the Northwest. New York : Vantage Press, 1980.
History of the Organization and Directory of Worship of the First Presbyterian Church, Olympia, Washington, 1854-1904 [Olympia, Wash.? 1904?]
Holt, Carole Rambo. Poncin Estate: The Camp Set in Clover. 1989
Hooper, Dean and Roberta B. Longmire. Yelm Pioneers & Followers: 1850-1950. Yelm: Yelm Prairie Historical Society, 1999.
Howerton, Linda. Mima Prairie Pioneer Cemetery, Thurston County Washington. Olympia: Thurston County Historic Commission, 1990.
Japhet, Sue, Summit Lake: A Community in Harmony With Nature, 1860-1989. [publisher unknown. 1989?]
Jessett, Thomas E. Pioneering God's Country; The History of the Diocese of Olympia, 1853-1967. Seattle: Diocese of Olympia Press, 1967.
Johnston, Norman. Washington's Audacious State Capitol and Its Builders Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1988.
Knox, Esther. A Diary of the Olympia School District, 1852-1976. Olympia: Olympia School District, 1976(?)
Lockman, Heather. Building a Capital City : Olympia's Past Revealed Through Its Historic Architecture (researched by Shanna Stevenson) Olympia: Olympia Community Planning and Development Dept, 2000.
Loutzenhiser, Richard. The Story of Yelm: the Little Town with the Big History, 1848-1948 1948.
Morgan, Murray. Puget’s Sound: A Narrative of Early Tacoma and the Southern Sound Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1979.
Murphy, John Miller (et. al) Puget Sound Business Directory and Guide to Washington Territory, 1872. Olympia: Murphy and Harned Publishing, 1872.
Newell, Gordon R. So Fair a Dwelling Place: A History of Olympia and Thurston County, Washington. Olympia: Olympia News Publishing, 1950. [Full Text: 184 kb]
________. Rogues, Buffoons & Statesmen Seattle: Hangman Press, 1975. [Index Online]
Nicandri, David. Olympia's Forgotten Pioneers: The Oblates of Mary Immaculate Olympia: State Capitol Historical Association, 1976.
________. (ed.) Olympia's Old Times and Places. Olympia: State Capitol Museum, 1976.
Nicandri, David and Derek Valley. Olympia Wins: Washington's Capital Controversies. Olympia: Washington State Capitol Museum, 1980.
North Pacific History Company. History of The Pacific Northwest, Oregon and Washington Portland: North Pacific History Company, 1889. [External Link: USGENNET, Wallowa Co., OR]
Oakland, Mike (et al.) Images of South Sound Olympia: The Olympian, 2000.
Olympia, A Capital Capital: Industries, Resources, Attractions. Olympia: Olympia Chamber of Commerce, 1913.
Olympia Olympia: Recorder Press, [1912?]
Palmer, Gayle [ed.]. The River Remembers: A History of Tumwater 1845-1995 Tumwater: City of Tumwater, 1995.
Palmer, Gayle and Shanna Stevenson. Thurston County Place Names: a Heritage Guide Olympia: Thurston County Historical Commission, 1992.
Palmer, Katherine Van Winkle. HONNE. The Spirit of the Chehalis. The Indian Interpretation of the Origin of the People and Animals as Narrated by George Saunders. [n.p.] 1925.
Poultridge, Andrew. Boomtime: A History of the Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area. Olympia: Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources, Division of Land and Water Conservation, 1991.
Ramsey, Guy Reed. Postmarked Washington: Thurston County Olympia: Thurston County Historic Commission 1988.
Rathbun, J. C. History of Thurston County, Washington. Olympia: Paladium Publishing, 1895.
[Full Text: 425 kb]Frederick, Timothy (compiler). Record group 515, City of Olympia, 1895-1965 Olympia: Washington State Archives, 1981.
Richards, Kent D. Isaac I. Stevens: Young Man in a Hurry. Brigham Young U. Press, 1979.
Riordan, Timothy Benedict. and Ricky A. Hoff. Cultural Resource Survey of Proposed Timber Sale Areas on the Fort Lewis Military Reservation, Washington Pullman : Washington Archaeological Research Center, Washington State University, 1978.
Ruby, Robert H. & John A. Brown, John Slocum and the Indian Shaker Church. University of Oklahoma Press, 1996.
Sapp, Bernice A. Memorials for Thurston County Pioneer and Historical Society, Olympia Washington Olympia: Thurston County Pioneer and Historical Society, 1952
A Short history of Budd Inlet. Olympia: Thurston County Historic Commission, 1992.
South Bay: Its History and Its People 1840 - 1940 Olympia: South Bay Historical Association, 1986.
Stevens, Hazard. Olympia. Boston: 1891(?)
Stevenson, Shanna. "Superior Shipping Service": A History Of The Port Of Olympia Olympia: Port of Olympia, 1982.
________. St. Peter Hospital: An Organizational Life Cycle Study Thesis (M.P.A.) The Evergreen State College, 1986.
________. St. Peter’s Hospital: A History. Olympia: St. Peter Hospital Centennial Committee, 1987.
________. Olympia, Tumwater, and Lacey: a Pictorial History Norfolk: Donning Co, 1996.
________. Olympiana: Historical Vignettes of Olympia's People and Places Olympia: Washington State Capitol Museum, 1982.
Swan, John M. Olympia, The Pioneer Town of Washington: Its Socialization, Origin and Early History from a Pioneer's Retrospection. [Walla Walla, 18--?]
Thomas, Paul F. George Bush. Masters Thesis, University of Washington,1965.
Thurston County Schools. Seattle: Northwestern Mutual Fire Association, 1937.
Thurston County Sesquicentennial. Olympia: The Daily Olympian, 2002. [online version at news.theolymopian.com]
Told By The Pioneers: Tales of Frontier Life as Told By Those Who Remember the Days of the Territory and Early Statehood of Washington. Olympia: Works Progress Administration, 1937, 1938. (3 vols.)
Trosper, Don. Fortress Tumwater. Tumwater: Tumwater Historical Association, 1992.
________. The Founding of Tumwater. Tumwater: Tumwater Historical Association, 1985.
Trosper, Don and Janet Haag. New Market. Tumwater: Tumwater Historical Association, 1987.
Wahl, Mary Agnes Survey of South Bay and Lacey Districts, May, 1940. [Seattle] 1940.
Washington (State). Division of Archives and Records Management . Record group 515, City of Olympia, 1895-1965 [State of Washington, Office of Secretary of State, Division of Archives and Records Management] Olympia: Washington State Archives, 1981.
Articles
Alexander, Gerry L. "Olympia's Legal Battles to Retain the Capital." Columbia 14:4 (2000-01), 3-5.
Asher, Brad. "A Shaman-Killing Case on Puget Sound, 1873-1874: American Law and Salish Culture." Pacific Northwest Quarterly 86:1 (1994-95), 17-24.
Ayer, John E. "George Bush, Voyageur" The Washington Historical Quarterly 7: 40-45.
Baker, Lee H. "Pioneer Settlers of Grand Mound Prairie, Thurston County, Washington." typescript, January 25, 1934
Barclift, WEs. "By Leaps and Bounds: Memories of Tumwater, 1970-1994" in Palmer, Gayle [ed.]. The River Remembers: A History of Tumwater 1845-1995 Tumwater: City of Tumwater, 1995, 103-124.
Barford, Ida. "List of Names of People Who Came to Tumwater in 1845 with Michael T. Simmons." typescript, ca1941.
Bates, Kate Stevens. "The Old Stevens Mansion." Pacific Northwest Quarterly 19 [1924] 108-111.
[Full Text Online]Behrbaum, Orville. "Tenino Expedition Visits Depths of Tono Coal Mine." The Historian Quarterly Newsletter Chehalis: Lewis County Historical Museum, Spring, 1983.
Boba, Eleanor A. "The Governor's Mansion" Portage 1988 9:3, 13-15.
Boule, Paige C. "Tumwater's Founding Mothers, Isabella Bush and Elizabeth Simmons" on Palmer, Gayle [ed.]. The River Remembers: A History of Tumwater 1845-1995 Tumwater: City of Tumwater, 1995, 51-60.
The Coast Olympia and Thurston County, Wash. 17:3 (March, 1909) [Reprinted by the Olympia Jaycees, March 1976]
Crooks, Drew W. "Governor Issac Stevens and the Medicine Creek Treaty: Prelude to War in Southern Puget Sound" Pacific Northwest Forum, 10:3-4: 22-36Hunter, L. L. Gate, Washington. The Coast: Olympia and Thurston County, Wash. 17:3 (March, 1909), 207. [Full Text Online] ________. "Shipwreck and Captivity" Columbia 8:2 (1994): 17-23.
________. "Lost Opportunities: The Hudson's Bay Company and Tumwater Falls, 1829 - 1845" in Palmer, Gayle [ed.]. The River Remembers: A History of Tumwater 1845-1995 Tumwater: City of Tumwater, 1995, 27-36.
Daughters of the American Revolution, Sacajawea Chapter. Location of Houses in Olympia, Washington Territory, in 1873. typescript, n.d.
Dewing, Rolland. "The Great Depression: A Personal Memoir of a Dust Bowl Migrant to the Pacific Northwest" Columbia 1996 10(1): 29-32.
Dwelley, Arthur. "The Cannonball: Rails to the Capital via Tenino" Columbia Magazine 1987
________. "Wooden Money: The Depression-Era Scrip from Tenino that Became Famous Around the World." Columbia 11:1 (Spring, 1997): 41-44.
"Edmund Sylvester's Narrative of the Founding of Olympia" Pacific Northwest Quarterly 36 (1945): 331-341.
Edwards, G. Thomas. "Terminus Disease: The Clark P. Crandall Description of Puget Sound in 1871." Pacific Northwest Quarterly 70:4 (1979), 163-177.
Evans, Elwood, (1828-1898.) Annual address before the Western Washington Industrial Association : at its fourth annual exhibition, held in Olympia, Washington Territory / by Elwood Evans, Friday, October 9th, 1874. Olympia, WA : R. H. Hewitt, Printer, Excelsior Job Office, 1875.
Franklin, Joseph. "George Washington and George Washington Bush" Pacific Northwest Forum, 6:4 (Fall 1976): 19-29
Funk, Goldie Robertson. "Captain Doane and His Oyster Pan Roast" Pacific Northwest Quarterly 43 [1948]: 154-157. [Full Text Online]
Gregg, Kate L. "Michael Troutman Simmons, Indian agent. An addresses given by Dr. Kate Gregg at the annual picnic of the Simmons clan, the Michael T. Simmons picnic grounds at Z.F. Simmons, Mud Bay, Olympia, August 14, 1949"
Gribskov, Margaret. "The Women Behind Washington's Libraries." Columbia 11:2 (1997): 37-42.
Hawley, Michael K. & Robert J. Sustek. "The Cultural Imprint of Architecture." M.P.A. Thesis, The Evergreen State College, 1993.
Howard, Helen Addison. "Isaac Ingalls Stevens: First Governor of Washington Territory." Journal of the West 2:3 (1963): 336-346.
How the West Was Once; A History of West Olympia, by Larry Smith's Eighth Grade English Classes, Jefferson Junior High School Olympia, 1974.
Jackson, Howard E. "Washington's Mysterious Mounds" National Parks & Conservation Magazine 47:4 (1973): 24-26.
James, Walter; Hom, Marlon K., ed.; Lai, Him Mark, Lai, Laura, and Choy, Philip P., interviewers. "Walter James: Reminiscences of My Younger Days" Chinese America: History and Perspectives 1995: 75-86.
Jessett, Thomas E. "The Episcopate of William Morris Barker, Second Missionary Bishop of Olympia." Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church 39:3 (1970): 251-263.
Johnston, Norman J. "A Capitol in Search of an Architect." Pacific Northwest Quarterly 1982 73(1): 2-9.
________. "The Washington State Capitol Campus and its Peripatetic Planning" Columbia 13:1[1999]: 16-23.
Kangas, Jill and Weaver, Lanny, "Tumwater School District, 1852 to 1994" in Palmer, Gayle [ed.]. The River Remembers: A History of Tumwater 1845-1995 Tumwater: City of Tumwater, 1995, 71-85.
Lindley, Lilian. "Boats, Bread and Meat : A Century Ago." Daily Olympian, 1950
Longmire, James "Narrative of James Longmire" Thurston County Independent [n.d.]
Maston, Ruth A. [ed.] "Investigations in the Tumwater Historic District: archaeological excavation of the Tumwater Site (45TN119), Thurston County, Washington" [principal investigators, Harvey S. Rice and Jerry R. Galm] Archaeological and Historical Services, 1987
McBride, Del. "A Native American Presence in the Tumwater Falls Area" in Palmer, Gayle [ed.]. The River Remembers: A History of Tumwater 1845-1995 Tumwater: City of Tumwater, 1995, 13-26.
Meany, Edmond S. "The First American Settlement on Puget Sound" Washington Historical Quarterly 7 [1913]: 136-143
Miller, William Winlock. "The Olympia Narrow Guage Railroad" Washington Historical Quarterly 16 [1921]: 243-250. [Full Text Online]
Millner, Darrell, “George Bush Of Tumwater: Founder of the First American Colony On Puget Sound.” Columbia 1994-95 8(4): 14-20.
________. "George Bush of Tumwater, Washington" in Palmer, Gayle [ed.]. The River Remembers: A History of Tumwater 1845-1995 Tumwater: City of Tumwater, 1995, 41-50.
Morgan, Murray. "George W. Bush and the Simmons Party" [External link: Tacoma Public Library]
Nielsen, Mark. "The Brown Farm on the Nisqually Delta, 1904-1919: A Photographic Essay." Pacific Northwest Quarterly 71:4 (1980), 162-171.
Palmer, Gayle. "Lowell of the Pacific, Tumwater and the Era of Water-Based Industry: A Photo Essay with a Social Theme" in Palmer, Gayle [ed.]. The River Remembers: A History of Tumwater 1845-1995 Tumwater: City of Tumwater, 1995, 61-70.
Pascualy, Maria. "Klee Wyk: Artists on the Nisqually Flats." Columbia 12:4 (1998-99), 12-15.
Rainey, Thomas. "A Short History of Industry and Manufacturing in Thurston County, Washington"
[Full Text Online]Sanchez, Jamie. "The Nisqually Indian Reservation." Indian Historian 5:1 (1972), 31-36.
Shawver, David E. "The Olympia Letters of D. Ellis Willes: Perceptions of the Pacific Slope, 1860-61." Columbia 13:2 (1999), 32-38.
Simmons, Katharine N. "The Cultural Beginnings of Olympia, Washington, 1850-1865." M.A. Thesis, Washington State College, 1948.
Stevenson, Shanna. "Daniel R. Bigelow" Columbia 7:4 (1993), 31-35.
________. "A Freeway Runs Through It: Tumwater, A City Shaped by Transportation" in Palmer, Gayle [ed.]. The River Remembers: A History of Tumwater 1845-1995 Tumwater: City of Tumwater, 1995 87-101.
Strong, Harry McElroy. "T. F. McElroy: Pioneer Publisher of Washington's First Newspaper" Columbia 14:2 (Summer 2000): 32-37. [Full text at Columbia]
Tanis, James R., (ed.). "The Journal of Levi Lathrop Smith, 1847-1848" Pacific Northwest Quarterly 43 (1952): 277-301
Weir, Allen. "Olympia, The Capital of the State of Washington" The Washington Historian 2:3 (April, 1901): 107-111. [Full Text Online]
Youmans, Vance H. "Christian Churches in the Early History of Olympia." Pacific Northwest Forum, 7:1: 121-123.
Ziontz, Lenore. "George and Isabella Bush: Washington's First Family." Pacific Northwest Forum 7:3-4 (Summer-Fall 1982): 39-56.
UW Libraries Special Collections: City Directories [external link]
Crooks, Drew W. The Farming Outstations of Fort Nisqually. Presented at Colloquium 2000, The Centre for Rupert's Land Studies, May 25, 2000.
Easton, Roger, ed. Map of Olympia, Washington ca1891. Olympia: Olympia Heritage Commission, 1991.
Echtle, Edward. Olympia’s Pioneer Chinese Community, presented at Rediscover History Conference, Seattle Washington, March 4, 2000
Farewell to the 4th: Link to the Past, Gateway to the Future [video recording] 2001. [More Information]
George Bush, Pioneer [Motion picture] Produced by King TV, 1969.
Landmarks of Learning: Thurston County Schools [video recording] written by Shanna Stevenson, produced by Jean Taylor
Life & Times in Thurston County [video recording] producer, Brian Redpath; writers, Brian Redpath, John Tennis; Olympia: Pacific Communications, Inc. 1990.
Pioneer Map of Thurston County Olympia: State Capitol Historical Association, 1974.
Place Names of Thurston County [video recording] Videoland Productions ; written by Heather Lockman, directed and edited by Burke Long. Olympia: Thurston County Historic Commission, 1995.
Tenino: Boom Town of the Old Northwest. [Motion picture] Jay Evans, 1974.
Tumwater: Our First 150 years, 1845-1995 [video recording] produced by Jim Wark, United Video Productions United Video Productions, 1995.
Send suggestions for additions to: ThurstonHistory@earthlink.net
Updated May 27, 2002