1889: Blazes, Rails, and the Year of Statehood

A year of big dreams, big burns, and big politics, 1889 captured a place in our history as a time of great prosperity and adversity. The face of Washington changed. Pioneers arrived, and townsfolk rebuilt from the rubble. Finally, on November 11, 1889, Washington rose as the 42nd state in the union. This exhibit from Legacy Washington introduces you to the people and events shaping the territory in the days leading up to statehood.

About the image: The traveling Great Eastern Photographic & Advertising Co. captured this view of Pacific House, at the NW corner of F and 13th (W. Holly) streets, in 1888, just prior to Statehood. Whatcom was still in “Wash[ington] Terr[itory].”  Whatcom Museum #1996.10.13550.