Current day Washington was originally part of the Oregon Territory; in 1853 President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln signed a law creating the Idaho Territory from Washington. In 1889 Washington became the 42nd state of the Union.
A new State Capitol Commission met in 1911 to build a group of buildings, rather than a single facility, to serve as the capitol. Construction began in 1912, and the Temple of Justice was completed in 1920, followed by the Insurance Building and the power and heating plant. After multiple revisions to the plans, the Legislative Building was completed in 1928. Earthquakes in 1949, 1965 and 2001 have resulted in numerous repair and structural improvements.
A scan of historical facts for the State of Washington revealed this one: In 1872 an earthquake stopped the Columbia River.
Just inside the capitol is a statue of Marcus Whitman. Whitman, among the first American settlers in the west, was an American physician and missionary in the Oregon Country. Initially his mission was for the Cayuse Native Americans but it failed and the mission was closed. His methods harmed relations between the Whites and the Cayuse for decades.
He left for the East and then returned West. The second trip was with pioneers along the Oregon Trail, establishing it as a viable route for west-bound emigrants. The mission was now mainly for American settlers.
A view of the Capitol Dome from the rotunda.
The capitol dome, weighing 26,000 metric tons, was not held in place by any bolts or fasteners, but by gravity alone. During an earthquake, the dome could shift, along with the sandstone columns supporting it. Renovations completed in 2004 permanently fixed the dome to the rest of the building.
The House of Representatives has 98 members. There are 49 state legislative districts in Washington, with two members of the House elected from each district. The entire membership of the House is elected every two years to a two-year term.
"The legislative authority of the state of Washington shall be vested in the legislature…but the people reserve to themselves the power to propose bills, laws, and to enact or reject the same at the polls, independent of the legislature, and also reserve power, at their own option, to approve or reject at the polls any act, item, section, or part of any bill, act, or law passed by the legislature." - Article II, Section 1 of the Washington State Constitution.
The Senate has 49 members. There are 49 state legislative districts in Washington, with a single member of the Senate elected from each district. State Senators serve four-year terms; one-half of the State Senate is elected each two years.
This bronze sculpture was created by Avard Fairbanks in 1984.
Washington is the only state named for a former president. Supposedly it is popular to rub his nose for luck. (At the time of my visit I did not know of this ritual for luck. Must be why I did not win the 93 million dollar Powerball lottery on Jan. 12, 2008.)
My visit to the Washington Capitol was on Dec. 5, 2007. The tour guide offered to show me the Governor's Reception Room, but an important meeting on flooding in Southwest Washington, halted his actions. The flood closed Interstate 5 and caused traffic to take detour of a few hundred miles. I know I took it.
The Temple of Justice was completed in 1920, the first building completed of the Capitol Complex.
The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. Members of the Court are elected to six-year terms. Justices must retire at the age of 75.
The painted story pole was begun by Chief Shelton of the Snohomish Tribe and finished by other tribal carvers after his death. It was dedicated in 1940. This is not, strictly speaking, a totem pole:
A totem pole symbolizes a family’s history through the depiction of certain animals and their cultural legends. A story pole, on the other hand, puts its emphasis on teaching children community responsibility and cultural attitudes through the depictions of these same animal characters. Story poles are most often carved from the interior pillars of ceremonial longhouses. Therefore, this free-standing pole provides a rare look at carvings typically seen only within sacred structures of the Snohomish and other Salish tribes.
The pole is 85 feet long but 71 feet tall when sunk into the ground.
A simple search for Chief William Shelton on the internet revealed no additional information.
The bronze sculpture features a 12-foot tall figure of Winged Victory surrounded by the figures of a soldier, a sailor, a marine, and a Red Cross nurse.
In 1938, the monument was dedicated to the memory of World War I veterans.
The memorial was authorized in 1995 and dedicated on May 28, 1999.
The design features a star-like cluster of five, 14-foot high bronze blades engraved with the names of nearly 6,000 Washington residents who lost their lives in WWII. The engraved names form silhouette images of military personnel and civilians. These blades are placed upon a granite world map.
The memorial also includes a cast-bronze wheat field with 4,000 individual stalks, symbolizing the service men and women who died in the war. Large rocks engraved with the significant battle names and events of the war surround the wheat field. The memorial also pays tribute to those who contributed during the war on the civilian home front, such as doctors, nurses, factory workers and others.
This monument was dedicated on Nov. 7, 1976, to honor those Washington citizens who have received the nation's highest military decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor. The 11˝-foot tall granite obelisk is affixed with the Seal of the State of Washington and is inscribed with the names of those Washington citizens who were bestowed this supreme honor. The monument is a full scale replica of the national Medal of Honor monument that is in the Medal of Honor Grove in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
