Page 3 - Early Winter 2022 SWHS Newsletter.indd

Olympia. He had been elected assessor
of Thurston County in a special June 1
election. It was a position Bailey didn't
hold long, for changes were happening
quickly in anticipation that WA Territo-
ry would be created.

Setting Down Roots
When Bailey staked his claim, the whole
part of the south end of Whidbey from
Maxwelton to Possession Point was
known as Skagit Head, (spelled vari-
ously as Scadgett and Scatchett), even
though it was a band of the Snohomish
The Historical Society was recently gifted with two lithographs, including this view of Tribe that lived there. The Lower Skagit
Puget Sound and Mount Rainier from Whitby’s Island (sic), 1853, by John Mix Stanley Tribe on Whidbey was located north of

“About four weeks ago, a party of the side of the mountain was literally Greenbank.
young men consisting of Messrs. R. covered with every description of ber- Though primarily a farmer, Bailey
S. Bailey. S. S. Ford, Jr. and John Ed- ries of the most delicious flavor. also established a trading post near what
gar undertook an expedition to Mount The party had a perfect view of the is now Possession Shores at the Sno-
Rainier for the purpose of ascending Sound and surrounding country rec- homish Tribal village of D’GWAD’wk,
that mountain as far as circumstanc- ognizing the numerous prairies with on the sand spit where present-day San-
es might warrant. Rainier, as all are which they were familiar to which were dy Hook Yacht Club Estates is located.
aware is situated in the main Cascade added in their observations, several The village was one of three per-
range, distant from its base to Olympia stranger prairies, of which they had no manent Snohomish villages on south
about fifty-five miles. knowledge and which, probably, have Whidbey, and the largest.
On arriving at the foot of the moun- never been explored. The evenings and Some historical accounts state that it
tain the party secured their animals mornings were extremely cold with a had four or five longhouses (accommo-
and pursued their way upward by the wind strong and piercing, the noonday dating several families in each), plus
back bone ridge to the main body of sun oppressively warm. a potlatch house, while other sources
the mountain and to the height, as They describe their view of the sur- cite six to eight longhouses, a potlatch
near as they could judge of nine or ten rounding country and scenery as most house, two Indian burial grounds, and a
miles, the last half mile over snow of enchanting, and consider themselves wooden palisade to provide protection
the depth probably of fifty feet, but richly rewarded for their toil in procur- against marauding northern tribes in
perfectly crusted and solid. ing it. This is the first party of whites search of slaves.
The party were two days in reaching we believe that has ever attempted to
their highest altitude and they describe ascend Rainier. The Context of Island Settlement
the mountain as extremely rugged and Not being provided with instru- The central and northern part of
difficult of ascent; on the slopes and ta- ments for taking minute observations Whidbey Island had already begun to
ble land they found a luxuriant growth and there being a constant fog and be settled by the time Bailey arrived on
of grass far exceeding in freshness and mist along the range of mountains, the South Whidbey.
vigor any afforded by the prairies be- party were unable to make any very Thomas Glasgow built a cabin and
low. On some of these table lands they satisfactory discoveries in relation to planted potatoes in spring 1848 on the
found beautiful lakes from a half to a a practicable route across them, yet west side of central Whidbey, but fled
mile in circumference formed from Mr. Ford informs us that he noticed in August for fear of an uprising that
mountain streams and the melting of several passes at intervals through the was being urged by his father-in-law,
the snow. mountains, which, as far as he could Chief Patkanim.
The party remained at their last camp, see, give satisfactory evidence that a Colonel Isaac Ebey came in 1850 to
upward two days and nights where they good route could be surveyed and a the prairie which would bear his name.
fared sumptuously on the game afford- road cut through wilderness... Seven years later he was killed there by
ed by the mountain, which they found Whether they actually summited members of the Kake Tribe in reprisal
very numerous in the shape of brown Mt. Rainier or not, it was still a note- for 28 deaths the previous year at Port
bear, mountain goat, deer, etc. with an worthy attempt. Gamble.
endless variety of the feathered genus; After the trek, Bailey returned to (Continued next page)
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