January 29 – February 4, 2009 • Over 219.5 million files served since 1998

Pacific Grim

On February 4, 1851, the Oregon Territorial Legislature created Pacific County north of the Columbia River in what is now Southwestern Washington. Forty-six years earlier at this location, the Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the Pacific Ocean before setting up winter camp on the other side of the river.

The word "pacific" is defined as peaceful, or calm, but the mouth of the Columbia can be anything but. The first European residents there were shipwrecked sailors, thought to be Spanish, who washed up on the beach in 1725 when their vessel sank off shore. Fifty years later, Spanish explorer Bruno de Hezeta spotted the river's mouth but wasn't able to navigate upstream due to the ill health of his crew. In 1788, English fur trader John Meares tried to find Hezeta's river, but was met with disappointment. It wasn't until 1792 that Captain Robert Gray became the first non-Indian navigator to safely enter the river, where he traded with the Chinook people who lived along its banks.

As trade and travel increased, the mouth of the Columbia River became known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, sending many a mariner to a watery death. Steps were taken to reduce the number of wrecks, and in 1856, Cape Disappointment's first lighthouse illuminated the treacherous waters. It helped some sailors steer toward safety, but others still met with disaster. More help was needed to prevent the loss of life in future maritime emergencies.

When the USS Peacock wrecked at the river's entrance in 1841, the vessel's captain left behind the ship's launch to be used by local residents as a rescue boat in the event of other disasters. The fate of the Peacock's launch is unknown, but in 1877, the Fort Canby Life Saving Station opened and is now the oldest search-and-rescue station in the Pacific Northwest. In 1980, the National Motor Lifeboat School opened in Ilwaco to assist in life-saving efforts.

Even with all of these safety measures, the mouth of the Columbia is still fraught with danger. If you wish to travel from Pacific County into Oregon, may we suggest the Astoria-Megler Bridge? It's far less hazardous than "crossing the bar" by sea, but its 4.1-mile length provides some perspective of the perils faced by seafarers, then and now.

Just Jetsam, Flotsam Forever

Name Games: In 1860, King County welcomed the opening of the Squak Post Office, so named for the English pronunciation of Is-qu-ah, the Indian word for snake. In 1887, the town was platted as Englewood, but in 1892 it was incorporated as Gilman in honor of the man who brought the railroad into town. A few years later, the Gilman City Council petitioned the state legislature and on February 2, 1899, both town and post office were renamed Issaquah.

Book Nooks: Three Seattle Public Library branches celebrate anniversaries this week, beginning with its first one -- the Fremont Branch -- which opened on February 2, 1903. Next up is the Wallingford Branch, which started out in a house in 1948, then moved to a police and fire station in 1985, and finally, on January 29, 2000, to its current home. Exactly five years later, the Greenwood Branch moved into a new building, which replaced the old one.

Where's the Cereal?: On January 29, 1908, a representative from Carnation Milk visited Monroe, hoping to find a site for a new condensing plant. A few years later, the company based their main operations a few miles south in Tolt, which changed its name in honor of the milk producers. In other breakfast-related history, this week also marks the anniversary of the official naming of Egg and I Road on February 3, 1981, in Jefferson County.

Building Material: On January 29, 1912, Tacoma unveiled the Bogue plan for developing the city's waterfront. Prepared by engineer Virgil Bogue -- who was also known for naming the town of Pasco -- the plan failed to gain sufficient public support, as did Bogue's more grandiose plan for Seattle.

Wind and Snow: On January 29, 1958, a wind storm injured seven people in Seattle and knocked out power throughout Western Washington. But it was nothing compared to the Great Blowdown of 1921, when hurricane-force winds struck the Washington coast exactly 37 years, to the day, earlier. This week also marks the anniversary of a major snowfall that collapsed the dome of Seattle's St. James Cathedral on February 2, 1916,

3, 2, 1, Go!: Six years after Boeing launched its first missile, the Bomarc, the company rocketed to new heights on February 1, 1961, with the launch of the first of hundreds of Minuteman ICBMs it would build during the Cold War.

Roads and Rails: Interstate 5 was completed between Everett and Seattle on February 3, 1965, and between Everett and Tacoma on January 31, 1967. But on January 28, 1995, commuter rail service was demonstrated between Everett and Tacoma to help promote a new regional transit system. These days, the Sounder makes four round trips to Seattle from Everett Station, which opened on February 4, 2002.

Unhappy Trails: This week marks the sad anniversaries of two aviation tragedies that occurred outside Washington, but were felt throughout the state. On January 31, 2000, Seattle-bound Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles, killing all 88 passengers and crew. And on February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry, killing seven astronauts, including former Spokane resident and UW graduate Michael P. Anderson.

Quote of the Week

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea.

                  --Alfred Lord Tennyson, Crossing the Bar

Image of the Week

Seattle's Dog House restaurant stopped serving up dishes 15 years ago this week.