The Puget Sound Treaty War, The Indian War of 1855-1856, (Washington's Tragic and Forgotten History)

In this episode of Searching for History, Erin and I travel throughout the Puget Sound area searching for sites that tell the story of the Puget Sound War of 1855-1856. This was an armed conflict that took place in the Puget Sound area between the United States military, local territorial militias and members of the Nisqually, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Klickitat tribes. Limited in in terms of magnitude, territorial impact and losses of lives, the war is remembered in connection with the 1856 Battle of Seattle and the execution of Nisqually Chief Leschi. In this video, we visit Fort Steilacoom, the She-Nah-Nam Medicine Creek Treaty marker, Fort Eaton, the James McAllister Grave in Tumwater, the Borst blockhouse, the site of the White River Massacre, the Ezra Meeker Grave in Puyallup, Fox Island, Seattle’s Pioneer Square, the Connell’s Prairie Battle site, and the Mashel Massacre site. Also, we take a look at the Medicine Creek Treaty at the Washington State History Museum and visit several others places related to the war. Join us as we explore the history of the Puget Sound Treaty War of 1855-1856.

Music Attributions
Song 1: To the Top by Silent Partner (YouTube Audio Library License, no attribution is required)
Song 2: Snowy Peaks pt I by Chris Haugen (YouTube Audio Library License, no attribution is required)

Sound Effects Attributions
Sound effect 1: Wild Battle Crowd Approach, YouTube Audio Library
Sound Effect 2: Gunfire Long Distance, YouTube Audio Library
Sound Effect 3: Howitzer Cannon Fire, YouTube Audio Library

Image Attributions
Image 1: “Battle of Seattle," date: before 1918, artist: Emily Inez Denny. Public domain image. Located: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22Battle_of_Seatt…
Image 2: “Chief Leschi,” date: circa 1852 to 1857, unknown artist. Washington State Archives. Public domain image. Located: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chief_Leschi.jpg
Image 3: “Isaac Stevens – Brady Handy,” date: between 1855 and 1862, photographer: Mathew Benjamin Brady. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Brady-Handy Photograph Collection. Public domain image. Located: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isaac_Stevens_-_Br…
Image 4: “Nisqually-Chief-Leschi-Portrait-by-Raphael-Coombs-1894,” date: 1894, artist: Raphael Coombs. Washington State Historical Society. Public Domain Image. Located: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nisqually-Chief-Le…
Image 5: “20130214073638!Governor.Gen.Stevens cropped,” date: before September 1, 1862, photographer: Timothy H. O’Sullivan. Public domain image. Located: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20130214073638!Governor…
Image 6: “Charles H ‘Packwood Charlie’ Eaton,” date: before December 19, 1876, photographer not listed. Public domain image. Located: www.findagrave.com/memorial/161617903/charles_h-ea…
Image 7: “Territories of Washington and Oregon,” date: 1857, author/publisher: New York, J. H. Colton & Co. Washington State Library, Washington State Archives. Public domain image. Located: www2.sos.wa.gov/legacy/maps/maps_detail.aspx?m=1
Image 8: “Stevens Mansion in late 1800s or early 1900s,” date: circa 1900, photographer not listed. Washington State Library Photograph collection. Public domain image. Located: olympiahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/stev…
Image 9: “Washington Territory West of the Cascade Mountains, 1857,” prepared by the James Tilton, date: 1857, author/publisher: Philadelphia, Wagner & McGuigan. Washington State Archives, AR270B-A48. Public domain image. Located: www2.sos.wa.gov/legacy/maps/maps_detail.aspx?m=13
Image 10: “Ezra Meeker, age 23,” date: 1854, photographer unknown. “Seventy Years of Progress in Washington (1922) by Ezra Meeker, page 19.” Public domain image. Located: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ezra_Meeker,_age_2…
Image 11: “Ezra Meeker 1921,” date: January 17, 1921, photographer: unattributed. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs division, digital ID cph.3b22701. Public domain image. Located: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ezra_Meeker_1921.j…
Image 12: “USS Decatur (1839),” date: December 1854, artist: “signed by J. Y. T. (probably John Y. Taylor, Assistant Surgeon.” Public domain Image. Located: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Decatur_(1839)…
Image 13: “Fort Decatur, Washington, January 26, 1856,” date: circa 1890, artist: Emily Inez Denny. Washington State Localities Photographs. Public domain image. Located: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Decatur,_Wash…
Image 14: “Pierce County Courthouse, Steilacoom, 1858-1880,” date: 1880-1890, photographer: unknown. Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, item number: AR-07809001-ph001454. Public domain image. Located: www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/80A3E71978D…

@erinlikesacornishpasty4703 hace 1 mes

Thanks Earth and Time and Explore Tayo for suggesting we go further in depth on this topic! It was a really enlightening experience.

@davidhaugen9966 ayer

Thanks for the physical documentation of the sites of history and your compassionate presentation.

@ExploreTayo hace 1 mes

Great video, thanks for making it! What a fascinating story, seeing how you trace it through the area was wonderful.

@earthandtime5817 hace 1 mes

What a great video. I hope those teaching Washington, Western US and US History use this. It is brilliantly done and so much good information is put into it. I learned so much and you took us right along with you in the story and history. Way to go. And thank you for the shout out and making this!!!!! Now I need to think of another recommendation….. 😉

@h8thaway hace 1 mes

My great-great grandfather (Eldridge Morse) wrote extensively about the 1855-56 Indian War in the 1870s or 1880s. He lived in Snohomish City.

@tyronchristopherson8225 hace 1 mes

So very informative and interesting. Thank you for taking the time to educate your viewers. I feel a little more smarter as a result of this video.

@god_bless_u2 hace 6 días

In Eatonville near the little Michelle falls there was a massacre involving the upper nisqually tribe

@Martin-zv1ue hace 1 mes

There is still a blockhouse at the corner of 288 st and lions road east of Roy. Sits about 300 yds SE of intersection. I believe Stevens was killed at 2nd battle of bull run

@JamesSmith-mz9ec hace 1 mes

Auburn was originally known as the town of Slaughter because of massacre and the massacre on the green of an Army patrol