Appendix H - Historical Archaeological and ... - CBP.gov

Social and Cultural
Single men predominated in early migrations, and in some areas Masonic Lodges and other
fraternal organizations, in addition to saloons, were among the first social establishments. As
women and children followed, a primary emphasis was placed on schools. Parochial and private
education remained common in growing communities. Territorial legislation in Idaho initiated
tax-supported public education (Schwantes, 1989:222-223).
Many of the social institutions that developed also reflected the Northwest’s multi-ethnic
population base. The wide range of environments within the Northwest contributed to cultural
diversity among the region’s Native populations, and that diversity continued as newcomers
from throughout the world made their way to Idaho. The railroads, in particular, fostered this
diversity by hiring huge crews of Chinese, and later Japanese, construction workers and then by
promotional efforts in many European countries to encourage immigration on their lines.
Hispanic immigration also occurred throughout these periods although most notable are large
groups who were drawn to the field of eastern Washington by labor shortages during World War
II (Schwantes et al., 1988:70).
By 1900, 15 percent of Idaho’s population was foreign born, and those numbers continued to
grow over the next few decades. Ethnic groups brought with them social and cultural institutions
that were often re-established in their new communities. As was the pattern throughout the
West, immigrants frequently settled together around their places of work. Whether they included
Italian railroad workers in Priest River, Idaho, German-Russian farmers in Ritzville,
Washington, or Chinese business owners in Seattle, these ethnic communities developed their
own social fabric that was a unique mix of age-old traditions and new practices. Like the rest of
the country, racism and nativism were present in the Northwest, resulting in events like the
expulsion of Chinese workers from coastal cities in the 1880s, segregated housing for Blacks in
many cities, and the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II, but generally the
region has recognized and tried to preserve the unique values of diversity (Schwantes,
1989:186).
1.2.4.3 State of Washington
Exploration and Frontier
The earliest known explorers to interact with the Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest arrived
by sea. Spanish seamen sailed up the Northwest coast as early as 1774, although it was not until
1790 that one of their expeditions first entered Puget Sound. The British joined northwest
maritime exploration in 1792 when Captain George Vancouver led an expedition that further
surveyed what became coastal Washington, mapping and naming a number of its land and water
features.
Sea traders soon followed these explorers. Initially, the valuable pelts of the sea otter were the
most sought-after commodity provided by native hunters. In the early nineteenth century, the
high prices paid for beaver and other fur-bearing animals drew representatives of large trading
companies in Britain, Canada, and the United States overland. They primarily traveled on rivers
and streams and followed Indian trails or blazed their own way through mountains or other
terrain where there was no navigable water (Scott and DeLorme, 1988:15; Whitebrook, 1959:65-
67; 76-78).
Northern Border Activities H-117 July 2012