for dividing the territory began in 1851, and the next year matters were brought to a head. In September, 1852, a newspaper called the Columbian ^ was begun at Olympia for the purpose of advocating the project, and one month later (October 27) a meeting was held which determined on choosing delegates to a convention. This was to decide whether or not to ask Congress to erect the district north and west of the Columbia into a territorial government. Although some of the people living along the river, to whom Oregon City was more convenient than Olympia, objected to the plan, the proposed meeting was held on the 25th of November, and a memorial asking for the change sent to General Lane, who then represented the territory in Congress. On the 15th of January, 1853, the Oregon legislature, sympathizing with the demand of the northern settlements, adopted a similar memorial; but before this reached him Lane had introduced a bill for creating the territory of Columbia. It passed on the loth of February, 1853, with the name Washington substituted for Columbia, a change with which the people of the new territory were very well satisfied. General Isaac I. Stevens, who had been commissioned to survey a northern route for a Pacific railroad, was appointed
1 Files of this paper, from September, 1852, to December, 1853, the entire period of its existence, as well as complete files of the Pioneer and Democrat, and the Puget Sound Herald, were consulted in the private library of Hon. C. B. Bagley of Seattle. The writer also obtained from Mr. Bagley the loan of his files of the Washington Statesman, Walla Walla, which proved invaluable for the study of the early history of the "Inland Empire."
