Pacific Northwest History
The City of Puyallup
In the Lushootseed language, the tribe of indians is spuyaləpabš. "The literal translation of this word means “people from the bend at the bottom of the river.” This refers to the many dispersed villages that spanned outward from the mouth of the Puyallup River, near the present day site of the Tacoma Dome. The name spuyaləpabš also became associated with our peoples’ welcoming and generous behavior. Over time the meaning of spuyaləpabš, or Puyallup, has taken on this association."
- From the Puyallup Tribe of Indians website, cited & linked below
Again we must start in life, and we moved to a new location, a homestead in the Puyallup valley. Here we lived and farmed for forty-one years, seeing the town of Puyallup grow up on and around the homestead.
-An excerpt from Ezra Meeker's 1927 book, Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail
(citation below)
Online Collections & Articles
The resources linked below are collections from various local institutions that house info on local history.
*Be sure to see the additional Native American-related articles in connection to the area in the "People Groups & Immigration" tab of this guide.
- Cities and Towns - Topic searchFrom HistoryLink.org - search a list of articles about various cities in Washington state and the pioneers and natives who lived there.
- The Daffodil Festival - A historyFind information about the 95+ year old festival on this website.
- Early Indian Wars in The Pacific Northwest (1855-1858)From "Political History of America's Wars" housed in the database called Gale Ebooks
- Ezra Meeker, the Quintessential PioneerFrom the UW Digital Collections "North of the Northwest"
- James P. Stewart (1833-1893)A 2010 document by Jerry Olsen with excerpts from a couple of well known books on Washington history about the early Puyallup pioneer, Stewart
- Legacy Washington: Puyallup AreaThis website has a lot of historic information about various cities in Washington state, including Puyallup.
- The MeekersAn article about the Meekers, an early Puyallup pioneering family - from the historic Meeker Mansion website
- Puyallup's History: The Land of the Generous PeopleThis short article from the city of Puyallup website outlines the history of the city and links to historical pictures, and other relevant resources.
- Puyallup's History: The Land of the Generous PeopleThis short article from the city of Puyallup website outlines the history of the city and links to historical pictures, and other relevant resources.
- Puyallup: The Hop Industry in the Puyallup ValleyFrom www.puyallup.com - this webpage has a brief history about the hops industry in the city of Puyallup
- Puyallup Historic Survey Report Puyallup, WashingtonThis document, created for historic preservation purposes within the city of Puyallup, provides much detail about the city's past.
- Puyallup HistoryFrom the Puyallup Main Street Association, read about the history of the area.
- Puyallup Land Claims Settlement (1990)From HistoryLink.org
- Puyallup Library: History of PuyallupSearch through historic images using the library catalog at the Puyallup library and learn more about the history of the city.
- Puyallup Tribe of IndiansFind information about the Puyallup tribe including a land acknowledgement and other resources.
- Puyallup — Thumbnail HistoryFrom HistoryLink.org
- Stevens-Palmer Treaties (1853–1856)From the Encyclopedia of United States Indian Policy and Law
- Tacoma Public Library: Northwest RoomCollection includes photographs, obituary information, historical building indexes, and northwest people databases.
- Historic Tour of PuyallupA virtual historic tour of the city with images, articles, and an interactive map
Asian American Race Relations in Puyallup
The land known as the Puyallup Fairgrounds, now known as the Western Washington Fairgrounds, was used as an internment camp for the Japanese during the second world war. Be sure to see the additional race-related articles in connection to the area in the "People Groups & Immigration" tab in this guide, and consider the featured resources below.
- Assembly CentersAn article from the Encyclopedia of Japanese American Internment
- Camp Harmony (Puyallup Assembly Center), 1942From HistoryLink.org - outlines the Japanese Internment Camp in Puyallup, Washington
- Camp Harmony ExhibitUse the tabbed menu to the left to scroll through sections of this online exhibit - including images, written materials, and more - from the Special Collections at UW
- Day of RemembranceAn article from the Encyclopedia of Japanese American Internment
- Hosokawa, William (1915–2007)Details the life of Wiliam Hosokawa, who was interned at the camps in Puyallup, Washington.
- Interrupted Lives: Japanese American Students at the University of Washington, 1941-1942From the Special Collections at UW
- Japanese American Exhibit & Access ProjectIncludes access to smaller collections such as the Camp Harmony Exhibit, Japanese Canadian Internment, Japanese American students at the University of Washington, and more.
- Japanese Americans in the Pacific NorthwestFrom UW Digital Collections - Search through primary sources such as letters, photos, manuscripts, and more - as well as primary information about Japanese Americans in the PNW
- Letters of a Couple Interned ApartFrom the "Encyclopedia of Japanese American Internment" this document outlines a couple who were interned in Puyallup, Washington.
Featured Multimedia
- "The SILENT FAIR" Preview, WA State Fairgrounds as Internment Camp A short video about a documentary called "The Silent Fair"
- We are Puyallup: A Brief History of the Puyallup TribeA short history of the tribe and area from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians
Notable People, Events, and Places in Puyallup History
Notable People
- The Puyallup Tribe of indians
- Ezra Meeker & family
- Dr. William Tolmie
- James P. Stewart
Notable Events
- Japanese Internment at Camp Harmony
- The Western Washington Fair ("Do the Puyallup!")
- Daffodil Festival, 1926 - present
- Meeker Days
Notable Places
- The Meeker Mansion
- Western Washington Fairgrounds, formerly the Puyallup Fairgrounds
Sources used on this page:
"Ezra Meeker Mansion, 1906" by Gale Brian Nickel is in the Public Domain
Meeker, E. (1927). Chapter twenty: Making a permanent home in the wilds. In H. R. Driggs (Ed.), Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail (p. 148). World Book Company. https://www.gutenberg.org/ files/29543/29543-h/29543-h.htm
spuyaləpabš: syəcəb ʔə tiił ʔiišədčəł [spuyaləpabš: syəcəb ʔə tiił ʔiišədčəł Puyallup Tribe: The Story of Our People]. (n.d.). Puyallup Tribe of Indians. http://puyallup-tribe.com/ourtribe/
Featured Books & eBooks
Click on the book, or title, below to learn more
The Ox Team : or, The Old Oregon Trail, 1852-1906
Full title: The Ox team : or, The Old Oregon Trail, 1852-1906 : an account of the author's trip across the plains from the Missouri River to Puget Sound at the age of twenty-two, with an ox and cow team in 1852, and of his return with an ox team at the age of seventy-six
Uncommon controversy : fishing rights of the Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Nisqually Indians.
A report prepared for the American Friends Service Committee.
Looking for articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals?
Remember to click on the Articles in the TCC Databases tab located in this guide to see a list of suggested databases. There you can find articles about the history of the Pacific Northwest. And be sure to check the other tabs in this guide, such as the People Groups & Immigration or Trade, Industry & Transportation for more Tacoma/Pierce County-related articles on a variety of topics.
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