of the Columbia, across its sloughs and marshes, up and along the Cowlitz, over fallen logs, through mud and almost impenetrable undergrowth, we pushed our way, driving our cattle before us and hiring Indians to carry our wagon and its load up the Cowlitz River in canoes. This was the ordinary way of reaching Puget Sound at that time. A few persons, indeed , came on sailing vessels from San Francisco, and the first settlers at Seattle from Portland, by sea . But the greater part of the early settlers here came from the Columbia River, by the Cowlitz trail.1
They who made this trail were members of a small party led by M. T. Simmons, who had crossed the plains in 1844, and spent the winter at Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River. In the autumn of that year Simmons had ascended the Cowlitz River as far east as the east fork . Next spring the party renewed the efforts and got through the wilderness of the Cowlitz forest, and on to Budd Inlet. Simmons made his selection at the head of the bay. Returning to Vancouver, he removed his family in October, 1845, accompa nied by James McAllister, David Kindred , Gabriel Jones , George W. Bush ' and their families, and two single men , Jesse Ferguson 8 and Samuel B. Crockett ' — these seven men being the first settlers on Puget Sound.10 You know the details. I must not trouble you with repetition . These persons all settled within a radius of five or six miles from the site of Olympia . Most of them I knew well Simmons in particular, who, by the time I came, had moved from
1 The route of the Cowlitz trail is now followed by an improved automobile highway, and can be traversed by automobile between Portland and Puget Sound in a day. It was originally an Indian trail. ? For note on Michael T. Simmons, see vol. 11, p. 232.
- For origin of this name, see vol. 1, p. 147 ; now Olympia Bay.
• For biography of James McAllister, see Compiler's Appendix, vol. 11, p . 250 . 6 David Kindred was a native of Kentucky. • Gabriel Jones went to Oregon from Missouri in 1844, with Michael T. Sim mons, and to Olympia in 1845. He settled on Bush Prairie, seven miles south of Olympia.
- For biography of George Bush, see Compiler's Appendix, vol. II, p. 250 .
& For biography of Jesse Ferguson, see Compiler's Appendix, vol. 11, p. 250. • For note on Samuel B. Crockett, see Compiler's Appendix, vol. II, p. 250 . 10 For list of the first settlers at Puget Sound, see Compiler's Appendix, vol.II, p.250. (31)
