The advent of European explorers and Missionaries on the Pacific Coast initiated the transformation of Washington which was inhabited by 125 Native American tribes engaging in fishing and whaling and some agriculture. They grew rich and powerful owing to their control of the Washington Falls and the Fishing industry it spawned.

Oregon and Washington were commonly scoured by the initial explorers for the Northwest Passage. The Spaniards (1774) were followed by the British (1778) who initiated maritime fur trading with the Chinese. British fur companies entered the picture engaging the Russians for control in Alaska. By 1788 the Juan de Fuca Strait was found and in 1792 Vancouver mapped Washington. 1805 witnessed the Lewis and Clark expedition, formation of the Astoria, strengthening the American claim to Columbia. But the 1807 Canadian expedition sided with the British. Once Astoria was purchased by the North West Company in 1812, the British achieved supremacy though, the Treaty of 1818 bound both United States and Great Britain in the Columbia River country.

Fort Vancouver protected and provided medical and spiritual aid for the American traders and missionaries north of Columbia. Continuing strife between the British and Americans here led to the boundary between them being confirmed at latitude. 49°N in 1846. Conflicts with the British and Native Americans continued in spite of the Peace agreements and in 1853, the territories of Oregon and Washington were created. By 1863 Idaho came into its own as a separate territory.

The California Gold Rush brought gold seekers and settlers seeking food and lumber northward to Puget Sound country and as the economy boomed townships like Seattle emerged. Simultaneously the Native Americans persuaded to sell their lands and settle on reservations saw hostilities with the Cayuse, the Yakima, and the Nez Percé tribes resisting thee attempts.

In 1852 gold seekers rejoiced striking gold at Fort Colville. By 1860 deposits were sighted at the Orofino Creek and Clearwater River. With transcontinental railroads coming into their own by the 1880s Washington saw the first rush of settlers. Foreigners from Germany, Russia, China and Africa, settlers from the East and Midwest made this home and eventually animal husbandry and agriculture flourished as did the lumber industry. Dissatisfaction in some quarters gave rise to the Granger movement and the Populist Party but sighting gold in Alaska in 1897 enhanced economic prosperity. Seattle boomed and gradually the need for legal regulations led to enactments of labor laws and election reform.

By the 20th century, labor uprisings among the shipyard, dock workers and loggers started crippling the economy. Strife filled conditions continued till the Depression and the New Deal. With defense becoming crucial in WWII, Washington took a new place as the center of the aircraft industry.

Post war witnessed enormous expenditure on nuclear reservations, naval shipyards, and bomber production. Trade with Asia peaked and technology based companies moved to the Silicon Valley. Economic activity has today seen diversification, industry and residential booms have thrown up many issues particularly those related to the environment.

Rep. Maureen Walsh, R-Walla Walla, has been named one of the Legislature's "Champions for Children" by the Seattle-based Children's Alliance.

Walsh was cited for her efforts to secure passage of a bill this session establishing an early learning advisory council and creating a child care quality rating and improvement system.

"What we are trying to do is to provide parents with clear and easy-to-find information about the quality of child care and early education programs available to them," Walsh said.  "We want to improve the quality of early learning programs in our state and help our kids to get better prepared for school."

The advisory council will work with the state's Department of Early Learning, created by the Legislature in 2006.  The council will have 25 members including legislators, state agency officials, parents and experts in areas such as children with disabilities, day care providers and K-12 education.

The Children's Alliance cited 17 legislators for their work this year on children's issues.  The Alliance is a statewide public policy advocacy organization that works to ensure that children have the things they need to thrive.  In addition to early learning, the Alliance is actively engaged in health care, nutrition and foster care issues.

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