The Rise And Decline Of The Olympia Oyster 



tion as to its history up to that time. I met the people who 

 were pioneering the industry and became attorney for 

 the Indians who were engaged in litigation to defend 

 their fishing rights. Through these connections the op- 

 portunity to acquire about seven acres of undeveloped 

 oyster land was taken advantage of and in later years 

 added to. At that time the first developments herein set 

 out had already taken place in the cultivation, harvest- 

 ing, and marketing of Olympia Oysters. The first night 

 visit I made to Oyster Bay many lights were visible in 

 the southern, or upper flats, of Oyster Bay. Men were out 

 gathering oysters on the low night tide. I learned that 

 when the winter harvesting time was on the lights from 

 the oyster harvesters so resembled a town that it was 

 called Oysterville. 



One of the questions that came to me was "Why was 

 the oyster called the Olympia Oyster." All references I 

 could find in Government reports referred to them as 

 Native Western oysters. From one who had participated 

 in it, I was told the following story: 



After Washington was given it's statehood in 1889, 

 the question arose as to where the Capital should be lo- 

 cated; Olympia had been the Territorial Capital. How- 

 ever, other cities both east and west of the mountains, 

 became contestants to be made the Capital of this new 

 and rapidly growing state. The people of Olympia were 

 thus brought together and worked as a unit to save 

 Olympia as the Capital City. It was put to a vote of the 

 people and the contest became very spirited. The people 

 of Olympia got their heads together and planned a cam- 

 paign; they arranged for public meetings in many of the 



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