PUGET SOUND AND WILLAMETTE VALLEY

PUGET SOUND AND WILLAMETTE VALLEY

The Puget Sound and Willamette Valley subregion extends from northern Washington south to the southern end of the mainstem of the Willamette river. At the northern end of the subregion , the urban areas of Bellingham, Seattle and Tacoma are located on the Straight of Georgia and the Puget Sound. These cities historically developed as access points to the Far North and Asia.

Ferry Crossing Puget Sound (photo by Ray Sinclair)

Today they continue to be major shipping and production sites serving international markets. Portland is another major shipping center and is located at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers. Grain produced in the Columbia Basin passes through Portland on rail and by barge. Between these urban areas are highly productive agricultural lands. Of special note is the Willamette Valley and along the Skagit and Chehalis rivers in Washington.

Light House in Discovery Park Along the Sound (photo by Ray Sinclair)

This subregion was one of the first areas of the Pacific Northwest to be settled by the Euro-Americans. Early reports indicating few Indians in the area were probably due to massive reductions in the Indian population as a result of diseases. Fur traders were followed by immigrants seeking land in the "Oregon Country." Waves of immigration during the mid-1800's included Americans from the eastern U.S. and a small percentage of foreign born immigrants.

Specific groups of laborers, especially Asian were brought to the subregion with limited freedoms. later immigration from the U.S. and other foreign countries created a more diverse population as the subregion became a major industrial production site during the world wars of the twentieth century. The state capitols of Washington at Olympia and Oregon at Salem are located in the subregion. The social, political, and economic power of the subregion out-weighs the strengths of the rest of the region.

Puget Sound (photo by Ray Sinclair)

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