Washington State Facts – Part III

1. Crops – As well as apples, Washington produces the most cherries and pears in the entire United States.
2. Dairy products (particularly milk) comprise Washington’s most valuable group of livestock products, followed by beef cattle and calves.
3. Transportation equipment is Washington’s most valuable manufactured product. Washington is a leading producer in the aircraft and space industry.
4. Washington is one of the leading shipbuilding states in the country.
5. Washington’s most important mined products are coal, cement, and crushed stone.
6. Famous events – The first recorded European landing on the Washington coast was by Spaniard Juan Perez in 1774.
7. Famous events – The British explorer Captain James Cook sighted Cape Flattery, at the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca in 1778.
8. Famous events – The Spanish-British Nootka Conventions of the 1790s ended Spanish exclusivity and opened the Northwest Coast to explorers and traders from other nations, most notably Britain, Russia, and the United States.
9. Famous events – The Lewis and Clark expedition, under direction from President Thomas Jefferson, entered the state from the east on October 10, 1805.
10. Famous events – On June 15, 1846, after the Oregon boundary dispute, Britain ceded its claims to the lands south of the 49^th parallel while the U.S. ceded its claims to the north of the same line, the present-day Canadian border.
11. Famous events – In 1848, the Oregon Territory, composed of present-day Washington, Oregon, and Idaho (as well as parts of Montana and Wyoming) was established. Washington Territory was formed from the Oregon Territory in 1853.
12. Famous events – On May 18, 1980, following a period of heavy tremors and eruptions, the northeast face of Mount St. Helens exploded outward, destroying a large part of the top of the volcano. This eruption flattened the forests, killed 57 people, and blanketed large parts of Washington and other surrounding states in ash.
13. Tourist attractions – Lewis and Clark State Park – 621 acres in one of the last major stands of old-growth forest in Washington. Available activities include hiking, horse trails, and wildlife viewing.
14. Tourist attractions – Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument – Visitors can learn about the volcano and its eruptions, as well as climb to the summit.
15. Tourist attractions – Yakima Canyon Byway – Drive between Ellensburg and Yakima through centuries-old basalt cliffs.
16. Tourist attractions – Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge – Created in 1974, the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is home to Washington’s largest relatively undisturbed estuary, the Nisqually River Delta. More than 300 different species of fish and wildlife live here.
17. Tourist attractions – Mount Rainier National Park – Established in 1899, the Mount Rainier National Park was the fifth national park established in America. The park has beautiful wildflowers in the summer and hosts record snowfalls in winter.
18. Tourist attractions – Lake Chelan- The largest natural lake in Washington state, Lake Chelan is also the third deepest lake in the country.
19. Tourist attractions – San Juan Islands – Forested islands to the north of Puget Sound, visitors can go sea kayaking and orca whale-watching.
20. Famous citizens – Robert William “Bob” Barker – Former American television game show host, best known for hosting The Price is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history.
21. Famous citizens – Chester F. Carlson – American physicist, inventor, and patent attorney best known for having invented the process of electrophotography.
22. Famous citizens – Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby – American singer and actor, with over half a billion records in circulation. Known as one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20^th century.
23. Famous citizens – William Henry “Bill” Gates III – American business magnate, computer programmer and philanthropist, best known as the former chief executive and current chairman of Microsoft, the world’s largest personal-computer software company.
24. Famous citizens – James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix – American musician and singer-songwriter, widely considered to be the greatest electric guitarist in music history and one of the most influential musicians of his era.
25. Famous citizens – Henry King “Hank” Ketcham – American cartoonist who created the famous Dennis the Menace comic strip.