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Whilelookingforfursmanymountainmendiscoveredriversvalleysandmountaintrails.eyknewwhichriverswerenavigableandwhichridgeswerepassesthroughmountains.Whenbeaverbecamescarceinthe1840ssometrappersbecameguidesforsettlerswhocamewest.SettlerseOregonTrailAsmorepeoplemovedtotheNorthwesttheUnitedStatesandBritainagreedtodividethelandtheyhadpreviouslyshared.eBritishmovedtheirfurtradingoperationsnorthintoCanada.In1848theU.S.CongresscreatedtheOregonTerritory.Itincludedallofpresent-dayWashingtonOregonIdahoandpartsofMontanaandWyoming.Startingwiththerstwagonin1842thousandsofsettlersfollowedtheOregonTrailwest.ManywereluredbygoldtoCaliforniabutover50000headedtotheOregonTerritory.HeremostoftheearlypioneerssettledsouthoftheColumbiaRiverbutsomemovednorthandfoundtheirwaytothePugetSoundarea.WashingtonTerritoryStatehoodBy1853Washingtonhadenoughpeople3965toformitsownseparateterritoryfromtheOregonTerritory.enewgovernorIsaacStevenswantedNativeAmericanstogiveuptheirclaimtolandinWashingtonTerritorytomakeroomformoresettlers.HemadetreatieswiththeIndianspromisingthemcertainrightsiftheygaveuptheirland.ManyIndianleadersdidntwanttolosetheirlandorgiveuptheirtradi-tionalwayoflife.Whennewsofthesetreatiesspreadmoresettlerspouredinfromtheeast.ethickforestsandtalltreesbroughtlumber-jacks.SawmillssprunguparoundthePugetSound.Townsaroundthesawmillsgrewintocities.Itwasnotuntilthe1880sthatthepopulationofWash-ingtonreached125000anumberconsideredlargeenoughforstatehood.OnNovember111889Washingtonbecamethe42ndstateoftheUnitedStates.historicWASHINGTON1eOregonTrailMenwomenandchildrenwalkedandcoaxedtheirheavywagonsandtiredoxenover2000miles.ecovered-wagontripcouldlastfrom15-28weeksdependingonweatheroodingdiseaseandotherunpredictablefactorsandhardships.Familieswouldformlongwagontrainsonewagonafteranother.Closefriendshipsoftendevelopedalongthetrailandmanyyoungpeoplemettheirfuturewivesandhusbandsonthetrip.