Tenino in Thurston County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)

Oregon Trail 1844

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, July 17, 2017

1. Oregon Trail 1844 Marker

Inscription.
Oregon Trail 1844

Marked by the Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution in the State of Washington 1916

Erected 1916 by Daughter and Sons of the American Revolution.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Oregon Trail, and the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1844.

Location. 46° 51.774′ N, 122° 50.798′ W. Marker is in Tenino, Washington, in Thurston County. It is on Old Highway 99 SE, on the left when traveling south. The marker is on Old Highway 99 SE 1/2 mile north of Tenino, Thurston County, WA. It is across the road from the Tenino School District Office and Elementary School, near the “Welcome to Tenino” sign. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Tenino WA 98589, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Puget Sound Region

and in Greater Seattle.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Inside Passage,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Old Oregon Trail (approx. 0.3 miles away); Tenino City Hall History (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lest We Forget (approx. 0.6 miles away); A History of Remembrance (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Tenino Stone Company Quarry House

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(approx. 0.6 miles away); From Quarry to Public Pool (approx. 0.7 miles away); Great Northern Railway: Caboose Restoration (approx. 0.7 miles away); McIntosh, Washington (approx. 3.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tenino.

More about this marker. The original dedication of this marker, September 6, 1916, was hosted by
the Mary Ball Chapter DAR. It was attended by many dignitaries of the time, including Governor Ernest Lister.

In 2016, during the 100th birthday of the DAR/SAR Oregon Trail marker series, a work party visited each of the eleven sites and restored the markers. Tenino Public Works Director Troy Cannon provided the team with access to electricity and water.

Regarding Oregon Trail 1844. In 1916 and 1917 the State of Washington State Societies of the Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution placed a series of 11 markers honoring the Oregon Trail pioneers and documenting their journey, from their entry into present-day Washington State at the Columbia River by Vancouver up to Tumwater in Puget Sound. It was a big historic preservation project, the biggest that the groups had undertaken to date,

Centennial collage image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, 1916/2016

2. Centennial collage

1916 dedication of the marker and 2016 team after restoration of the marker.

finalized with much fanfare. It was a time in which the Oregon Trail pioneers were getting old and passing away. There was a sense of urgency to document their great adventure and honor them before it was too late. Kind of like we feel now with the WWII veterans… Oregon Trail Pioneer Ezra Meeker retraced the trail by covered wagon, for public education and with much publicity, from 1906–1908, seeking to inspire the preservation of the trail and to inspire the building of monuments in communities along the way. His trek reached New York, and in Washington, D.C. he was greeted by President Teddy Roosevelt. He later retraced the trail several times more, by various conveyances - from oxcart to airplane! He worked, for the rest of his life promoting the Oregon Trail and, in 1913, teamed up with the Sacajawea DAR Chapter in Olympia to mark what they determined as the end of the Oregon Trail. The Sacajawea DAR Chapter donated a native granite boulder installed with a bronze plaque. The goal of Ezra and the DAR was to: 1) honor the Oregon Trail pioneers who reached Puget Sound; 2) document and preserve the Oregon Trail; 3) promote the formation of a national highway across the country; and
4) attempt to influence the legislature to rename the road that originally took travelers from the Columbia River to Puget Sound from
‘Pacific Highway’ to ‘Pioneer Way.’ The marker series was

Road view of the DAR/SAR Oregon Trail 1844 Marker in Tenino, Washington. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling, July 9, 2017

3. Road view of the DAR/SAR Oregon Trail 1844 Marker in Tenino, Washington.

first conceived at that time and, over several years, pursued by the WA State Society of the Daughters (WSSDAR) together with the WA State Society of the Sons
of the American Revolution (WASSAR).

Photographed by Shirley A Stirling

4. Oregon Trail 1844 Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2023, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. This page has been viewed 467 times since then and 71 times this year. Last updated on December 5, 2023, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. Photos: 1. submitted on December 5, 2023, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. 2. submitted on December 4, 2023, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. 3. submitted on December 5, 2023, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. 4. submitted on December 4, 2023, by Shirley A Stirling of Lacey, Washington. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.