America's first official Fourth of July celebration on the Pacific Coast was here — and it was hot!

Ira Wesley Kitmacher

When most people think of early Fourth of July celebrations, they generally picture the East Coast — Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, and other places. They probably don’t picture our region, the South Puget Sound.

The year was 1841, 65 years after the Revolution, 35 years after Lewis and Clark explored the region, and 20 years before the Civil War. It was unusually hot and packed with sailors, fur trappers, and missionaries.

Just northeast of Olympia was where this celebration took place! It was a chaotic, bizarre day that almost ended in disaster.

The man behind the celebration was U.S. Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes. He was leading an important maritime, scientific, and mapping mission called the “Exploring Expedition.” By the summer of 1841, his flagship, the USS Vincennes (a 780-ton, 3-masted, Boston-class sloop-of-war), was anchored in the Nisqually Reach (15 miles northeast of downtown Olympia).

Because his men had been working under brutal conditions for months (they had been at sea for nearly three years and were exhausted), Wilkes decided they deserved a break. He planned a massive Independence Day party to show off American patriotism on the continent’s westernmost edge. 

He picked a spot near Sequalitchew Springs, which was right next to Fort Nisqually (in modern-day DuPont, Washington), a British Hudson’s Bay Company trading post. In fact, this region didn't become part of the United States until 1846, when America and Great Britain signed the Oregon Treaty (which included the Washington Territory). Wilkes was planning America’s birthday party on land jointly occupied by Great Britain and the U.S. under the 1818 treaty. 

The grand plan ran into an immediate obstacle before the first cannon was fired. In 1841, the July 4th holiday fell on a Sunday, which presented a major cultural and religious problem. 

Wilkes wanted to hold the celebration anyway, but local Methodist missionaries protested. Led by Reverend John Richmond, the missionaries were troubled by the idea of drinking, shooting cannons, and playing games on the Sabbath. They refused to be a part of it. Wilkes, not wanting a community fight, made a deal: the celebration would take place the next day, on July 5. 

By Monday morning, the weather presented a very unpleasant surprise. Historical logs kept by the ship's officers noted that a massive heatwave hit the South Sound region. According to their records, the temperature was an unbelievable 120 degrees, but it was more likely in the low 90s. The thermometer had been placed in direct sunlight.

Despite wearing thick, heavy wool uniforms, the sailors marched inland from their ships (the USS Porpoise, a 230-ton 2-masted brig, was also docked in the same area) anyway. They were not going to miss the nation’s birthday party.

The day started with a lot of noise. The sailors hauled two brass cannons up from the ships and fired a thunderous 21-gun salute at dawn.  

Wilkes bought two oxen from the British at Fort Nisqually and roasted them over an open pit for a massive Fourth of July barbecue! The sailors, marines, missionaries, British traders, and local Native Americans all sat down together on the grass to eat. 

Wilkes ordered the traditional extra ration of grog — a mix of rum and water, which kept his sailors happy. As the alcohol flowed and the heat intensified, the party got wild. The sailors ran foot races, played loud games, and danced in the dirt. Reverend Richmond delivered a long, patriotic speech that went down in history as the very first official Fourth of July speech on the Pacific Coast. 

Late in the afternoon, while the drinking and games were at their peak, a sailor handling the artillery got careless. A stray spark from a pipe or a previous cannon blast drifted right into a gunpowder horn strapped to his side. 

The horn exploded, and the blast badly burned the sailor. The music and laughter immediately stopped. Ship surgeons rushed in to treat him for severe burns. The sailor survived, but the terrible accident instantly brought a sobering end to the day’s high spirits. The crew quietly put out the fire, packed up their gear, and marched back to the ships in the dark. 

Today, you can find a small stone monument built in 1906 near Sequalitchew Lake in DuPont that marks the spot. It is a reminder that before Washington was even a territory or state (becoming its own territory in 1853 and a state in 1889), the Pacific Northwest was already establishing its identity.

The first official 4th of July celebration on the Pacific Coast was delayed by religious concerns, almost ruined by extreme weather, and cut short by a terrible accident — but it perfectly captured the region's rugged, unpredictable, and enthusiastic spirit! 

As we celebrate this Fourth of July, we should think back to the very first official celebration of the holiday on the Pacific Coast, which took place right here!  Who knew!?! 

 Ira Wesley Kitmacher is an Olympia-based historian and author, writing twelve published history and folklore books, many on the Pacific Northwest (including “Haunted Puget Sound” and “Pacific Northwest Legends and Lore”), one on World War 2, and four upcoming books, including two on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. His books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other booksellers. He is a speaker at various public venues, including McMenamin’s History Pubs, the Northwest Folklife Festival, and others.  Ira leads tours of Olympia based on his books. He is featured on television, radio, and other media. Ira is a Commissioner on the Thurston County Historic Commission. He is a professor who has taught graduate courses at Georgetown University and other colleges. Ira is a retired senior federal executive and attorney.