Fort Nisqually earthquake recorded by William Fraser Tolmie (1833)

William Fraser Tolmie, a surgeon and fur trader for the Hudson's Bay Company, recorded an earthquake at Fort Nisqually in June 1833. His journal entry constitutes the first written eyewitness account of seismic activity in the Puget Sound region, documenting the event while he was stationed at the newly constructed trading post.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. William Fraser Tolmie, a Scottish surgeon and scientist, moved to the Pacific Northwest by 1833 in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company. He arrived at Fort Vancouver in the spring and was subsequently sent to the proposed site for Fort Nisqually at the southern end of Puget Sound. Construction of a permanent fort there began in May 1833.

Fort Nisqually. Fort Nisqually was an important fur trading and farming post of the Hudson's Bay Company in the Puget Sound area. It was notably the first European trading post on the Puget Sound, situated at the top of a bank above the sound. Construction of a permanent fort began in May 1833; Tolmie stayed at the newly built fort for seven months, until December 1833.

Historical Significance. Tolmie's journal entry regarding the June 1833 earthquake is recognized as the first recorded eyewitness description of an earthquake in the Puget Sound region. His written works, including his journals published in 1963, provide detailed accounts of his time in the Pacific Northwest, including the route to Fort Nisqually.

People involved

Sources

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