WHEREAS, 150 years ago on November 23, 1852, a group of 44 pioneers assembled at a small settlement called Monticello at present-day Longview and petitioned the United States Congress to divide the Oregon Territory and create a new Territory; and
     WHEREAS, 150 years ago on March 2, 1853, President Fillmore signed the bill creating the territory of Washington; and
     WHEREAS, We honor the thousands upon thousands of settlers who came here with their hopes and dreams - truly the American dream in its pioneer form - who settled this state and created the cities and towns, with the best intentions of self-governance and loyalty to our nation, laying the groundwork for the state we are today; and
     WHEREAS, We honor those who inhabited this land thousands of years prior to the first landings of Spanish in 1775. Their strong sense of family, reverence for the wildlife and the environment, pride in who they are, and continued hope for their thriving communities belies the struggle and difficulties the advent of the European explorer brought to them. They are, in their own right, the early pioneers as well who brought to our history a tradition that lives today - not only in their cultural centers and museums but in their daily lives and communities; and
     WHEREAS, We honor those who brought the notion of self-governance and populist spirit, who became towering figures in the history of their respective communities and provided each with a notion of government that was based on the best ideals of our nation at the time, fair play, and the rule of law over the rule of man; and
     WHEREAS, We honor all those who keep this history alive in small community-based museums and historical societies to large heritage complexes as staff and volunteers. It is in the best sense of community service that people donate so much of their time to keep many of these organizations alive and thriving; and
     WHEREAS, We honor the generations of school children throughout Washington who are our future. Our history cannot live in just those adults who show interest, it must be cultivated in our youth through the family and our educational institutions. It is our history and the particular episodes in that history that set us apart from the rest of this nation; just as it is that history which integrates us into the fabric of the United States of America; and
     WHEREAS, We honor our communities, even those created after 1889, that make up this great state. Just as governance started with a band of 44 people assembled here 150 years ago, so too our sesquicentennial observance depends on those local communities throughout this state who will take this commemoration as its own and make it a theme for fairs, community celebrations, tribal gatherings, historical writings, and other events too numerous to name; and
     WHEREAS, The Governor, through Executive Order 02-02, set up the Sesquicentennial Commission with membership from across the state and headed by Secretary of State Sam Reed and First Lady Mona Locke;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives call on the people of the State of Washington to honor its early settlers and the indigenous people of the region by celebrating and commemorating our Territorial Sesquicentennial in the grand manner befitting this one hundred fiftieth anniversary of Washington's charter as a part of the United States.