George Washington (Washington pioneer)
Encyclopedia
George Washington was the founder of the town of Centralia, Washington
. He is remembered as a leading African American
pioneer
of the Pacific Northwest
.
Born in Virginia
, the son of a former slave and a woman of English descent, Washington was raised by a white couple named Anna and James Cochran. When he was young, the Cochrans moved west, first to Ohio
, then to Missouri
. George became a great rifleman
and taught himself how to read. He was given full rights as a citizen after the Cochrans requested so by a special Missouri right. (No other black had these rights at the time.) George Washington and Mr. and Mrs. Cochran moved to the Oregon Territory
, hoping to find a place that would make George feel free and truly equal. But he could not claim the land himself, because he was black. The Cochrans claimed the land for him, and George later paid them for the land. The city of Centerville (now Centralia) was founded on this land. George took care of his adoptive parents. He later married Mary Jane Cooness, a widow.
The town grew and grew; a church was built, and a city park was made from land the Washingtons dedicated. During hard times, the Washingtons helped find food and work for the people of the town, who might otherwise have starved to death.
George Washington died at the age of 88, by which time Centralia had grown to a town of over 1,000 residents. The people in Centralia held a funeral in his honor.
Centralia, Washington
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
. He is remembered as a leading African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
pioneer
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
Born in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, the son of a former slave and a woman of English descent, Washington was raised by a white couple named Anna and James Cochran. When he was young, the Cochrans moved west, first to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, then to Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. George became a great rifleman
Rifleman
Although ultimately originating with the 16th century handgunners and the 17th century musketeers and streltsy, the term rifleman originated from the 18th century. It would later become the term for the archetypal common soldier.-History:...
and taught himself how to read. He was given full rights as a citizen after the Cochrans requested so by a special Missouri right. (No other black had these rights at the time.) George Washington and Mr. and Mrs. Cochran moved to the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
, hoping to find a place that would make George feel free and truly equal. But he could not claim the land himself, because he was black. The Cochrans claimed the land for him, and George later paid them for the land. The city of Centerville (now Centralia) was founded on this land. George took care of his adoptive parents. He later married Mary Jane Cooness, a widow.
The town grew and grew; a church was built, and a city park was made from land the Washingtons dedicated. During hard times, the Washingtons helped find food and work for the people of the town, who might otherwise have starved to death.
George Washington died at the age of 88, by which time Centralia had grown to a town of over 1,000 residents. The people in Centralia held a funeral in his honor.