# Why wasn't Washington, the state, named something else? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501 "2003-04-23T02:43:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gamahuche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8baadc/32.png) [@Gamahuche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamahuche)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/1 "2003-04-23T02:43:09Z")
Washington Territory was created in 1853, then it became the 42nd state in 1889. Washington, D.C. had been the capitol since 1800. Surely someone must have realized the confusion that would ensue, not to mention the fact that it displayed a lack of creativity on the part of whoever named it. Anyone know anymore about how it got named? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/2 "2003-04-23T02:58:00Z")
[Here’s](http://www.historylink.org/output.cfm?file_ID=754) a good website that explains all. Basically, in 1852, the Northern residents of what was the large Oregon Territory, decided to petition to become their own territory, suggesting they be the Columbia Territory. When the bill came out of the House/Senate, someone changed the name to honor George Washington. They called it _Washington Territory_ to prevent confusion with DC. Politics. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/3 "2003-04-23T03:06:21Z")
And, I guess that if you were called “Washington Territory” for 40 years, you just naturally were called Washington as a state. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/4 "2003-04-23T03:11:49Z")
I think they considered the name Ralph for a time. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/5 "2003-04-23T04:10:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*I think they considered the name Ralph for a time. \*\* Funny story: My dad’s best friend in basic was named Seattle Ralph. Well, I guess it wasn’t really so much a story. And it wasn’t even all that funny. Hell, it’s not even true. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/6 "2003-04-23T05:24:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > They called it _Washington Territory_ to prevent confusion with DC. > > Politics. And irony. Congress is big on irony. Otherwise they’d have to wear wrinkled clothes… It should be noted that at that time, Washington DC was not a very big town. And it wasn’t obvious that it would become a large city. In those pre-Civil War days, the federal government was very small and there was no indication that that would ever change. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/7 "2003-04-23T06:19:10Z")
Plus, Washington is the only state with towns named George and Martha. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/8 "2003-04-23T06:42:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racer72 \* > Plus, Washington is the only state with towns named George and Martha. Where is Martha, WA? GNIS doesn’t have a place with that name, although there is a town named Martha Lake in Snohomish County. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/9 "2003-04-24T07:34:25Z")
I’d like an answer to my question in the above post. Anyone know where the place named Martha is in Washington state? Or is racer72 mistaken? ---
**Author:** ![yola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/48db29/32.png) [@yola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yola)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/10 "2003-04-24T08:25:32Z")
Washington State was almost named by the Russians. Or was it the Spainards? The Chinook Indians were on the Columbia Slough when Lewis & Clark arrived. But there was a settled, domestic, unfriendly military fort on the mouth of the Columbia overlooking the Pacific. ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/11 "2003-04-24T11:13:24Z")
According to the Geographic Names Information System, there are 147 populated places named Washington or having Washington as part of its name. There are also 31 States having a county so named. [http://geonames.usgs.gov/](http://geonames.usgs.gov/) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/12 "2003-04-24T12:42:54Z")
The Martha Inn is in George, Washington - is that what you’re thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wasnt-washington-the-state-named-something-else/170501/13 "2003-04-24T13:08:05Z")
There was a _lot_ of “Washington” naming in the 19th century. My home twon in N.J. was called “Washington”, but they changed it because there were two other towns named “Washington” in NJ, and it was confusing the postal service.