Asotin County, Washington: History
The area delineated by the future Washington state boundary was colonized at the start of the nineteenth century, both by Americans and Canadians. The majority of Canadian exploration and interest in the land was due to the fur trade; American settlers were principally seeking land for agriculture and cattle raising. The Treaty of 1818 provided for dual control of this area by US and Canadian government officials. During this period, the future Washington Territory was divided into two administrative zones: Clark County and Lewis County (made official in 1845). The dual-control concept was unwieldy and led to continual argument, and occasional conflict. The status of the Washington area was settled in 1846, when the Oregon Treaty ceded the land south of latitude 49 degrees North to American control.
In 1854, Skamania County was split from the original Clark County. Later that year, Walla Walla County was split from the new Skamania County. In 1875, Columbia County was split from Walla Walla County, and in 1881, a portion of Columbia County was set off to form Garfield County. The southeastern portion of Garfield County was partitioned in 1883 to form Asotin County. The 1883 boundary of Asotin has remained unchanged since then.
In 1862, Bob Bracken became the first permanent European settler of what would become Asotin county.