The story of the Puyallup Valley started with its geological
formation far back in the mists of eons past. Its development is
told in the story of pioneers who settled it, cleared the land
and built its small cities in the last half of the 19th century.
In the early 1830's the first European settler of the Puyallup
region, Dr. Tolmie, in the company of an Indian guide and
several other natives, passed through what he called in his
journal the "Poyallipa" valley, the indigenous people who lived
here for thousands of years numbered about 2,000 and were
closely related to the more populous race of Indians living in
the Nisqually River valley. It was their hospitable spirit that
gave this tribe the name "Puyallup" which translates to
"generous people." The Puyallup Indians had permanent dwelling
places along the river bank. The Puyallup River was a broad
meandering river chocked with massive log jams and prone to
frequent floods. The valley floor was a maze of creeks, old
growth forest and exotic ferns. This is a