I had intended to make this Daytrip around the 4th of July … but Holland made other plans, so we made the trip Tuesday morning. I had posted a reference to the cabin a few weeks ago, but haven't had the time to scroll through 1,000 posts to find the post I had posted about it, a lifetime ago.
But, when it was mentioned the other day in a research I had done for the Sunday posting about the Claquato Church & Cemetery, in Chehalis (my June 22nd, 2026 Blog Post) … I decided to do an updated visit: and boy, am I glad I did!
Things have changed.
We drove the freeway to Hwy #12 and the cabin; then looped home via Jackson Highway, through Toledo-WA.
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The Jackson Cabin & the Matilda Jackson Park have become County $$$$ makers - and no longer resemble the rougher versions of themselves.
The Jackson Cabin is part of Bob’s (my 1st Husband, now in Heaven) indirect family heritage: Matilda was a widowed pioneering woman, married at one time to a Koontz man related to the Smalley side of Bob’s family tree (his mother's branch). Last time I visited the cabin - during one of my many drives from Longview to Chehalis as a widow, myself, the cabin grounds had not been so well maintained; and it certainly was not a fancy Park requiring a Discovery Pass. Things have changed & it is now a glorified relic of historical substance.
{{A Frontier Fourth of July~John R. Jackson and the First U.S. Flag Made in Washington Territory
~by Heather Winkler
In 1853, on a remote stretch of Washington Territory, a handful of settlers gathered around John R. Jackson’s cabin with scraps of fabric and a shared sense of purpose. What began as a simple request for a celebratory flag quickly became a community project that stitched neighbors and a young nation together. The result was the first U.S. flag ever made in Washington, a handmade emblem of belonging on the far edge of a new nation.
Born in Staindrop, England, on January 13, 1800, John R. Jackson first came to the United States in 1823 (though some records suggest 1833), settling briefly in New York before eventually migrating west to Illinois, where he established his first homestead. In 1844, he joined the wave of emigrants traveling the Oregon Trail, arriving in what was then known as northern Oregon (present-day Washington) late that year.
By early 1845, drawn north by reports of the rushing waters of the Deschutes River, he journeyed on to the Newaukum and Chehalis Rivers, finally claiming a high prairie on a plain near the Cowlitz Trail at a homestead he named “The Highlands,” making the Jackson family one of the first non-Indigenous settlers north of the Columbia River, on land that would later be called Jackson Prairie (near present-day Toledo).
In his travels, Jackson occasionally visited Oregon City, and while there in 1848, he met a widow, Matilda *Koontz, whose husband had drowned while crossing a river along the Oregon Trail (Matilda Koontz is *noted in the Smalley Family History; Bob's mother's maiden Name was Smalley, of Eden Valley-WA). Jackson and Matilda soon married, and she brought her four sons home to the Highlands, where the homestead became a well-known stopping point along the Cowlitz Trail, the main thoroughfare between the Columbia River and Puget Sound.
Jackson had already begun his public service career, serving as the inaugural tax assessor for Lewis County in 1846 and the county’s first elected sheriff the following year. He later served as a delegate at the Monticello Convention, which led to the creation of Washington Territory, and over the years he worked as a probate judge, court clerk, justice of the peace, tax collector, Washington Territory representative, census worker, and even a local butcher, while Matilda gained her own reputation as an accomplished cook and hostess.
Monticello Convention and the Creation of Washington Territory in 1853
Of course, Jackson was not the only one heading north. By the 1840s, a steady flood of settlers had begun pouring onto the lands above the Columbia River, each family chasing the same dream of open prairie and new beginnings that had brought Jackson to the Highlands. But as the population grew, so did the frustrations. Basic needs, such as mail delivery, roads, military protection, and law enforcement, went largely ignored by the distant territorial government in Oregon City, which refused to increase spending for the growing northern settlements.
Adding to the resentment, the powerful Hudson’s Bay Company controlled the region’s best agricultural land, and its livestock regularly wandered onto settlers’ claims with no legal recourse. By 1851, patience had worn thin.
That summer, residents gathered at a small Independence Day celebration in Olympia, where an impassioned speech about a future “state of Columbia” lit a fire under the crowd. Delegates were elected, and a convention assembled at Cowlitz Landing in August 1851, drafting a 1,500-word petition to Congress detailing their grievances. The real turning point came in October 1852, when a group of delegates met at John R. Jackson’s own homestead, the Jackson Courthouse, the first recognized courthouse north of the Columbia River, to formally plan a second convention.
Just weeks later, on November 25, 1852, forty-four delegates gathered in the small town of Monticello and signed the Monticello Convention Memorial, a well-argued petition calling for the creation of a new territory named “Columbia.” Among those who signed was John R. Jackson himself, joining notable founders of Seattle such as Arthur A. Denny and Doc Maynard.
The petition reached Washington, D.C., and on January 25, 1853, a bill to establish the Territory of Columbia was introduced in the House. Debate arose not over whether the territory should be created, but over its name. Representative Richard H. Stanton of Kentucky proposed “Washington” instead, to avoid confusion with the nation’s capital. The bill passed the House on February 10, the Senate on March 2, and on that same day, President Millard Fillmore signed it into law.
First U.S. Flag Made in Washington Territory is Flown on a Frontier Fourth of July
When news of Washington Territory’s official creation finally reached the settlers north of the Columbia River in the spring of 1853, John R. Jackson knew the moment demanded something special. He sent away to San Francisco for bolts of red and white cloth, intending to sew a large American flag to fly on the coming Fourth of July.
The material arrived just in time, and neighbors gathered at the Highlands homestead to help. Matilda Jackson and other women from the community took up needles and thread, working together to stitch a 6-foot by 15-foot banner. But there was a problem when they ran short of fabric. Unable to make the full 13 stripes, they adapted, completing the flag with only eight stripes instead, a quirk that would make this handmade emblem instantly recognizable for generations to come.
On the morning of July 4, 1853, the settlers raised a tall flagpole near the Jackson cabin. The eight-striped banner unfurled in the breeze, becoming the first U.S. flag ever made in Washington Territory. Later that day, the same flag was flown at a larger celebration a few miles south at Cowlitz Landing, where settlers packed gunpowder into 13 large fir logs and set them off like homemade cannons in a thunderous celebration. The Declaration of Independence was read aloud, toasts were given by Jackson and numerous others, and a banquet table shaded by a canopy of fir branches and piled high with pioneer fare before them.
That venerable flag, stitched by neighbors in a frontier cabin, survived. Today, it rests in the collection of the Washington State Historical Society in Tacoma. The Jackson cabin still stands as well, preserved as a Washington State Parks Heritage Site along the Jackson Highway, just a short distance from Matilda Jackson State Park and Lewis and Clark State Park.
A Stitch in the Nation’s 250-Year Story
The first flag made in Washington was never an official government issue. It was a product of necessity, improvisation, and neighborly cooperation as a homespun banner sewn by hand because a handful of settlers on the far edge of a young nation wanted to declare, in fabric and thread, that they belonged.
John R. Jackson and his community did not wait for permission to celebrate their new territory. They simply ordered cloth, gathered their families, and raised their flag. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, that humble, eight-striped relic reminds us that patriotism is often made not in grand capitals and courtrooms, but in small spaces and by ordinary people who take it upon themselves to stitch a symbol of hope and hang it in the wind.
https://www.lewistalk.com/2026/06/08/a-frontier-fourth-of-july-john-r-jackson-and-the-first-u-s-flag-made-in-washington-territory/
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Longview, WA = Monticello
The area that is now Longview-WA, was once called Monticello. The name comes from the historic Monticello Convention of 1852, when a group of pioneers met in the settlement (then called Monticello) to petition Congress for a separate territory for the people north of the Columbia River. This led to the creation of Washington Territory and later Washington State.
Early Settlement and the Monticello Name
The first Euro-American settlers arrived in 1849, led by Harry and Rebecca Jane Huntington.
The settlement was initially named Mount Solo but was renamed Monticello in 1852 by Harry Huntington, after his home in Indiana.
From 1854 to 1865, Monticello served as the county seat of Cowlitz County.
Flooding and Decline
In December 1867, the Cowlitz River flooded the original Monticello site, destroying much of the town.
The post office closed in 1876, and by the 1880s, the river had again flooded the area.
The town was largely abandoned, and the name Monticello faded from use.
The Birth of Longview
In the early 20th century, lumberman Robert A. Long planned and built a new city on higher ground to support his mills.
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The new city, incorporated in 1924, was named Longview in his honor.
The Monticello Hotel, built in 1923, was named after the old Monticello settlement.
The Monticello Hotel was a historic former landmark hotel and is a current apartment building in Longview, Washington. It was given to the city by founder R. A. Long in early 1923, and designed by Long's architects of choice, Hoit, Price, and Barnes, of Kansas City.
Built between November 1922 and opening on July 14 of 1923, the "Hotel Monticello" was the first permanent building for the new planned city of Longview. Originally holding 200 hotel rooms spread over its 7 floors, it now holds 60 rooms.
Several other hotels named Hotel Monticello exist in the Washington, D.C. area. The Hotel in Longview is named after a former wood frame Hotel dating to the 1870s that was demolished in the construction of the new city, which itself was named after the historic Monticello Convention document, signed in the tiny settlement of Monticello, Oregon Territory at the time, near the site of the hotel, petitioning the US Congress to grant the residents north of the Columbia River a separate territory, which ultimately led to the establishment of Washington Territory and Washington state. Monticello itself is a reference to Thomas Jefferson's estate in Virginia.
The lobby, partially subdivided in a 1964 renovation, features Brazilian mahogany paneled walls, above which are a series of oil paintings by Joe Knowles depicting the early years of the settlement of western North America, including depictions of the Marcus Whitman expedition rafting the lower Columbia River and portraits of many early American notables such as John McLoughlin of the Hudson's Bay Company.
The hotel closed in 2016 due to the owners' debts and underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation to restore it to its original glory. The Monticello Hotel opened its restored Crystal Ballroom and new Speakeasy in August 2017 to a packed crowd. The ballroom was designed with at the time modern terrazzo floors, polychrome details, and 42 pilasters signifying Washington as the 42nd State. New additions to the ballroom in the Speakeasy addition are Tiffany glass, and the 1888 Al Capone Chicago Bar, a 22-foot solid oak bar allegedly owned and operated by Al Capone. In June 2018, the new Monticello Wood-fired Pizzeria opened in the former lounge section, and closed in 2019.The restaurant then became a steakhouse.
In 2019, it was converted into an apartment building.
In summary: The original town of Monticello, was destroyed by flooding; and the modern city of Longview, was founded decades later.}}
Straight ahead - across the 4-way street, crossing under the overhead street signal lights, there is a State Park bearing Matilda's name; I have only stopped there once, maybe 4-1/2 years ago … because I was curious. It was pretty primitive then - small and unpretentious: but it recently has been cleaned up, opened up to allow shafts of sunlight to brighten the acreage, & is [show-pony-ready] now, for visitors. Wow.
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Turning & backtracking along Jackson Highway - towards Toledo-WA, is the Lewis & Clark State Park. Bob and I had stopped there one day when we were driving around, and it really didn’t appeal to us – while I like primitive campgrounds, this one was really atrocious. I read some time ago, that it had been updated and the grounds and trails upgraded to be at least useable. Today, Holland's interest was piqued, so we nipped in to check it out - and I was curious to see what it’s like, now.
The front part of the Park, is Day Use only. And there are hiking & horse-riding trails throughout the Park area - horses have the right of way.
The back portion of the Park is open for camping, & there was a fair size RV parked 1 space; but most of the spaces appeared to only fit a truck & slide-in camper.
There are rabbits everywhere; and evidence of fence remnants from the 1930's.
There are huge Rhododendron trees throughout the Park: they were all spent (the end of June means the end of blooms), but the prolific trees would be very colorful in the Spring.
The Park layout is planned for a 1-way In & 1-way Out road design.
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Then - because Holland was talking about old cemeteries … I said there was one "just up the highway - 'a hop, skip, & a jump'"; so, we nipped in there, too.
Holland didn't know it was there. I had passed by it many times, and took pictures of it a year (maybe a year & a half) before Holland became a permanent fixture in my Life.
But, I'd never walked through the cemetery. So, this day I did walk through the cemetery, admiring the fancy stonework & reading dates: some dating back to the 1820's! Research at home told me that the cemetery is approximately 1 acre in size and was established in 1838. It is believed that this cemetery may be the second oldest cemetery of WA state.
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{{St. Francis Xavier Mission History
St. Francis Xavier Mission was the first mission in the archdiocese, established in December 1838 on Cowlitz Prairie, north of Toledo, Oregon Territory (51 years before Washington became a state). Many famous and beloved priests and bishops helped establish St. Francis Xavier's roots, including but not limited to: Fr. Francois Norbert Blanchet, Bishop O'Dea, Fr. Modeste Demers, and Fr. Van Holderbeke.
Following the instructions of his superiors, Fr Blanchet departed Fort Vancouver on December 12th for the purpose of establishing a permanent mission along the Cowlitz River. He and his guide, Augustin Rochon, left in a canoe paddled by four Indians, arriving at the Cowlitz settlement at approximately 10:00 am on Sunday, On December 16, 1838. Fr. Blanchet celebrated Mass that day in the home of Simon Bonaparte Plomondon, who retired from the Hudson's Bay Company, in a room that had been set aside for this occasion.
Fr. Blanchet laid out 640 acres for the mission, approximately 1/2 mile wide and 2l miles long, not far from the Plamondon farm. A log church was soon erected under the direction of Fr. Demers. He brought a 50-pound bell with him on October 13, 1839, and had it placed in a 40-foot tower. Fr. Demers also laid out the original mission cemetery.
Upon hearing word of a "blackrobe" at the Cowlitz, many surrounding Indian tribes arrived, some from as far away as Whidbey Island, to hear about the "Great Spirit". In seeking a plain and simple method of teaching the Indians, Fr Blanchet devised a system that was notched on a stick of wood, which became known as the "Catholic Ladder". This display of lines and dots was later transferred to parchment and became widely used by other missionaries.
Fr Demers spent this first summer of 1839 returning to the forts along the upper Columbia to minister to the Indians and the handful of Hudson's Bay Co employees assigned there. Fr Blanchet returned to Cowlitz on July 20th and found that a Chapel, 20' x 30', had been erected there. Later it would become the missionaries' residence. Also a barn was built. The next day, July 21st, Fr Blanchet said mass in the Chapel and dedicated it to St Francis Xavier. Ten days later on July 31st he performed the first recorded burial on mission land.
Legend has it that during the first fire which consumed St. Francis Xavier mission (1901), Fr. Holderbeke ran into the church (which had been vacated of people) to save the Blessed Sacrament. He died of his burns two days later
https://wlpcatholic.org/history
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The Saint Francis Xavier Mission, in Lewis County, Washington three miles north of present-day Toledo, was the first Catholic mission in what is now the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2019, the Saint Francis Xavier Mission Church is the oldest Catholic church in the state.
The first recorded Mass held at the site was on December 16, 1838, by François Norbert Blanchet, who co-founded the mission with Modeste Demers. Although considered the founding date, the mission cemetery predates the mission, having been started by the Hudson's Bay Company approximately in 1831.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Francis_Xavier_Mission_(Lewis_County,_Washington)#History }}
On the main highway again & driving along, I noticed - as we passed the Grange and the little strip Airport … that things had changed considerably out that way! If not for the recognizable strip airport, I would not have recognized this piece of highway at all: housing developments have seriously changed the landscape - I did not like seeing that; and I felt deep sadness that open, rural countryside, is giving way to crowded clusters of suburban housing. Pretty soon, there won't be any country left at all, and backroads will become busy thoroughfares … and the wealthy that are obviously fleeing the cities of WA, OR,& CA, are bringing their city venues & politics, with them: no, I am not happy at all to see this new development. Holland sees the situation differently - looking at it from a purely financial gain for the County; I'm seeing it as a devastating blow to country culture, and a permanent loss of innocence, that life in the country holds dear & precious. NONE of those new, loud, self-important "Look at me! Look at me!" houses, blend in with the landscape. What a shocking, and sad reality.
Back home again, Holland made supper, saying, "Just rest yourself, Baby. I'll make supper - so you can organize your pictures & get your blog post started." He's the greatest! What a thoughtful, & pleasant reality.
Today was a good Day for memories; old & new.
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