This extremely early frontier map shows the land between the Green and White Rivers near what is now Auburn, Washington, about 12 miles due east of Tacoma. It offers great detail on the terrain and on the American Indian usage of the land. Two Indian trails are marked, as well as two Indian encampments, three Indian potato patches, and two Indian fisheries. Several prairies and their acreage are marked as likely spots for settlement, with a note: "Claims have latterly been taken in these prairies, but as they have not commenced occupying them I have not marked them." The rugged terrain north of the Green River is marked simply "Unexplored."
Only one sign of white settlement can be seen, near the bottom of the map at the junction of the White and Puyallup Rivers, marked "Adam," presumably the home of very early settler Adam Benston. An emigrant trail also cuts across the southeastern corner of the map. The map is impressionistic rather than carefully surveyed, and not drawn to scale; the channel connecting to the Puyallup River appears to be quite short, but was actually several miles long.
The map may be of greatest significance for its documentation of changes in the river channels. This map shows a new channel running west from the White River into the Puyallup, with an explanation: "Here the river has taken through the woods and opened a new channel connecting with the Puyallup River. . . . Our guide informed us that this connection was made winter before last & there is sufficient evidence to corroborate his statement. . . . More than three-fourths of the river runs in this channel, & there is a probability of all running this way in a few years. This is fortunate, as it will relieve settlers on bottoms of White River of any fears of being overflowed." The river apparently soon returned to its original channel. However, a major flood in 1906 pushed the channel back to the Puyallup; a diversion wall was added to make the change permanent.
This map was possibly done by or for William A. Strickler (1824-1872), who came west from Virginia circa 1854, and was soon appointed the official surveyor for King County, leading the original surveys for much of the Seattle area. Strickler owned much of the land which later became Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. The map was found among the papers of the Strickler family of Luray, VA, and was likely sent back east to his family by William A. Strickler. with--a related letter from Isaac Harrison Strickler to brother Joseph Thomas Strickler, referencing "Mr. Anderson of Olympia . . . who has bro. Wm. with him now at his own house and . . . seems to think that there is good reason to hope that he will be restored if we can get him home with us, says that he is quite rational at times." He has sent money to "pay Wms passage back to the States if a good & safe opportunity offers." Philippi, WV, 12 March 1860. William never did return east, and died in Seattle in 1872.