Washington Historical Timeline
1794 William Hughes settles on Du Bois Creek
1799 Daniel Boone settles in Femme Osage, St. Charles County
1803 Kincaid Caldwell settles on St. John's Creek
1804 Lewis and Clark camp on north side of river at La Charrette
1814 Isaac Murphy establishes first ferry service between La Charrette and St. Johns Creek settlement
1816 Post Office is established at St. Johns Creek settlement
1818 William Owens and wife Lucinda move to Washington area from Kentucky
1818 Organization of Franklin County is authorized January 1, 1819
1819 First steamboat, the Independence, passes Washington
1820 Post office is established at Newport; William G. Owens, postmaster
1821 Missouri admitted to the union as a state
1821 Preston G. Rule opens first Franklin County store at Newport
1822 John Caldwell is licensed to operate a ferry boat at Washington Landing
1827 William Owens acquires 78 acres of land adjacent to mouth of St. John’s Creek
1829 William Owens surveys a town: attempts to sell lots on the 78 acres unsuccessful
1831 William Owens buys land further down river from first attempt and surveys out a town
1832 First homes built by Charles Eberius and Bernard Fricke
1832 First store and tavern opens in Washington
1833 Twelve German families who would found St. Francis Borgia Church arrive.
1834 Phineas Thomas builds first brick home in Washington
1834 William Owens is shot in back and killed while riding mule from Washington to Union
1834 Bleckman blacksmith shop is established west of Washington
1836 Bassora is founded
1837 First post office is established in Washington on April 13 in log house on north side of Main Street between Jefferson and Lafayette streets, Robert Caldwell postmaster
1837 Post office moved to Bassora in November
1839 Lucinda Owens buys 50 acres at auction from husband’s estate and formally files plat of the City of Washington on May 29, 1839
1840 Post office returned to Washington in April
1841 South Point is platted by Judge David Sterigere and James K. Rule
1841 Washington incorporated, first election held, Andrew Cochran elected chairman of Board of Trustees, Joseph R. Hardin is named the first constable
1844 Flood on the Missouri River causes severe devastation
1844 First German Protestant church is organized in Washington
1848 Failure of democratic revolution in Germany provides impetus for increased German immigration
1850 Henry Heining begins making bricks for the city hall building
1851 First City Hall building is completed
1852 Volunteer Fire Department purchases first equipment.
1854 Otto Brix and August Leonard form the “Player’s Club” for those interested in opera and theatre
1854 Washington Brewery opens; founders are John and Henry Busch and Fred Gersie (Later known as John B. Busch Brewery)
1855 Railroad tracks are completed from St. Louis to Washington
1856 First city newspaper prints first issue
1858 Otto Brix opens first clay pottery factory .
1859 Franz Wilhelmi organizes the Turn Verein or Turner Society
1861 Civil War begins
1864 Troops of Confederate General Sterling Price raid Washington and loot the town
1866 Franz Schwarzer builds his first zither.
1866 Washington Savings Bank is founded as the first financial institution of the community
1867 Droege’s grocery store opens for business
1872 First lathe-turned corn cob pipes are made
1872 First grammar school is built
1873 Mayoral form of government is adopted by town
1873 First county fair is held featuring farm products and horse races
1877 Bank of Washington opens for business
1878 Missouri Pacific Railroad hospital, the first hospital in the city, is established
1886 Henry Tibbe builds a private water system for his neighborhood
1887 Private high school built at Third and Locust streets
1889 First city-wide water system begins pumping water from the Missouri River – owned by commercial company.
1892 Henry Tibbe begins offering electricity to the town
1893 First street lights in Washington
1894 Citizens vote to become a third-class city
1894 First football game is held with Washington defeating the Academic Pioneers of Labadie
1900 First public high is school established
1902 Sight of first automobile in Washington is reported
1903 Flood destroys remaining part of North Washington
1905 Washington Citizen begins publication. Editors are George Krumsick and Arthur Rusche
1907 Roberts, Johnson & Rand shoe factory is dedicated
1908 Moving pictures come to Washington in a building on the northwest corner of Main and Cedar streets.
1909 Calvin Theatre opens on Elm Street
1909 Washington Public Library opens on the second floor of the post office. About 700 books – 25-cent ticket allows reading of 10 books - $1 allows unlimited books for one year.
1915 City buys waterworks system
1916 President Theodore Roosevelt speaks from rear of train to citizens
1918 Washington Volunteer Fire Department obtains first motor powered fire truck
1918 Home delivery of mail begins
1922 US Government-built Post Office at Second and Lafayette streets opens - 13th location in Washington
1923 First street lamps are illuminated on Main and Elm streets, called the “white way”
1923 New City Hall is dedicated
1923 Washington Chamber of Commerce is organized
1924 New brick railroad depot is opened
1924 Steel water tower is completed to replace the standpipe system
1926 Washington Cemetery is converted to public park – named Krog Park in 1958
1927 St. Francis Hospital opens
1929 US Army Corp of Engineers begins project to improve the Missouri River channel
1929 First “talking movies” in Washington
1934 St. Francis Borgia High School is dedicated
1935 Highway 100 is completed from St. Louis to Washington
1936 Public swimming pool is opened
1936 Bridge over Missouri River opens as toll bridge
1938 Fifth Street Elementary School opens, built in front of old Washington Grammar School.
1938 First reception of television on homemade TV with three-inch screen
1938 Sporlan Valve relocated part of their manufacturing operations to Washington
1943 President Franklin Roosevelt spends night in Washington on special train
1947 First commercial television set in Washington
1947 Zero Manufacturing founded by George Duncan
1947 First “Stop Light” in Washington, located at Second and Elm streets
1948 Two-way radios installed in two police cars
1951 Missouri River bridge stops collecting tolls
1952 Dwight Eisenhower campaigns for president from back of train in Washington
1953 President Harry Truman speaks from back of train in Washington
1957 New public high school dedicated
1971 Passenger train service to Washington discontinued
1971 New Highway 100 opened
1971 Regional airport opened
1976 New St. Francis Hospital, now Mercy Hospital, opened
1980 New public library and police station opened
1982 New St. Francis Borgia Regional High School dedicated
1984 Enduro Binders, Inc. acquires Hazel Binders Division
1989 Marbach, Germany, named sister city
1989 Washington celebrates Sesquicentennial with year-long events
1995 Amtrak resumes passenger train service to Washington
1995 Washington Historical Society Museum opened in new facility at Fourth and Market streets
2000 Heidmann Industrial Park opened
2001 Railroad depot and visitor center restoration completed
2002 Riverfront hiking/biking trail completed
2002 Patients First Medical facility opened
2004 Renovation of the AME Church building completed by Washington Historical Society
2005 Senior Center opened
2005 Journalism Hall of Fame opened
2006 Public Safety Complex completed
2007 Farmers Market in Downtown opened
2009 Bank of Washington completes major expansion in downtown
2010 Completion of four-lane divided Highway 100 to I-44
2011 Renovation of old Post Office completed
2012 City library complex expanded
2012 Washington Historical Society assumes responsibility for Kohmueller House
2012 Mercy Hospital and Patients First merge
2014 Washington celebrates 175th anniversary in May
2016 Ground broke August 12 for new Missouri River bridge
2018 Bridge dedicated December 1