1. Chapter 9 Section 4 – The West

2. Natural Resources of the West
The Spanish were the first to settle in the area of the west
In 1848 the gold rush began and people from all over the world came west hoping to strike it rich, but few did
San Francisco grew from 800 people in 1848 to 25,000 in 1850
Many of these people stayed even if they did not discover gold and many states were created
The states of Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana all grew because of the interest in mining as well
Once the gold dried up people found silver and copper
All of these people needed housing and the timber resources of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California seemed unlimited
Unfortunately, we were slow to learn that this was not true

3. Managing Resources
With all of the people coming to California there was a great need for resources, like timber and water
These resources were being used up at an alarming rate
Decisions were made to limit the cutting of forests and National Parks were created
Hydroelectric dams were built and fresh water was piped from other parts of the country to meet demand
While the dams did supply the people with electricity, they also created yet another problem by flooding whole valley’s of the Sierras
Today dam building has been put on hold

4. The Urban West – Portland, Oregon
Located where the Willamette and Columbia Rivers come together this city was named after Portland, Maine
Francis Pettygrove, a land developer, won a coin toss in 1845 and named it after his home town
Today it is an important trade center for lumber, fur, grain, salmon, and wool
Back in the 1930’s newly build dams provided cheap electricity so many manufacturing companies moved to the area to take advantage of this

5. The Urban West - Seattle
Named after Chief Seattle, a former Native American leader from the area, and founded in the 1850’s
Years of growth led to many problems in the 1960’s
The local economy was then revitalized, bridges were built, and clean up efforts were made
Neighborhood parks were also created and the oldest continuously run market in the country, Pike Place Market, was saved so that local farmers could sell their crops and produce

6. The Urban West – San Jose
Many years ago this area had beautiful orchards and farms
However, today it has the nickname “Silicon Valley” because of the important role it plays in the computer industry
Today the most valuable resource is the people of San Jose who come from all over the world
This city has grown so big that there are crowded highways and smog issues
San Jose has built a light-rail mass transit system to try and help with this situation

7. The Urban West – Los Angeles
Yet another city in California in which the people of the city are its most valuable resource
Was a small Mexican village in the 1780’s, but is now the second most populated city in America
Both the gold rush and the building of the transcontinental railroad allowed this city to grow greatly
1920’s the city was driven by the petroleum, manufacturing, and movie industries
Today L.A. is a center for banking, & aircraft manufacturing
Probably most known for Hollywood and the movie, television, and radio shows produced in this place
Two largest ethnic groups are Hispanics and Asians in L.A.