HERE IT IS! March 1. It is National Pig Day. It is a day we can celebrate the pig. The purpose is to give the pig its rightful place.
After all, the pig is one of the most intelligent domesticated animals we have. Pigs naturally have good taste.
An old friend of mine suggested that March 1 was a day for us to hug our favorite pig. (Then she gave me a hug.)
It seemed an appropriate day to look at pigs regarding regional history. The Great Pig War came to mind.
Though this is not directly part of the history of the Olympic Peninsula, it is part of western Washington history and lore.
It was a confrontation between the United States and Britain over the boundary between the two. In the end, the pig helped settle an international dispute.
In 1846 the Oregon Treaty established the boundary along the 49th parallel, then to follow the middle of the channel between the mainland and Vancouver Island. This led to some confusion.
Was the boundary along Haro Strait or Rosario Strait?
Britain claimed the channel was Rosario Strait. The Americans claimed it was Haro Strait.
The strategic issue was not the size of the islands. Rather it was a military advantage.
Ambiguity in the treaty wording left both Britain and the United States claiming sovereignty over the San Juan Islands.
To get a foothold, Britain’s Hudson’s Bay Company established operations on San Juan Island and set up a sheep farm named Belle Vue Sheep Farm.
In the meantime, somewhere around 30 American settlers arrived. Their claims were based upon the San Juan Islands being American territory.
All it took, though, was a pig to get the international boundary settled.
Lyman Cutlar was an American farmer who moved to San Juan Island and established a homestead. On June 15, 1859, Cutlar found a pig rooting in his garden. The pig was eating his potatoes. In wilderness style, Cutlar shot and killed the pig.
Apparently, the pig was owned by Charles Griffin, an employee of Hudson’s Bay Company. Griffin owned several pigs which he allowed to roam freely.
The peace was broken.
Political hyperbole took over.
Cutlar offered to pay Griffin $10 for the pig. ($380 in 2025 dollars.) That was not good enough. Griffin demanded $100.
At this point, Cutlar rescinded his offer. Since the pig was eating his potatoes and trespassing on his land, he should not pay anything for the pig.
Griffin simply replied that Cutlar should keep his potatoes out of his pig. In true geopolitical style, it was an opportunity to turn nothing into something.
To assert their sovereignty, the British authorities threatened to arrest Cutlar.
Brigadier General William S. Harney was aboard the USS Massachusetts bound for Port Townsend. An American flag flying on San Juan Island caught his eye.
Have you ever been driving along, spotted something interesting, and said, “Whoa, I gotta check that out”?
Harney had to check it out. The USS Massachusetts rounded Cattle Pass and stopped in Griffin Bay.
General Harney was rowed ashore and was met by several American citizens.
“Are you Americans?” “Yes.” “Is that your flag?” “Yes.” “What are you doing here?”
The story of the pig was told. Harney walked up from the dock and soon saw the Belle Vue Sheep Farm.
He immediately turned to leave. There was a lot of fast talking about the difficulties they were having. General Harney paid little mind until he was informed that the British wanted to arrest Cutlar. That changed everything. Harney would send military protection.
General Harney sent 34-year-old Captain George E. Pickett and 66 American Soldiers. Captain George Pickett later became, either famously or infamously, a major general in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. Pickett’s Charge was part of the Battle of Gettysburg.
The situation further escalated. By August 10, 1859, the American presence increased to 461 soldiers and 14 cannons. The British had brought in five warships with 70 cannons and 2,140 men.
As the tensions escalated, so did the conspiracy theories. One claim said that Harney and Pickett conspired with others to start a war with Britian. It would create a common enemy, and America would avoid a north-south confrontation.
The other theory also claimed they wanted to start a war. But the goal was to distract the North so the South could secede from the Union.
Regardless, leveler heads soon prevailed. You simply don’t go to war “over a squabble about a pig.”
Representatives from both sides agreed to negotiate and resolve a growing crisis. As a result, both parties agreed to joint military occupation until a diplomatic resolution could be reached.
For a time, British and American citizens live quietly together. It is believed that the biggest threat to peace was all the alcohol that was available.
In 1871, it was decided to resolve the boundary dispute through international arbitration. German Emperor Wilhelm I offered to mediate and was chosen by both nations as arbitrator.
The arbitration commission met in Geneva for about a year. Both nations had the opportunity to present their case. Finally on October 21, 1872, the commission ruled in favor of the United States.
The emperor declared, “The claim of the Government of the United States, viz, that the line of boundaries between dominions of Her Britannic Majesty and the United States should run through the Canal de Haro, is most in accordance with the Treaty.”
Despite all the saber rattling, the pig was the only casualty.
If you think about it, one pig managed to change history.
This is only a small taste of an important part of our regional history. It is somewhat comforting to see that from time to time we can survive blunders and blunderbuss.
The dispute was resolved. We came out of it okay.
Like so many stories, there is so much more to know.
If you want to learn more there are two books you can read. “The Pig War” by Mike Vouri. And ”The Pig War” by Keith Murray.
Don’t forget! Hug your favorite pig today.
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John McNutt is a descendant of Clallam County pioneers and treasurer of the North Olympic History Center Board of Directors. He can be reached at woodrowsilly@gmail.com.
John’s Clallam history column appears the first Saturday of every month.
