he village, originally named Middleburgh, was established in 1652 by English Puritans, approximately 7 miles from New Amsterdam. When the British took over New Netherland in 1664, they renamed it New Town, which was eventually simplified to Newtown. It remained a rural community until the late 1890s, when it was renamed Elmhurst and became part of the City of Greater New York.

Dan Haneckow has written a fine vignette, February 26, 2012,  on Mark Twain's visit to Portland:  Mark Twain in Portland

Mr. Pearce of the Portland Oregonian and Clemens. Portland, Oregon. August 9
Mark Twain Archive, Elmira College courtesy of Kevin Mac Donnell, Austin, Texas.

The city of Tacoma and surrounding areas were inhabited for thousands of years by Native Americans, predominantly the Puyallup people, who lived in settlements on the delta. In 1852, a Swede named Nicolas Delin constructed a sawmill powered by water on a creek near the head of Commencement Bay, but the small settlement that grew up around it was abandoned during the Indian War of 1855–56.