Van Trump, Philemon Beecher, 1838-1916.

Early mountaineering enthusiast, Philemon Beecher Van Trump (1838-1916), is frequently credited with having made the first documented ascent of Mount Rainier with Hazard Stevens in 1870. Born in Lancaster, Ohio, Van Trump first arrived in the Pacific Northwest in 1865 by means of an overland journey. He returned to the region in 1867, settling in Olympia, Washington, where he served as secretary to territorial governor, Marshall F. Moore. Van Trump and Stevens completed their first successful climb in August 1870, but Van Trump would make several other trips, including an 1888 ascent with naturalist John Muir. Van Trump moved to Yelm in 1880, becoming postmaster and operating a general store. He was instrumental in the effort to create Mount Rainier National Park.