Battle Ground
"Battle Ground, a town in Clarke County. Aug. H. Richter writes: 'In early days, forty or forty-five years ago, the Indians drove off live stock across the Lewis River three miles north of this place. The grandchild of Chief Jack told me the whole story thirty years ago. The Twenty-first Infantry from Vancouver was ordered out and there was fighting all around here. The soldiers received orders in the morning to shoot all Indians on sight. While the scouts were out, peace was declared, but they did not know it, and accidentally shot and killed the chief. In 1886, I built a store here and called it Battle Ground Store. In 1902, I platted the place.'"
Origin of Washington geographic names, 1923
City webpage: http://www.cityofbg.org/