The reservation was established by the executive order of President Ulysses S. Grant on 2 July 1872.

[3][4] In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson, with Congressional authorization, opened up more reservation land for settlement.

While incarcerated, he filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in the Washington Supreme Court.

The state Supreme Court denied the petition on the grounds that the offense did not take place in "Indian country".

[16] Black stated that "Since the burglary with which petitioner was charged occurred on property plainly located within the limits of that reservation, the courts of Washington had no jurisdiction to try him for that offense.