The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-15
4 HISTORIC BUILDING.
Destruction Of the Pioneer YesEer
Building.
An Old Landmark. Around which
c1nster Many rand s1emsrssi.
Torn 60 Pieces

r
The old YesIer building which fer
over quarter of q century has eccu-
pied the corner of James and Front
streets, and which 81 late years has
been revereneed as landmark Of the
c1ty, is being torn down to make rom
for the magnificent six-story brisk
structure tn be known as the Pioneer
block The old building in question
was the first building OF any import
ance erected in Seattle. Mr.. H. L.
Yesler who gave the following facts re-
garsiing the old residence. originally
owned the land upon which the house
stands In 1854 he sold the entire
block 10 Francis McNatt. well known
to- old residents Of Seattle, for woke Of
oxen valued at $50, buying ii back
in ls5s for $780, While Mr.. Matt held
il be erected upon it the frame of the
present building. which contains six
rooms. About this time MIR. Yesler,
when his wife was about to join him
from Ohio, employed two carpenters
&c. Z. Hewitt. who was afterwards
chief justice OF the territory. and r.
I'll. Beatty, who Is now IN the insane
asylum-to complete the structure.
The building was the only structure
on the entire block save the Butler
building on James and Second streets.
The los, after Mrs. Yesler moved into
the house, was TILED and planted with
a few varieties or berries, and some
fruit trees we're sent out. OF these
berries and trees Mrs. Yesler always
took particular care, and she WAS al
wos proud OF them.
In due time Mrs. YeSier reached
Seattle, but before the completion of
the house, and while waiting its eoG
pletion she boarded with Mr.. Hitler
Butter. whose home with Mr.. Teslers s
were the only ones OF any importance
III tHe town at that time. On occupy
ing the house Mrs. Yesler's soon &C
quired a reputation for warmhearted-
ness rarely met with, for her house
was always open, and in those days of
loneliness numberless were the happy
evenings spent in her pleasant sitting
room.
The house was also frequently used
lor the performance OF marriage cere-
monies, mostly by the sea captains
whose vessels touched at this port.
Captain Avery, well known to old
timers on Puget Sound, who welded
young lady from Victoria, was the
From the time that she occupied the
place up to three years ago Mrs. Yes
Ter gave public receptions on New
Years day every year, and few were
they who did not call. When the
So L n
out they were parceled out to the diff
ferent houses IN town, the Yesler fam
lily receiving two: Miss Ordway. for
several years superintendent of schools
in kitsap county. and Miss Coffin,
afterwards Mrs. Hinckley, formerly OF
Port Ludlow, now OF California.
In 1883, when Henry Willard, then
president of the Northern Pacific rail-
road company came here TO attend the
last spike" celebration, the old Yes
Ter residence was the most gaiIy deco
rated in town, while on its square
front We're series of gas jets so ar
ranged as to read Welcome 10 Henry
Willard" Mrs. Yesler had small
autograph album in which the names
of her guests from time to time were
kept. The album is still possessed by
Mr.. Yesler who would not part with it
for thousands of dollars. From one
of its pages the following is copied:
schuyler Colfax, of south Bend, Indi.
ana, returned TO Seattle after an absence of
Is years, and rejoices to see evidences OF its
growth during that interval of time, and
the certain indications of It's future pros
perity. Seattle. w. T., October Is, 1883. =
Following that is the appended.
william Bross, of the Chicago Tribune,
here with Vice President Colfax In 1865
aud now October Is, 1883, rejoices with Mr..
Colfax in the prosperity OF Seattle, and
especially In the good health of Mr.. and
Mrs. Yesler. whom We met here on our
first visit"
During the Chinese troubles OF 1884
Mrs. Yesler had in her employ Chi
nese domestic who had been with her
for several years. One night during
the excitement several drunken agita-
tors went to the Yesler house and
kicking on the door, demanded that
the Chlnaman be given over TO them.
This, Mrs. Yesier, who was inside, re-
fused to do. saving that as her house
was her castle no one had right to
enter 1t. After trying persuasive
methods for time the rowdies
threatened TO blow the house up with
dynamite. They were about to put
their threat in execution when some
law-abiding citizens happened along
and took them into custody.
On the 18th OF january. 1882, the
last acts of TWO dramas of real life was
enacted with the assistance of the
trees planted years ago by Mr.. Yesler,
which to this DAY line the sidewalks
near the hous- that was once the pride
of Seattle. That last scene was the
hanging by citizens of Seattle OF james
Sullivan and William Howard, the
murderers of Geo. Il. REYNOLDS, and
Benjamin Payne, who shot and killed
Police Officer Savers, white the latter
was in the discharge OF his duties.
Mrs. Yesler protested against the desc
Grafton OF her garden, but the protest
was mildly yet firmly disregarded.
The old home was moved back to its
present position 10 make room for two
buildings which were moved off the
lot upon which the Starr block stands
10 permit its erection. This invasion
of her garden Mrs. Yesier strongly
opposed, and her opposition was only
removed on being given the rents
which Mr.. Yesler was TO receive for
the space occupied. The removal of
the Yesler family from the old resi-
dence TO the new one and the subse-
9uent demise of Mrs. Yesler are both
too fresh in the minds of the people of
Seattle 10 necessitate their repetition
here
The work OF destruction viii be over
to-day. Soon the ringing of the ma
sons trowels, a the old homestead's
successor Is begun. will be heard. and
soon the old building with its histor-
ical associations will be forgotten.
RON TuE Gnyru~xEpNT