The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-27
STORY OF SEATTLE.
Historical and Biographical
Sketches Of Its Career.
MEN WHO HAVE MADE a MARK.


"a history Of seattle can be nothing more than
= eheufeY from m unconnpIeted volume. ne
rkovv 81 the cify's life has but bogus, and u
VII continue 10 unfold 20 long rs physical and
eocfsI conditions IN North America remain IN
changed. Seattle has ID the future many years
-rnasry centuries -of life. snd the past Affords
only the beginning Of the story. This history
een fkesefo~e be regarded As q story OF the
Ifoaeer days Of seattle. II covers period OF
eofv forty years. and - future time passes this
uerfod viii become more and mere homogeneous
q anrcsrsuee. We who reside In Seattle today
20 NOT regard ourselves ne In any SENSE pioneers
TIE Substantial city Of the present apparently
~ little in common with she frontier ssttlemens
oftwenty-fse years ago. But TO the residen. o.
eeA4f1e ceufary or two centuries hence. today
wf5l s. linked With yesterday as the days of the
paorseys. Ire time intervening between the
eS<uts that have marked the city q history hish-
exto--the Siege the lynehing, the anti-Gninese
HIT the great nre--wiii appear less and less. In
che long perspective Of the future, the present
ana the recent past will seem almost as one II
= IN fAis sense, therefore, that the present vol
nine ID said 10 contain only the history Of the
pt0neer days Of seattle
AEtsn &C this comparatively eariy day. how.
Gves The preparation Of history Of Seattle is al
tended With dificuifieA The sources Of infor-
msfson are not 30 picntifui es might be sup
Dnsed The written records Of Seattle past ere
axoecdinkiy sesnty. In the absence OF such
1eecrds the historian il compelled to depend
MON the mem orscs Of the actors In the scenes
described When information is derived from
IRIS source alone, there are frequently contra
dicffcns which seem iBexpiieabie.
Ax0two mer view On occurrence in precisely
~ same way, and no two men remember IL
o1tke Where the Information gathered in this
manner seemed to ccaniet, every effort was
0nde b. those who prepared the present work
- eeQuaint themselves with the real facts
Ibsss may be points In which the conclusion
reached differs materially from the fecoliectons
of the majority but believe that IN eli material
points the history Is a. correct Is patient re-
search could make II. As 10 the events Of more
recent years, tie files Of the newspapers have. of
cocrHe. been IA Invaluable mine Of information,
bnt The story OF earlier events IL based almost
entirely upon the memories Of those who wit
1cs&cd them
1bus fa0des:iy does M Frederic James Grant
sound the pref ude to q story which in It's simple
AnnaIs. will be ocnd 10 the last line by all who
Rid the first. II is entitled "A History 81 se-
atf1e, with illustrations and biographical
sketches Of some of is prominent men and
ploneers," and liz published by the American
Publishing and Engraving Company, OF New
York.
The nrss chapter deals with the geographical
position Of Seattle with especial reference TO the
cummefcisl advantages ifs legation affords II,
and the future II may look Toward to. The
next lorna actually the initial Of tho story sud
from the point wheE Henry Van ASSET Is intro
dnced 10 the reader N the first settler on the
nuHam;ah, interest never flags The motives,
methods, troubles. necessities. disappoint-
Welsta and difficulties of the pso-
Hecrs are rclsted with sufficient detail to
make pen pictures of the various stages Of
progrcss. Van ASSET was born in Holland In
1917, crossed The Atlantic in 1sf7, went To Cali
1orDia In 1851. was al Oregon pioneer. and came
90 tho Sound with Jacob and Samuel Maple.
John Thornton. now of Port Townsend: two
others who did not remain. and L. II. Collins.
who nrst scttled at Nisqually. The settlement.
ot AK point was first made by Lee Terry, J. y.
low aud d. T. Denny In the same year. The
historian halts at this stage to pay q well-dc.
served tribute TO the Dennys. who were progress.
0tve - the earliest pioneers, but unlike mos:
settlers In = new country, they were always
ahead OF II, and still live, honored as among the
most liberal and broad minded Of scattle's cit
The Indians I'm 1873 were estimated to numbe,
e.Wo. and there were on Alki point alone zoo
tol.mo.
Their clothing was very limited Originally
the indians were well clad. having skins and
furs, but ~ soon a. the trade for pelts began
they dickered them of 70. trinkets, iron, mus
kets. and At the time Of the settlement. of Seattle
were - nearly unelothed as they had ever beer
in their history. The women still wore
aprons or .peiisses or girdles made ol
finely wrought cedar bark, which wa.
gathered mp on string TO be tied about tbs
waist, and fell liz tassel work Of strings 10 tbs
Knee As an outer covering or protection
from the cold or rain, they usually had blanket
ar piece Of CLOTH The men and children otter
went without any clothing Whatever, or onl,
1x<~x .I<s4J L. III
however, TO want clothing. and hickory shiri
vas willingly purchased at the price OF Who'll,
venison"
Mr. Gran. shows beyond donb, that Bancroft
- wrong ia atsributing to these Indians enmity
81 The settlers generally. They were very hittc
against liking Georges men," but seem on ths
whole 70 have been friendly 10 Americans
Among prominent men OF the time were Pa
Aanifn. OF the snoauaimies; Dick, of the Du
wampshes: Nelson. of the Mnskleshoots, aus
GTsyhead, OF the inequalities.
The Chief for whom Seattle was named liyes
across the inlet, on Bainbridge island al Po-
Madison. at the great lodge known rs the ok
Nan House, pronounced ole man. This Singh
jsr name il explained by Saving tha. the Ind.an
conceived Of inanimstc objects rs masculine o
feminine. but had no way OF expressing the dis
tincfion In Chinook but by using the prefix ol
nan or ole woman This house, being larg
and strong. was thought OF as strong chief .o
man. scaitie's father was suausmish and hi
mother Dawarnish. and by this he was reeo..
nized as superior chief Of both By the hitsa
200. he was Recognized as = high chief Thi
a. unction was lot due 10 much 4
Ms great ability as IN his vel
known fricnaiiness He WAS much n,
and down the Sound, stopping often A
Olympia rs well as at the Old Man house. 4
Vas at the former place that he met Df Maynar,
and gave him his granddaughter Betsy Late
On this young woman ie,. dismal life, hayin
- husband a dissolutc white rnau who eieserte,
her end her child. Some time after the settle
mcni AT Seattle she ended her own life hy hang
sng. There were two sons OF Seattle. one .
whom is remembered n tall and tine look ia
Indian, hnt both died of consumption Hong bs
fore the death of their father. In person Sea,tt
was short and heavy, weighing as auch a. Is
pounds. lie was round shouiderea aud ty sora
u was fsaclsd that be resembled Il
FEATURE Senator Benton. OF Missouri. Iii
face was refined and benevolent hut ma
particularly strong. lie was a gooa friend /
she whites. yet when the kiekitats began tn
var on The whites did not manifest the eoaeer
oil Pat kanim Tor their safety. He died in fsss
~ an age estimated about 80 lie professc
% remember Vancouver which might ycr
likely have been the ease, as he must have hee
aboy o. from to 20 when the great navigate
visited Puget sound. He was nea. ia his ires,
wearing shirt, psHiatoots. coas and often
blanket, with hich pesked hat of native raanu
faetaIe- He became Catholic in faith. and hi
grave is marked by shaft inscribed with hi
nafae. tae symbols Of his faith aaa brief wor
indicating his services 20 the whites. This wa
rssses but few years since hy citizens c
seattle HIS nsrae, as pronounced by ~
Indians, was 'Sesith'
IL seems probable that the settlers gave thei
own sounds to several other Indian name.
Nothing Is said, by the way, Of Angelina, VIII
Processes TO he the chiefs daughter
he intense interest attaching TO the earl