The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-02-14
MARRIED kloocHneN.
The Early Pioneers Welded Squaws
In Many Gases.


The Seattle Times in q recent articl,
says: "A white man With . squaw for
wife may seem . little novel now, b
twenty years ago the sight was 30 com
mon in the Western part of this STATE
that marriage ceremony of that kline
could take place with less than one-6fti
eth the gossip that would attend such az
event now.
"In fact, q white woman in those days
was such rarity and novelty that mar
mage union with the dusky maiden wsa
considered by the whites to DC simply
the proper caper.
"The fret white settlers of Washington
singularly, were nearly ell single men
who had struck boldly out to the West
TO carve their fortunes. The difficulties
attending such q move were sufficient
without the addition of domestic duties.
"As q result, thousands Of the early
pioneers took unto themselves sQuaw
wives. The Indian women usually made
faithful mates and strange enough, fell in.
TO the Boston ways in comparatively short
time. The offspring in these instances
we're naturally called "half breeds" and
the large population of that class now
extant is but proof Of the numerous
marriages with the Indian women that
must have taken place.
Thirty years ago nearly every white
man living at the various settlements
along the Sonnd who had not brought
white WIVES with them from the East
was living with kloochman.
The majority of these cases were in
King and Snohomish counties, as here
we're the thickest colonies. Men now
well known throughout the entire State,
occupying positions of wealth and infiu-
ence, were among the number above men,
,ioned. Some Of them would blush if
their names were to be mentioned,
The statement, however startling, is
nevertheless true, that many of the most
successful Of the early Washington pio-
neers yet living are men who formerly
had squaw wives, but who since have
married white women and have families
Of white children.
Up to 1870, hundreds of white men
were living with Indian women whom
they had not married. Accordingly
about that date the Legislature passed
law requiring all those living with squaws
whom they had not married, to marry at
once, or live apart from them.
In effect this was quite a revolution,
as only about one-third of the whole
number had had the ceremony performed.
The other white men deserted their
Indian mates, with whom they had lived
30 long, and by whom, in many instances,
they had families of "half breed" chill
dren.
Many of the weddings which did take
place we've extremely strange to the new
coners, and not entirely Indifferent oc,
currenccs to the old timer.
Along the Snohomish, Skyhomish,
skagit: Snllaguamish and Nooksack
rivers, especially in the farming sections,
may now be seen white male farmers,
who, upon the issuance Of the 1870 decree,
married the squaws and who now have
grown up ''half breed" children.
These in turn have intermarried with
the whites and formed thus lineage de-
ecent OF quarter breeds" almost ap-
preaching octoroons.
On the other hand there are now scat
tered thickly throughout King, Snoho
misl, Skagit and Whatcom counties the
most prominent men in the State-men,
once the husbands Of squaws, with fam
lilies of shalt breed" children yet extant, !
and who now are living with white wives,
by whom they have had second family. !
Many such men are now our legisla !
tors, judges, attorneys and city officials.