The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-25


Of an earitar aftempf. on the part OF
~Fhsf. rrsan. 20 max a settlement upon the
sharee % Elliott bay. This effort was put
forth by fsa late John g. H03gate
brother Il Mrs Abhls J. Hanfo1d. the
mother OF Federal Judge g. h Hanford.
Frank Hanf0rd and Clarence Hanford. all
or Seattle During the month Of septem-
her tao. more than year prior 20 tie
AK point settlement OF November. ISL.
HoiRate sfaked out a claim fronting on
fha hay near the mouth Of the Duwanllsh
river. While he never occupied this land.
which waz afterwards taken up and set
tied by a member Of the earlier genera
ton Of the Naples. now so nHnierousiy
populatlng that section Of the county, the
fact remains as will be seen from the
sub5osnsd letter. written from Portland.
Or In May. 1861. that he maae tour OF
Puget sound during the months Of August
snd September Of the year previous. This
trip preceded the advent Of Luther VI.
Collins and others who located up White
river. some time before Messrs. Denny.
Boreu and Maynard began laying the
foundation Of Seattle In the spring OF is52.
fIoisate. having "staked' his claim. re-
turned 20 Portland. and thence to his
Iswa home 20 secure that other RIB" "a
wife, Of which mention II made in the
letter. Before his return home he foynf
that thn woman he intended making hts
wife had died. Turning his face again to
the Wild West he came on to Portland
and to the Sound only TO find that his
claim. of which he made no formal entry.
had been taken Up and occupied by Maple.
With discovery Hoigate, undaunted, took
up a homestead adjoining that Of Or May
nard.
Slight reference 20 these events is made
by Bancroft in his history Of Washing
ton. Idaho and Montana. and mention Of
Ifafrs II
attic. edited by r. J. Grant Living au-
thority Is likewise found In the person OF
Mrs. Hanford. who has many letters and
other documentary evidence OF her
brothers voyage OF discovery on Puget
sound. Registrar Meany. OF the state
university, recently copied some OF these
for historical purposes mention Of which
was made tn the Post-Intslligenoer.
Mrs. Hartford Is in her seventy-third
year. Her memory Is apparently as good
as ever. and certainly her intellect Is un-
impaired. She talked freely and enter
tainingis Of Mr.. Hogate's pioneer expert
ences. when seen at her home. SO Spring
street. few days ago. The events which
led 10 his coming % the Northwest are
not uninteresting. They fitly illustrate
how the most trivial thing sometimes
turns and directs the course of human
action.
In an early day the Holgates lived on
the Miami river. i'm Butler county Ohio
There Mrs. Hanford and her brother John
Halgate. four years her junior. spent their
early childhood. John was a delicate
child and often fretfnl and peevish Not
infreauently the nurse would conceive the
idea OF soaring him into better behavior
by telling ghost stories Sometimes too
she would threaten the wrath of the eie-
nenis. solemnIy assuring the youngster
that unless he deported himself more be-
IN civ he "a. Efr Bphf
that thunder was also very dangerous
thing. Naturally the child grew 10 con-
template storms with horror. Added to
this. after tho iIogate family had moved
% Van Buren, county. Iowa. lightning did
strike, demolishing a tree I'm the house
yard. and the wind blew down n great
maple which came near falling upon the
dwelling. These things all but terrorzed
Master John. and TO his sister and play
mate he often expressed the desire to live
~ a country where he could never sec the
fash OF lightning or hear the roar of
thunder.
one day when rumaging In the garrett
of their home Sister Abbie. who had by
this time grown 10 be girl OF IL. found a
copy of Lewis a Clarke'S Journal con-
tanning notes on the Northwest. These
described in greater or less detail the
grandeur OF this section of the country
laying great stress upon its climatic adj
among other things. that thunder and
lightning were unknown. Young John Was
delighted. Boy though he was and scarce
~ ant of kits. he Informed his sister that
the oregon country was the place for him:
that he would rs soon as he had attained
manhood so there and make his home.
lie wanted to be and i've ia place where
storms were unknown.
So IL was I'm pursuance of this youthful
resolution that Holgate, at the age OF ~.
left the parental roof I'm iowa To cross the
plains. and found home for himself in
far-of Oregon. Mrs. Hanford the sister
who had filled his mind with these rowing
ideas by innoccntly reading the thrilling
voyage and discovery tales OF Lewis and
Clarke. entered the strongest protest
against his going. She did everything pos
sihie 20 dissuade him from his purpose
but 20 no avail Her anxicties were the
greater from the fact that her brother
aside frem bis youth was very delicate
and frai weighing at the time OF his de-
rarture only iot pounds But he not only
found fortune IN the West hut something
~ greater value stili-hsalth. Eighteen
months after his arrival on Tuaiatin
plains. Or. where ne first located. IN a
letter TO his parents he stated that he had
increased IN weight from fn4 20 As pounds
When In the summer OF iSa Holgate
set cat from oregon TO Puget sound on
q voyage % discovery and exploration he
brought up first at TumWater where Re
found Mike r. simmons. the first actual
white settler upon the shores Of this In
land sea. simmons. with six or seven
others. located ne Tumwater In the win
ter - 1875 and 1885. From Sirnous Hoigate
gained some knowledge OF the sound. hut
he nevertheless made a personal investi-
CATION extending over a period OF nearly
two months. II was his glowing descrip-
ffon ~ the country that later induced u
~ Hastings and r ". Pettygrovc the
fort Townsend pioneers. 20 locate on
Port Townsend hay
Though no mention IL made 81 the fact
IN bis letters. no doubt from the fact that
hw did not wish - give his parents uu-
necessary anxiety. Yet Holgats waz one
~ the party that went 20 roscus the cap
tivea taken by the Indian murderers Il
nr Whitman. ore OF the letters IN hfs
rslstireS IN towa VAS taken East ~ Co.
". Gilbert, who was detailed ~ TIE
Northwest pioneers 70 carry the irfe~vs,s-
ton % the Whitman massacre 20 wash
iuSton. II. c.
TIE lcfter IN which Haiwate refers % IA
tria 20 Puget sound O. as follows.
Portland u =. Nav e tss'
Nj 2 $. HAnf0fs-Ihear t'yiena Hax-
fnE 20 last come ta = conclusion What [
v0ait 30 this summer Rnf = Mttla lefstf-ss
d present ] thotashs | would try auA am
swer YOURS 81 January last as wcu as Z
rouft I Vii tnFosn Nuu IN fhe AIRS. place
ttat through tne blessings 81 divine Prov
atfnctS asD euitN tftE EooA hTaifn 81 g,rr~-
ent. nly average wrisat telnx is rounds
daring th~ last six months
In re HrSt place. vou wfsh rrr - an
sweF yo0 I'm rcgAFs - the hral,h q rets
country Nv opsutoa Bs that e 4sren4~
estieef-T ~ Lower Willamette watch ia f~ora
e'Taxon CIV - the Columbia distance