The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-18

Seattle. April IL. iSsS.
70 6he Knisof: n fea nnet in~the Posts
InseEk9sncer tell c< the death o. snn
worthy pioneer on the 18th insL at.
DoEgherty was one Of the men VINO mAos
the early history OK this country. ara OF
whose demise there should be something
more than q passing note. 1t was q com
cidence OF interest that he SHOULD be porn
In the town Of Washington. in the county
OF Washington pennsyivania). ana tnas ne
should establish his home and 1--we ana dse
In the territory and state OF washington.
passing here forty-eight or his eaghfy-ssx
years. In the winter Of 1st2-C much atsen-
ton was given to Oregon IN the MISSISSIPPI
ri valley. The British government was
endeavoring to hold the country. or. at
least al, that portion OF IL north OF the
Coiumbia river a. possession OF its own
There was bitter opposition to this In the
United States. and meetings OK protest
we're held in Illinois and elsewhere. About
the same time DIR. Marcus Whitman made
his famous winter ride from Waila Waila
to st. Louis. Washington, ID. c., and New
York, and. by personal written and print
ed appeals. added TO the feeling then ex-
isting and further did what he could to
induce his fellow countrymen to 60 out
and possess the vast region watered by
the great Columbia. While many who
came then knew nothing of Whitman and
his work, all were undoubtedly imbued
with sentiments Of patriotism the imini-
grafton OF that year being intensely Amer
lean. Dougherty was one Of the number.
They left Missouri In May, there being
two divisions: one commanded by Capt.
Applegate. and the other by Capt. Cant.
At Fort Hail. Cant and OTHERS left the
main body and started for California, Pc
ter II. Burnett being elected captain In
stead and J. W. Nesmith being made Sec
ond In command. DR.. Whitman joined tho
party, and. having been over the road.
gave valuable advice and assistance. Not
the least in this respect was his positive
declarations that wagons could go on to
the Columbia river, and in accordance
Herewith, they were that year brought
for the first time to the western terminus
OF the transcontinennal journey. The i'm
migrants arrived the latter part Of Octo-
Der at Willamette falls. as the Oregon City
Of this day was then called. Most OF the
800 took up claims. For some reason
Qougherty did not. The provisional gov
eminent Of Oregon was soon after organ
led. and Dougherty was elected Justice OF
the peace. In lS46 he was married to May
Jane. daughter Of Thomas NJ Chambers
Upon the discovery Of gold In California.
in 1sAS, he with Peter H. Burnett. after
wards governor OF California: NJ NJ. Nc
Carver. who later founded the town Of Ia
coma. and a majority Of the men of the
Willamette settlements went south to the
land OF gold. Dougherty was there also
elected alcalde or judge. After a year or
two In California he returned to Oregon,
and In 1880 followed his father-in-law and
brothers-in-iaw to Puget sound. He took
donation claim OF $40 acres a few miles
from the present city of Tacoma, where
ne spent the remainder Of his DAYS. He
was then In the county OF Lewis, Of which
ne was one OF the commissioners. The
county seat being at John r. Jackson's
farm. at the head of Cowlitx valley. II
was long. hard trip TO the county seat,
and was made only when absolutely nec-
essary. By the subsequent creation OF
Thurston county. the seat was brought
nearer. to Olympia, and by the still later
creation OF Fierce county was brought to
Stefiacoom. Dougherty served several
years as probate judge OF Pierce. and he
was known from the first as judge Dough-
erty. He was charter member of the
hrst Masonic lodge on the Pacific coast.
at Oregon City. and also of the first in
Pierce county, at Steilacoosn Mrs. Dough-
erty was the first white woman to per-
manentiy settle In what Is now the county
OF Pierce. They had eight chsldren-four
boys and four girls Judge Doughertv was
most estimable citixes,-modest. unass,,,n-
ing, gentlemanly. Though a staunch DEM
ocrat. he preferred his farm to poli,ics
and though he held number of offices. n
was with him always a case OF the Mace
seeking the man. The state never had and
never will have a better and nobler citl-
zen than William p Dougherty
THOMAS w. PROSCH.