The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-11
Dl)|LDED n / I|IlE1ESS


siias - sAs ssssA u Isss.
XT7ITH nsurs somewhat bent. but
Nv otheswtae ~ actise ~ Il was
twenty years ago. mind -
clear - youth. memoFy "a s0od thai min
ute particulars Of Hffls Incidents Of half
century ago are recalled with Stvtdueas,
hale. hearty. young -Iook3nx. 20 Jesse Fer
guson, one Of tbs earliest settlers II wash
ington and member Of the FIRST expedi-
tt0n that crossed the piains from the East
and remained here IL today. Three score
and ifteen years have gone from his life.
nnt he - apparently good for twenty
more.
Nr. Ferguson's activity In the fyst his
tory Of this Eorshwess has been brought
70 light and made much Of during the
past week by his participation in the an
uual meeting OF the Washington Pioneer
Association. He came from Olympia 10
see his associates Of the long ago. but
could find none who had seen Washington
70 early m he. and had 10 content him
self With telling his younger fellows Of
the deeds Of Northwestern antiquity. His
lie has been REMARKABLY free from vic.s-
otfudes. considering the tr0ublous times
that have afflicted the country since he
took share In III upbutIding. When he
vent over the deserts and prairies IN his
democrat wagon in the anriy 10 ii was
before the Indians were on the wafpaih.
~ general immigration had not then
commenced. and the journey was passed
without more than the usual perpiexities
Of prairie schooner travel. Later than
then he has simply lived In washington
ana raised from the soil the food needed
for the comfortable support OF himseif
and his family.
One Incident only there was that marred
the serenity II this career. In the begin
ming Of the 'e0s he was taken with an at
tack OF gold fever. and with twenty Ave
others sailed on the English sIoop 0eorgi-
ana for oueen Charlotte island. where II
Waa reported that riches ahounded The
ship reached the destination without any
casualty OF note: but II the end OF the
voyage Was driven ashore In . gale. Coon
afterwArd > hand Of Indians rushed
aboard. robbed the passengers of every
thing they had and took them prisoners
They were held for nfty-four days. until
they were rescued by the United States
Watshtp Damerescoye, Capt Baieh. and
even then the prisoners had TO be ram
somsd. Uncle Sam buying tl.sa0 worth of
goods from the Hudson Bay Company to
give IN exchange to the redskins. During
their Incarceration. for some unusual rea-
ron not known. the prospectors were not
molested by their captors and all escaped
without injury or serious insult.
. o
a 3 has been told in the ost-Intell.-
gencer. Mr. Ferguson was one of
the members OF the famous party led
Through the wilds OF the West BY Col NJ
+. Simmons, the indomitabie hunter and
frcntiersnan OF Kentucky. who was 20
prominently identified with washington's
formative history. and who was the frst
Indian agent 10 be appointed In this ter
Yitory By the United States s.goyernment {
The expedition left 81. joseph. No. in
May. ittt. with eighty democrat wagons
IN the train. They followed nearly
straight course across the plains and
through the South pass. Al The Dalies.
where they arrived the next winter. thu
party took battcAu ana went down the
Columbia river. passing the place where
Portland 10. but which Was then nothing
but dense growth OK forest and under
brush without = sign OF habitation and
proceeded 10 Oregon City. then a strug-
xi're hamlet. The others went to various
parts Of Oregon and California.
They remained there nine months, en-
Gaging IN numbering. logging and carpen-
tertng, and the next spring, is4S. went In
canoes 10 Astoria They remained there
four months. and then went TO the head
Of the Sound. settling AT New Market or
what IL now known as Tumwater. first
hnwcvrr. making a round trip OF the
-
Mr.. Ferguson remained there for time.
In the meanwhile most Of the others scat
tering TO various parts Of Western Wash
inxton. He took up half a seesion OF land,
cleared II and erected log house. bat
when the gold excitement broke out In
California In ists no went south. taking
passage on lumber vessel hut he did
not do any prospecting. owing primarily
10 the heavy rains that occurred that
year. and returning 10 his homn found
that several other white families had set
tied near there. The settlement WAS
named Bush Prairie. after George Bush.
the intrepid celored member OF the orig
inai expedition across The plains. Mr..
Bush died In the early Sos. leaving the
memory of enc of the braves, and rnes,
valuable men knewn Ia washingson's be-
ginning.
CytNcE then Mr.. Ferguson's life has
- been ore of more than usual content
ment. He was married In $50 TO Miss
jane Rutiedge, native of Ohio. wh,
crossed the plains with her parents tina,
same year and settled ln ThurSton rean-
~, They had faur children all Of whom
are living. Mrs. William, Lee, orss 81 the
daughters. II the wife OF farmer in
Whitman county. while Mrs John t'altcw
the other, Hives in Mason county David
Ferguson. one % the sons. is In Seattle.
0siu S8Wssst remains at the family horne
utead with his father Mrs Ferguson Ss~d
In fsso. Mr., Ferguson MAS bern near Ssn~
dasky, q. May &. iSss Hts parents moved
70 Quincy. III. when he was but an infant
and he lived there uatli he 1as Il years
OLD. when they again changed their abode,
that time 10 Savannah No There wers
twelve children sn the family
og the Summons expedition 20 Washing
ten Gabriel Jones died rsuper sn Lewis
county ten years ago, David Kinder tho
elder Of the TIVE - that name, died TWEEN
ty@eve years ago John Kinder. fis son.
II In poor circumstances N Thn-~san
county, ana samuel Crockett - san Nv
Ing. supposedly sn the i'siyallap valley.
~. T. simmons died az me close % ~,
civil war James MA ssss5rtvT ehn had
been erse * the commissioners OF Thurs
ton county. was made lieutenant ~ IN.
FIRST military company organised IN In.
territory. and toek pars ia shs Indian wars
under Capt Charles Eaten IA an engage.
ment with f.esch aa connsil prssfs. tss~
eounty, AcAiltsteg was kfllsd Il, fss& ara
lsssrhi Was hanged afssrwsfa for ksgsgax
Moses
Mr.. Ferguson - the last p~asnsrset sur.
vtsor eff this famous expedition, snN il