Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-04-17
DEATH OF ANOTHER PIONEER.
Josiah II. Munson Passes to the Unknown
Shore

Josiah II. Munson who died in the
Seattle General Hospital, last Satur.
day night, is entitled to more than
casual mention, from the fact that he
was so long prominent factor in our
local progress.
Mr.. Munson came to Puget Sound
as Second Mate OF the bark Toando, in
1859, of which vessel G. ID. Kellar was
Captain and is son, A. w. Kellar, was
First Mate. They made the trip
around the Horn in six months, con-
sidered good time for those days. On
the long voyage around the Horn an
attachment sprang up between the
young Second Mate and Miss Emily,
the daughter of Capt. Kellar.
They were married just one week
after the arrival of the bark at Port
Townsend, the wedding taking place
in the old Tibbsl's hotel. The young
couple soon afterward moved to Steil-
accom-, then the leading town on the
American side of Puget Sound.
A strong friendship existed between
Henry l.. Yesler, the owner of the
main part of the Seattle TOWNSHIP and
Mr.. Munson, and Mr.. Yesler offered
the young man block in the then
sawmill town of Seattle if he would
move there, but Steilacoom seemed
to have brighter prospects, and Mr..
Munson stayed there. He could have
have taken up q homestead where
Seattle now stands. along with A. A.
Denny, Maynard, Bell and others, Blu
he preferred to come to Olympia.
In the early Territorial days Mr..
Mnnson was quite prominent char
acter in politics. He was Treasurer
and Librarian of the Territory, was
Postmaster OF Olympia for twelve
years, and was Treasurer of Thurston
county for twelve years.
In 1889, the year Washington was
admitted as a State, Mr.. Munson
moved to Seattle, and made that city
his home from that time until his
death. After his removal from the
capital he did not take an active part
in polititics, and he and his wife made
their home with their two sons out on
the shores of Lake Washington.
Deceased was a member of harmony
lodge No. ! of Masons of Olympia.
He reared family of seven children
in Washington. The eldest is Mrs. u.
r. Grant, now living in Alameda. Her
first husband was Lincoln p. Ferry,
son of Governor Elisha P. Ferry. Mrs.
j. ID. Van Buren,, another daughter, is
also living in Alameda, Cal. Albert
j. Munson is Postmaster at Shelton
and Louis X. and Fred. are also resi-.
dents of Shelton. Charles H. is Cap
tain and ]. K. Munson is engineer OF
the Emily T. Kellar. the boat being
named for their mother.
Death was caused from pneumonia,
deceased being sick only about ten
days. His sons were at his side with
their mother when death came. The
funeral took place Monday morning,
and interment was made in Lake
View Cemetery, Seattle. The pail
bearers were all old-time Olympians,
being S. l.. Crawford, c. B. Bagley,
l.. A. Treen, r. S. Weston, Griffith
Davis and Charles Prosch.
Probably no resident of the capital
city has possessed so many disting-
u;shing traits of individuality as Jo-
siah H. Munson. He would have
made an admirable character for the
graphic word pictures of a Dickens.
While he was steadfast in what he
conceived to be matters of principal,
he belonged to the so-called liberal
world of thought, and believed that
Bob Ingersoll was about the cul-
mination of earthly wisdom. He was
steadfast temperance advocate and a
stalwart Republican, but that he could
hold 90 many and so responsible posi-
tions of trust shows that he had
place in the hearts Of his friends. He
was a man of cheerful habits and OF
much quaint humor. He always had
a smile for friends or foe, but of the
latter, except those who differed with
him in religion, he had very few. He
was his own "worst enemy" mas
much 40 he never had q closed hand
to the voice of Suffering, and he died
poor although his opportunities for
achieving wealth we're many, and an
ample competency was spent in the
aid of others.
His only brother, Frank Munson,
lives near Shelton.