Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-10-11
Death Of q Good Man


do justice to the work of Rev. George
+. Whitworth in the early DAYS of
the new Territory of Washington, in
founding the Christian religion on
the borders of civilization and the
! active part taken by him in starting
development in this wide stretch of
country of such unlimited resources.
Mr.. Whitworth's settlement in
ThurstOn county dates back to 1854.
having crossed the plains the previ-
Gus year. Arriving in Portland, he
assisted in organizing n Presby ter
ian church there, and for a short
time was its minister, when, in Feb
ruary, 1884. he came to Olympia. and
was the first minister of that denom-
inatiOn to cross the Columbia river
into the new Territory. organized the
previous year. His family wintered
in Portland, and moved to this city
the following May. His home was
primitive affair. built of shacks, on
what was formerly known as the
Whitworth place" near Mission
Park. about mile and half north
east from town.
In November of 1884 he organized
the Presbyterian society of this city,
called the First Presbyterian church,
which was specially entitled to the
name as being likewise the first in
the then Territory. During the In
dian war of 1855 6, Mr.. Whitworth
supplied stations at Grand Mound,
and Chehalis near where ClaquatO
was known in the early days. His
semimOnthly visits to these congrc-
cations was attended by no little
danger, as the route of % to 40 miles
was almost deserted, all families hav-
ing moved to places of safety. 1t is
undoubtedly the high reputation he
enjoyed, in both secular and religious
work, that secured him immunity
from attack. He travelled unarmed
and with implicit fuith that the Good
Master would guard him from all
harm.
There is scarcely any position in
private life that Mr.. W. was not ca
pable, or willing, to fill, for be it
known that the early preachers had
no congregations that were able to
pay an adequate salary. He taught
school for several terms, and the
writer remembers the most happy
experience in school life, under his
kind, painstaking and able methods
of instruction His first term of
school was taught in the upper story
of the old building first used by the
Territorial Legislature, on Block 12,
just back of the New England Hotel,
which then frOnted on Main street.
Among the positions of trust filled
by him may be enumerated Superin-
tendent of Schools in ThurSton and
King counties; United States Deputy
Surveyor; County Surveyor of King;
City Surveyor of Seattle; Deputy |
Collector of Customs for tho Puget
Sound district; twice President of |
the Territorial University; twice
Chief Clerk Of the SUPPLEMENTARY Of
Indian Affairs; Secretary of the COM
mission which made the treaty with |
the Nez Perces at Lapwai in 1862.
With the Rev. Daniel Bagley,
p. III. Lewis and others, he under |
took to open the coal mines afterward |
owned by the Oregon Improvement |
company.
He had occupied many places of
honor in the work of the Presbyter- |
ian church and in 1890 received the
degree of ID. from Hanover college. |
In 1869 he organized the First |
Presbytern church at Seattle and |
subsequently those at Sumner, Rem
ton and White River. Part of the
time while at Sumner he supplied the
church at Tacoma.
Impressed with the Importance of
extending the educational work, his
efforts resulted in the establishment
of an academy at Sumner, which
afterward developed into Whitworth
college, now located in Tacoma.
He was present and delivered the
invocation at the unwilling of the
Wilkes monument, Sequalitchew lake,
July 5. 1906. He also participated
in the July meeting this year of the
Pierce County Pioneers Association
at Lake SteilacOom.
Memorial resolutions were adopted
by the faculty of WhitwOrth college
and it attended, Wednesday after
noon, the funeral in a body. AS a
further tribute of respect the regular
work of the college was suspended
that day. President D. H. Kroeze
of Whitworth college paid a high
tribute to Mr.. Whitworth as one of
the greatest of the pioneers, espe-
cially in the educational and charita-
BILE work of the church.
Mr.. Whitworth was born in Bos-
ton, Eng, March Is, 1916. He came
to the United States with his parents
when he was IL years old. At the
age of II he began classical course
at Hanover college, Indiana, and was
graduated there in 1888. After leav-
ing college he taught school and sub
sequently studied law, and practiced
at CharlnStowp Ind until 1910