References to Seattle in the 1800s

The Indian name for the place that became Seattle was Tzee-tzee-lal-itc, meaning little place where one crosses over. The first settlers named the town "New York" and "Alki" (which is the Indian word for by-and-by). Doc Maynard is credited with naming the town after one of the local Indian chiefs, Sealth. Being hard for most people to pronounce, the name became Seattle.

On The Web

The best source of information (if you can't find the answer anywhere else), is the Seattle Public Library. You need a valid Seattle Public library card to use this service.

Books

Skid Road by Murray Morgan,
University of Washington Press, 1982; ISBN 9-295-95846-4
- Informal and picturesque, Skid Road is the story of Seattle during its first hundred years, seen through the lives of the vigorous personalities of its settlers and early citizens. The revised edition is ilustrated and provides a vivid portrayal of its past: pioneering, Indian warfare, lumber, railroads, the great fire 1889, the Alaska gold rush, the amusment business, newspapers, the general strike of 1919, and the tumultuous politics of city and state that have made history in the Northwest.
The Man Who Invented Seattle: Doc Maynard by Bill Speidel,
Nettle Creek Publishing Company, 1978; ISBN 0-914890-4-07-7
- "Doc Maynard put Seattle where she is on purpose!...He named the town. He brought the first residents here ... the first store ...pharmacy ... restaurant ... hotel ...gambling joint ... saloon and whorehouse. It was his specific ambition to make Seattle the greatest city on earth...
  And oh, yes he had one other thing going for him that too often is missing today ... A magificent sense of humor.
Sons of the Profits by Bill Speidel,
Nettle Creek Publishing Company, 1967; ISBN 0-914890-00-X
- "Here is a book that not only rattles the skeletons in Seattle's historical closets—it even reaches in and audaciously tickles their funny bones....You'll read about some lively battles..., Seattle's remarkable method for diverting trade from burgeoning Tacoma...You'll read how Chief Seattle was padi for the use of his name...how Henry Yesler brought his city to the brink of bankruptcy...how"Sin" made it solvent again...how an atheistic saloon-keeper of the 1860s is responsible for the present beautiful Opera house."
The Seattle Guidebook by Archie Satterfield,
The Globe Pequot Press, 1989; ISBN 0-87106-633-5
- It's a tour book, but the end contains a wonderful timeline of Seattle's history.

Timeline

You will have to decide for yourself when the Bolts, Stempels, Pruitts and other HCTB town people fit in.

1792	Captain George Vancouver explores the Puget Sound.
1841	Charles Wilkes surveys the Puget Sound and decides on place names. Find out the origin of different place names
1851	The following groups of people settle in the area: Group 1: John C. Holgate Edward Hanford (Holgate's brother-in-law) Group 2: September 15th (arrived while John Holgate was in Oregon trying to convince his family and friends to join him). Luther M. Collins, wife & daughter Henry Van Asselt Jacob Maple, wife & son Group 3: September 28th (The Collins group planted and sold the Denny party potatoes). David Denny John Low Lee Terry Group 4: November 13 (aboard the schooner Exact from Portland). It was a cold, rainy day. Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Denny & 3 children Mr. & Mrs. John Low & 4 children Mr. & Mrs. Carson Boren & daughter, Louisa Mr. & Mrs. William Bell & 4 daughters Mr. Charles Terry
1852	Arthur Denny, Boren & Bell move to the east side of Elliott Bay on February 15th. Seattle becomes the seat of King County The brig John David is the first vessel to load at Seattle Robert W. Moxlie begins mail service via a twice weekly canoe trip to Olympia. Cost: $.25 per letter sent/received. The first white female child is born on September 18th to George McConaha 1st divorce granted to Dr. David S. Maynard from his wife left behind in Ohio. The grounds were marital infidelity on the part of his wife.
1853	Washington Territory is formed on April 25th, separating it from Oregon Territory. David T. Denny & Louisa Boren get married. Henry Yesler (think Aaron Stempel) arrives in Seattle in October. Yesler's cookhouse for sawmill workers is the first restaurant in a 100 mile radius for a long time. First post office is established. Arthur Denny is postmaster. First school house is built on Van Asselt's land. Catherine Blaine, wife of the Reverend David Blaine begins teaching 1/1854 Arthur Denny is elected to the Oregon territorial legistalature.
1855	Yeslser builds the first water system in the town by connecting wooden troughs.
1856	Battle of Seattle
1857	Population is 250
1861	Territorial University opens w/Asa Mercer as its head extremely cold winter
1862	Population is 350 Luther Collins drowns in the Snake River.
1863	The Washington Gazette is first published on August 15th. Initially it is printed in Olympia.
1864	transcontinental telegraph reaches the city the first set of
1866	Chief Sealth on June 7th 2nd group of Mercer Maids arrive extremely hot summer
1867	the Weekly Intelligencer is first published on August 5th. This paper later becomes the Post-Intelligencer which you can read online.
1868	First wagon road is pushed through the Snoqualmie Pass. It is poorly built and remains unused for years. Drought and forest fires. library association founded John Holgate murdered in Idaho Yesler builds a new mill
1869	Circus comes to town.
1870	population is 1107 Dexter Horton opens the first bank Fire departiment is organized. First fire cannot be put out because there isn't any water in the system and there is not enough hose. The fire is at the most expensive home in the territory. hot autumn causes strawberries to ripen on Thanksgiving Day.
1871	First horse-drawn stage in Seattle goes between Seattle and Lake Washington.
1872	population is 2000
1875	Lake Union freezes over in January
1876	First daily mail service starts from Tacoma
1878	diptheria epidemic; 24 people die the vote for a new courthouse is defeated: 435 to 157
1879	Seattle gets its first foreign consul, Andrew Chilberg, who represents Sweden & Norway
1880	Population is 3553 Another bad winter
1882	first courthouse opens first city hall opens Chamber of Commerce opens first pipe organ installed in a church
1883	Mary Kenworthy and other suffragettes get the vote for women Seattle almost gets a railroad
1884	First telephone service on March 7th
1885	Seattle General Hospital opens
1889	a fire levels 64 acres in the downtown.
1892	Henry Yesler dies on 12/16
1897	Klondike Gold Rush

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