Prologue: Historical Context — What Drove Them West
I. Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion
▲ "American Progress," painted by John Gast, c. 1872. An allegorical female figure of America leads pioneers and railroads westward, while Native Americans and buffalo flee before her. This painting became the defining image of 19th-century American expansionism. Source: University of Idaho Library (Public Domain)
The phrase "Manifest Destiny" was coined in 1845 by magazine editor John L. O'Sullivan, who wrote that America had a "manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions." The concept rapidly became the defining ideology of American expansionism.ᴬ
Westward expansion followed several distinct trajectories:
1803: The Louisiana Purchase — The United States purchased approximately 828,000 square miles from France for $15 million, doubling the nation's territory overnight and pushing the western frontier to the Rocky Mountains. 1830: The Indian Removal Act — President Andrew Jackson signed legislation authorizing the forced relocation of Native American tribes east of the Mississippi River to designated "Indian Territory" in the west. The Cherokee and other nations were forced onto the Trail of Tears; thousands died during the removal. This policy cleared eastern lands for white settlers and removed what expansionists called "obstacles" to further westward movement.ᴮ 1840s: The Oregon Trail became the primary emigrant route. An estimated 300,000 people traveled the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails between 1840 and 1860. In 1851 — the year the Denny Party departed — approximately 3,600 emigrants headed toward Oregon.ᶜ June 15, 1846: The Oregon Treaty — The United States and Britain established the 49th parallel as the boundary across the Pacific Northwest, giving the U.S. formal sovereignty over present-day Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The two nations had jointly occupied the region for 28 years.ᴰ 1846–1848: The Mexican-American War — The United States seized more than 525,000 square miles of Mexican territory, including most of present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.ᴬII. The Establishment of Oregon Territory (1848)
▲ Map of Oregon Territory, 1848. The territory encompassed present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming, with its capital at Oregon City (near present-day Portland). Source: Oregon Encyclopedia
On August 14, 1848, Congress passed the Oregon Bill of 1848, formally organizing Oregon Territory under federal jurisdiction. The territory covered present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming, with its capital at Oregon City.ᴱThe immediate catalyst for this legislation was the Whitman Massacre of 1847 — missionary Marcus Whitman, his wife, and 11 other white settlers were killed by members of the Cayuse tribe in what is now eastern Washington. The event shocked the eastern United States and accelerated congressional action to establish formal governance over the region.ᴱ
The 1850 census counted only 13,294 white settlers across the entire Oregon Territory.ᴱ
III. The California Gold Rush and Opportunity in the Pacific Northwest (1848–1849)
▲ San Francisco during the California Gold Rush, c. 1849. The city's population exploded from roughly 500 in 1848 to nearly 50,000 by 1853. The insatiable demand for lumber directly catalyzed the logging industry around Puget Sound. Source: Click Americana
On January 24, 1848, carpenter James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in the Sacramento Valley. Word spread rapidly, and in 1849 tens of thousands of "Forty-Niners" flooded into California.ᶠThe Gold Rush had profound effects on the Pacific Northwest:
- Population drain: Many male settlers in Oregon Territory temporarily abandoned their farms to seek gold in California, causing a brief population decline in the territory.
- Lumber demand explosion: The rapid construction of San Francisco and California required enormous quantities of timber. Lumber from Puget Sound and the Columbia River was more accessible and more easily shipped by sea than timber from the Sierra Nevada. This demand directly catalyzed the logging industry around Puget Sound — the same industry that would become Seattle's first economic lifeline.ᶠ
- Market formation: San Francisco became the primary market for Pacific Northwest agricultural products and timber. It was this market that gave the Denny Party's 256 pilings a buyer, and sent the Leonesa sailing south loaded with cargo.
Historical connection: When the Denny Party departed in 1851, the California Gold Rush was in its third year. San Francisco was building furiously, and demand for lumber remained high — this market gave the Puget Sound settlement an economic rationale from the very start.
IV. Land, Law, and the Fate of Native Peoples
The other face of westward expansion was the systematic dispossession of Native American lands.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forcibly relocated tribes east of the Mississippi, clearing land for white settlers.ᴮ
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 extended this logic to the Pacific Northwest: before any treaty had been signed with local Native peoples, before any legal title had been established, the Act already "donated" this land to white settlers. As Oregon Territory delegate Samuel Thurston told Congress, extinguishing "Indian title to land" was the "first prerequisite step" to advancing settlement.ᴳ
When the Denny Party stepped ashore at Alki Point in 1851, the land they claimed still legally belonged to the traditional territories of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples. Formal treaty negotiations would not occur until the signing of the Treaty of Point Elliott on January 22, 1855 — by which time settlers had already been living on this land for more than three years.
Chapter One: Departure — Leaving Illinois (April 10, 1851)
▲ Oregon Trail route map (c. 1850), showing the main route from the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast. The Denny Party traveled this route westward, passing through the Platte River valley, Chimney Rock, the Snake River, and on to Portland. Source: Encyclopædia Britannica
The facts: The Denny Party's central figure, Arthur Armstrong Denny, was born June 20, 1822, in Salem, Washington County, Indiana. His family moved to Knox County, Illinois in 1834, where Arthur served as county surveyor from 1843 to 1851.¹The party drew from two families bound by overlapping marriages: Arthur married Mary Ann Boren; Arthur's father John Denny later married Mary Ann's mother Sarah Boren; and Arthur's younger brother David would later marry Mary Ann's sister Louisa Boren.²
▲ A wagon train on the Oregon Trail in the mid-19th century. The Denny Party set out with four covered wagons, traveling a route like this across the continent. Source: Grunge.com
On April 10, 1851, at 3 p.m., four covered wagons rolled out of Cherry Grove. Arthur's diary recorded the departure time and route in spare, matter-of-fact language — mostly mileage figures.³ Mary Ann was pregnant; her third child would be born somewhere along the trail. On the day of departure, children in the farewell crowd exposed the Denny children to whooping cough, which plagued them for weeks on the road.Louisa Boren (born June 1, 1827, age 23) packed a mirror, a wedding dress, and several Christmas gifts for the children in her luggage.⁴
Fact check: Arthur Denny's birth year of 1822 is confirmed by the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress and Find a Grave (Memorial ID 2542).¹ Louisa Boren's birth year of 1827 is confirmed by WikiTree and Find a Grave (Memorial ID 10774).⁴
Chapter Two: The Oregon Trail — Crossing a Continent (April–August 1851)
The facts: The Denny Party traveled the Oregon Trail through the Missouri River valley, the Platte River, Chimney Rock, Soda Springs, the Snake River, The Dalles, and the Columbia River. Arthur's diary frequently recorded daily mileage, terrain, water sources, and grass conditions.³Mary Ann gave birth to her third child, Rolland Herschel Denny, during the journey. In August 1851, the party arrived in Portland and entered the Willamette Valley.
The Willamette Valley's best land had already been claimed by earlier arrivals. Under the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 (effective September 27, 1850), each white male settler could claim 320 acres of free land, and married couples could claim 640 acres combined, provided they lived on and cultivated the land for four years before receiving formal title.⁵ Little desirable land remained.
Arthur decided to send scouts north to investigate the Puget Sound region.
Chapter Three: The Advance Scouts — David Denny, John Low, and Lee Terry (September 1851)
The facts: Arthur dispatched his younger brother David Denny (age 19, born March 17, 1832) and John Low (age 31, born 1820) to scout northward. The two met Leander (Lee) Terry (age 33, born 1818) in Olympia, and the three continued north aboard a vessel commanded by Captain Robert C. Fay.⁶ On September 25, 1851, David Denny, John Low, and Lee Terry arrived at the mouth of the Duwamish River and camped near a Native village. According to David Denny's own account, they met Chief Seattle (c. 1786–1866) there.⁶
▲ Chief Seattle (c. 1786–1866), photographed by E. M. Sammis in 1864, now held in the Seattle Public Library Special Collections. He was the leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish peoples, and chose to welcome the first settlers with friendship. Source: HistoryLink.org / Seattle Public Library
On September 27, they watched Luther Collins and his party pass by on a flatboat, heading toward their Duwamish River claims.⁶ On September 28, John Low and Lee Terry selected Donation Land Claims at Alki Point — known to local Native peoples as "Smaquamox." David Denny and Lee Terry began building a cabin on the site. John Low returned to Portland carrying a note from David to Arthur: "Come at once. We have found the place."⁶Fact check: HistoryLink Essay #5391 records the scouts' arrival at the Duwamish River mouth as September 25, and the selection of Alki Point claims as September 28. David Denny's birth date of March 17, 1832, is confirmed by Access Genealogy.⁶
Chapter Four: Other Settlers Arriving Simultaneously — The Collins Party (September 1851)
The facts: The Denny Party was not the only group of settlers to reach the King County area in 1851. On September 14, 1851 (some records say September 16), Luther M. Collins (c. 1813–1860), Henry Van Asselt (1817–1902), Jacob Maple (c. 1798–1884), and his son Samuel Maple (1827–1880) arrived at the mouth of the Duwamish River on Elliott Bay, becoming the first non-Native settlers in King County.⁷ On September 16, Collins, Van Asselt, and the Maples selected the first Donation Land Claims in King County along the Duwamish River bottomland (in what would become Georgetown), choosing the fertile valley floor.⁷ On September 27, Collins brought his family by flatboat from near Fort Steilacoom on the Nisqually River, formally settling on the Duwamish. That evening, passing Alki Point, they exchanged greetings with David Denny and the others building the cabin.⁷The Collins Party provided crucial assistance to the Denny Party during the first winter. Samuel Maple and Henry Van Asselt were later invited to the Denny Party's first Christmas celebration at Alki Point.⁸
Fact check: HistoryLink Essay #5390 (Greg Lange, 2003) and Essay #1750 (Greg Lange, 2000) both document the Collins Party's arrival dates. Both cite an 1880 letter signed by Van Asselt, Bell, Yesler, Boren, and Arthur and David Denny, confirming: "September 16, 1851 — Henry Van Assalt, Jacob Mapel and L. M. Collins selected claims on Duwamish River."⁷
Chapter Five: The Landing — Alki Point, November 13, 1851
▲ "Landing at Alki Point, November 13, 1851," painted by Paul Gustin, depicting the Denny Party's arrival in the rain. Source: MyNorthwest.com
The facts: After receiving David's note, Arthur organized a party of 22 people, boarded the schooner Exact, and sailed north from Portland. On November 13, 1851, around noon, the Exact approached the Alki Point beach at low tide, and goods and belongings were brought ashore.Conditions upon arrival:
- David Denny was ill, shaking with fever. According to Dorothea Nordstrand's account based on early historical records, David's axe had slipped while building the cabin, cutting his foot; the wound became infected and caused the fever.⁸
- Lee Terry had gone to Olympia to retrieve a tool and had not returned.
- The cabin meant to shelter them had four walls but no roof.
- Skunks had eaten the stored food.⁹
William Bell (1817–1887) left a firsthand account of the landing in his 1878 manuscript:
"[O]ur goods and chattles were sent ashore at near low tid on 13 of Nov 1851 near Noon. The Women and children of our party set to work to help get them above high tide then the ladys sat down on the loggs and took A Big Cry."¹⁰Denny Party members and ages upon arrival at Alki (Source: HistoryLink Essay #5392):¹¹
| Name | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur A. Denny | 29 | Party leader |
| Mary Ann Denny | 28 | Arthur's wife |
| Louisa Catherine (Kate) Denny | 7 | Daughter |
| Margaret Lenora Denny | 4 | Daughter |
| Rolland H. Denny | 6 weeks | Born on the trail |
| John N. Low | 31 | |
| Lydia Low | 31 | John's wife |
| Mary L. Low | 8 | |
| Alonzo Low | 6 | |
| John V. Low | 4 | |
| Minerva Low | 2 | |
| Carson D. Boren | 26 | |
| Mary Boren | 20 | Carson's wife |
| Livonia Gertrude Boren | 11 months | |
| William N. Bell | 34 | |
| Sarah Ann Bell | 32 | William's wife |
| Laura Keziah Bell | 8 | |
| Olive Julia Bell | 5 | |
| Mary Virginia Bell | 4 | |
| Alvina Lavina Bell | 9 months | |
| Louisa Boren | 24 | Single; later married David Denny |
| David T. Denny | 19 | Advance scout; already on site |
| Charles C. Terry | 23 | Brother of advance scout Lee Terry |
| Leander (Lee) Terry | 33 | Advance scout; absent at landing |
Fact check: HistoryLink Essay #5392 lists Charles Terry's age as 23 (born 1828), consistent with Ancestry.com records (born September 20, 1828, Sangerfield, Oneida, New York).¹¹ Lee Terry was born in 1818, making him 33 in 1851, consistent with HistoryLink's 2005 correction. Louisa Boren was 24 (born 1827), consistent with Find a Grave and WikiTree.⁴
Chapter Six: The First Winter at Alki Point (November 1851–March 1852)
The Duwamish People's Help
The Duwamish people provided critical assistance when the settlers were most vulnerable. They brought food, helped build shelters, and taught the settlers how to survive on this land. Historian David Buerge noted at the 2001 sesquicentennial luncheon: "The Indians could have erased this small band of whites living among them. Instead they acted with generosity, wisdom, forbearance, and humanity."¹²
Building Shelter
By Christmas 1851, Alki Point had four structures:
- A larger log house: Arthur, Mary Ann, and their three children, plus David and Louisa Boren
- A smaller log house: Carson, Mary Boren, and infant Gertrude
- Two split-cedar board houses (modeled on Native construction): one for the Low family, one for the Bell family
- Charles and Lee Terry rotated between households as guests⁸
▲ Arthur Denny's cabin at Alki Point, photographed c. 1902. This is a surviving remnant of the cabins built during the settlers' first winter. Source: Seattle Met / MOHAI
The First Christmas (December 25, 1851)
Christmas was celebrated at Arthur's house, the largest of the four. Louisa Boren led the children into the forest to gather Oregon grape branches for decoration, and tied her own red hair ribbon into a bow for the door.
David Denny, now recovered, hunted two wild geese for the main course. The table also held salmon and wild potatoes purchased from the Native people, and pies made from the last of their dried apples. Adults drank tea; children drank clam juice. Samuel Maple and Henry Van Asselt from the Collins settlement on the Duwamish attended as guests. Louisa produced the small toys and trinkets she had secretly packed before leaving Illinois, and distributed them to the children.⁸
The First Timber Export (December 1851–January 1852)
On December 9, 1851, settlers began loading timber onto the brig Leonesa. In less than a month, they had felled and hauled 256 pilings, each approximately 50 feet long.¹³ On January 2, 1852, the Leonesa sailed south for San Francisco — King County's first export.¹³ On January 20, 1852, the Leonesa arrived in San Francisco harbor. The Daily Alta California recorded in its shipping intelligence column on January 21, 1852:"Brig Leonesa, Howard, 10 ds fm Puget Sound; piles, to Neefus and Tichenor."¹⁴
Primary source note: This is the most direct firsthand documentary record of King County's first export, drawn from the California Digital Newspaper Collection.¹⁴
Food Shortage
Arthur Denny recorded in his 1896 memoir that in early 1852, food ran critically short, forcing him and Carson Boren to sail out in rough weather to purchase potatoes from Native people at high prices.¹⁵
Chapter Seven: Doc Maynard's Arrival (March 31, 1852)
The facts: On March 31, 1852, David S. "Doc" Maynard (1808–1873) arrived at Alki Point. He had traveled from Olympia in a canoe paddled by Chief Seattle and other Duwamish people.¹⁶Maynard was an Ohio physician — generous, unconventional, and quick to make friends. He had formed a close friendship with Chief Seattle. On the chief's advice, Maynard settled in Duwamps (Seattle's original name) and served successively as the settlement's first physician, merchant, postmaster, Indian agent, and justice of the peace.¹⁶
Fact check: Doc Maynard's arrival date of March 31, 1852, is documented in HistoryLink Essay #2790, which explicitly states he arrived "in a canoe paddled by Chief Seattle and other Duwamish Indians" from Olympia.¹⁶
Chapter Eight: Sounding the Bay — A Clothesline Measures the Future (February 1852)
The facts: The settlers gradually recognized Alki Point's limitations: fully exposed to westerly winds off Elliott Bay, with water too shallow for large ships to dock directly. Timber had to be rafted out to vessels anchored in deeper water — slow and labor-intensive. In February 1852, Arthur Denny borrowed his wife Mary Ann's clothesline, tied a weight to one end, and rowed along the eastern shore of Elliott Bay taking depth soundings.¹⁷ On February 15, 1852, Arthur Denny, Carson Boren, and William Bell selected Donation Land Claims on the eastern shore of Elliott Bay, choosing the flattest ground with the best water depth in the southern bay. They named the new settlement "Duwamps" (also spelled Dewamps).¹⁷Chapter Nine: Crossing the Bay — The Pioneer Square Area (April 1852)
The facts: On April 3, 1852, the first group crossed Elliott Bay to the new settlement.Those who made the move on April 3 included: the Bell family, Mary Boren and infant Gertrude, Louisa Boren, and Doc Maynard.¹⁸
Arthur Denny and his family were unable to join the first group — they were ill with ague (malarial fever). Carson Boren and David Denny had gone south to obtain livestock. By mid-April, most of the original Denny Party had completed the move.¹⁸
Remaining at Alki Point were Charles Terry and Lee Terry. Charles opened the "New York Store" — King County's first store — and named the area "New York Alki." "Alki" is a Chinook Jargon word meaning "by and by" or "eventually." Lee Terry soon returned to the East Coast.¹⁸
▲ The Pioneer Square area and Piners Point, Seattle, 1878. This is the settlement the Denny Party established after crossing Elliott Bay — the predecessor of today's Pioneer Square. Source: HistoryLink Tours
Chapter Ten: Federal Government Arrives — Washington Territory (1852–1855)
King County Established (December 22, 1852)
On December 22, 1852, the Oregon Territorial Legislature approved the creation of King County, naming Seattle as the county seat. The legislation was sponsored by Colonel Isaac Ebey (1818–1857) and named for Vice President-elect William R. King, who died on April 18, 1853.¹⁹King County's first officers:
- Commissioners: Arthur Denny and Luther Collins (John Low declined the third seat)
- Auditor: Henry Yesler
- Sheriff: Carson Boren
- Justice of the Peace and Federal Indian Agent: Doc Maynard¹⁹
The King County Commission held its first meeting at Doc Maynard's home on March 5, 1853.¹⁹
Washington Territory Established (March 2, 1853)
On March 2, 1853, President Millard Fillmore signed legislation separating Washington Territory from Oregon Territory.²⁰President Franklin Pierce, who took office two days later, appointed Isaac Ingalls Stevens (1818–1862) as Washington Territory's first governor. Stevens was an Army Corps of Engineers officer who had distinguished himself in the Mexican-American War.²⁰
▲ Isaac Stevens (1818–1862), first governor of Washington Territory, wood engraving, 1861. Before leaving Washington, D.C., he wrote to Arthur Denny seeking advice on the location of the territorial capital. He later led treaty negotiations with Native tribes. Source: HistoryLink.org
Before leaving Washington, D.C. in April 1853, Stevens wrote to Arthur Denny seeking advice on the location of the territorial capital.²⁰
Stevens also commanded a survey party for a proposed railroad route from the Mississippi River to Puget Sound, and did not reach Olympia until November 25, 1853. On November 28, he issued a proclamation naming Olympia as the territorial capital and calling for a legislative election on January 30, 1854.²⁰
Yesler's Mill and the Name "Seattle" (1852–1853)
In the fall of 1852, Henry Yesler (1810–1892) arrived at the settlement intending to build the first steam-powered sawmill on Puget Sound. Carson Boren and Doc Maynard each donated a waterfront lot (called "the Sag") to Yesler, on the condition that he build the mill there. They also designated a corridor from the forested hillside down to the waterfront for hauling logs — originally called Mill Street, later known as Skid Road, today called Yesler Way.²¹ On October 30, 1852, the Olympia newspaper The Columbian reported on the mill's construction — and in that issue, the name "Seattle" appeared in print for the first time: "Huzza for Seattle!"²¹ In March 1853, the mill began operation — the first steam-powered sawmill on Puget Sound. Yesler later recalled that unloading the machinery required throwing everything into the water and letting it float ashore; the boiler arrived this way. Sawdust from the mill was used to fill swamps; slab wood built the wharf.²¹
▲ Yesler's Mill wharf, at the foot of Mill Street (now Yesler Way), Seattle, 1880. The mill was Seattle's first economic engine, employing nearly every male in the settlement. Source: HistoryLink Tours / Seattle Public Library
On the naming of "Seattle": Doc Maynard championed naming the settlement after Chief Seattle (Suquamish name: Sealth), as a gesture of respect and friendship toward the tribal leader.¹⁶Seattle's 1854 Survey
▲ Seattle survey map, 1854, showing the early settlement's land claim boundaries. Yesler Way (originally Mill Street) is visible dividing the town into north and south sections. Source: TOTA
The Treaty of Point Elliott (January 22, 1855)
On January 22, 1855, Chief Seattle and 81 other Puget Sound tribal leaders signed the Treaty of Point Elliott with Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens at Point Elliott (present-day Mukilteo, Washington).²²The treaty terms: tribes ceded their lands in exchange for cash payments, relocation to reservations, and retained rights to traditional fishing and hunting grounds.²²
At the time of signing, white settlers on the western side of Puget Sound numbered only in the hundreds, while Stevens estimated the local Native population at approximately 9,712.²²
Doc Maynard, serving as Seattle's Indian agent, played a significant role in securing tribal concessions.²²
▲ The Treaty of Point Elliott monument at Mukilteo, Washington. On January 22, 1855, Chief Seattle and 81 other tribal leaders signed the treaty with Governor Isaac Stevens at this location. Source: MyNorthwest.com
Peace did not hold. On October 28, 1855, Muckleshoot and Klickitat warriors attacked settlers along the White River, killing nine. This became one of the triggers for the Puget Sound War of 1855–1856.²³
Appendix I: Major Historical Milestones
🏹 The Battle of Seattle — January 26, 1856
Background: During the Puget Sound War of 1855–1856, tribes had long resented settler encroachment and broken treaty promises. The White River massacre of October 28, 1855 (nine settlers killed) rapidly escalated the conflict.²³ On January 26, 1856, an estimated 1,100 to 2,000 Native warriors (primarily from the Nisqually, Muckleshoot, and allied tribes) attacked the Seattle settlement.²⁴The settlement's defenses: 96 settler militiamen, 18 Marines, and 5 officers. The U.S. Navy sloop-of-war USS Decatur, anchored in Elliott Bay, fired solid shot, explosive shells, grapeshot, and canister into the tree-covered hillsides, keeping the attackers at bay.²⁴
Fighting continued until 10 p.m. Two settlers were killed; Native casualties were estimated at 28 dead and 80 wounded.²⁴ Women and children were evacuated to the Decatur and another vessel during the battle.
▲ The Battle of Seattle, January 26, 1856. The USS Decatur provided artillery support throughout the day-long engagement. Source: Seattle Secrets
▲ Illustration of the Battle of Seattle, depicting Native warriors attacking from the hillsides and forest. Source: Access Genealogy / Washington Indian Wars, 1855–1856
Seattle was never again subjected to large-scale armed attack.
The painting of the Battle of Seattle was created by Emily Inez Denny — daughter of David Denny and Louisa Boren, born in Seattle, a second-generation descendant of the original settlers.
Fact check: The settler death toll of two, and the estimated Native casualties of 28 dead and 80 wounded, are documented in HistoryLink Essay #5208 and the US Marines Together We Served account. The estimated attacking force of 1,100 to 2,000 comes from the same sources.²⁴
🔥 The Great Seattle Fire — June 6, 1889
On June 6, 1889, a fire started in a cabinet shop, spread rapidly, and consumed 25 city blocks, leveling the Pioneer Square area. Yesler's Mill was destroyed in the blaze.²⁵Seattle rebuilt with brick and steel. The city used the opportunity to raise the entire downtown street level by approximately one story, solving the chronic tidal flooding problem that had plagued settlers since the beginning. The buried streets became what is now known as the Seattle Underground.²⁵
⚠️ The Anti-Chinese Riot — 1885–1886
Background: Chinese laborers had arrived in Seattle as early as the 1860s, working at Yesler's Mill and other sites. In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, prohibiting Chinese labor immigration. Economic depression sharpened white workers' resentment; the Knights of Labor emerged as the movement's primary organizer.²⁶ In September 1885, an anti-Chinese mass meeting at Yesler's Hall drew 700 to 800 people, who chanted "The Chinese Must Go!"²⁶ On February 7, 1886, violence erupted. Mobs went door to door through Chinese neighborhoods, forcing residents to the waterfront and onto the steamship Queen of the Pacific bound for San Francisco. More than 200 Chinese residents were forcibly expelled. Home Guards protecting Chinese residents were fired upon; at least one person was killed and several wounded.²⁶Territorial Governor Watson C. Squire declared martial law. President Cleveland ordered federal troops into Seattle; they remained until summer.²⁶
The Chinese community in Seattle did not recover its pre-riot population for twenty years.²⁶
▲ West Shore Magazine, March 1886, illustrating the Seattle anti-Chinese riot. The three panels are captioned "Packing Up," "On the Wharf," and "The Collision." Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Appendix II: Comprehensive Historical Timeline
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| September 27, 1850 | Donation Land Claim Act takes effect | HistoryLink #9501 |
| April 10, 1851 | Denny Party departs Cherry Grove, Illinois | Arthur Denny diary³ |
| August 1851 | Denny Party arrives in Portland, enters Willamette Valley | Find a Grave¹ |
| September 14, 1851 | Collins Party arrives at Duwamish River mouth — first non-Native settlers in King County | HistoryLink #5390⁷ |
| September 16, 1851 | Collins, Van Asselt, Maple select first Donation Land Claims in King County | HistoryLink #1750⁷ |
| September 25, 1851 | David Denny, John Low, Lee Terry arrive at Duwamish River mouth; meet Chief Seattle | HistoryLink #5391⁶ |
| September 28, 1851 | Low and Terry select Donation Land Claims at Alki Point | HistoryLink #1752⁶ |
| November 13, 1851 | Denny Party arrives at Alki Point aboard the Exact; women sit on logs and weep | HistoryLink #5392¹¹; Bell manuscript¹⁰ |
| December 9, 1851 | Loading of timber onto the Leonesa begins | HistoryLink #742¹³ |
| December 25, 1851 | First Christmas celebrated at Alki Point | HistoryLink #4138⁸ |
| January 2, 1852 | Leonesa sails for San Francisco — King County's first export | HistoryLink Tours¹³ |
| January 20, 1852 | Leonesa arrives in San Francisco (primary newspaper record) | Daily Alta California, January 21, 1852¹⁴ |
| February 15, 1852 | Arthur Denny sounds Elliott Bay with clothesline; Denny, Boren, Bell select new claims | HistoryLink #5393¹⁷ |
| March 31, 1852 | Doc Maynard arrives at Alki Point in a canoe paddled by Chief Seattle | HistoryLink #2790¹⁶ |
| April 3, 1852 | First group crosses Elliott Bay to the Pioneer Square area (Duwamps) | HistoryLink #1956¹⁸ |
| Mid-April 1852 | Most Denny Party members complete the move | HistoryLink #1956¹⁸ |
| October 30, 1852 | The Columbian reports Yesler's Mill construction; "Seattle" appears in print for the first time | HistoryLink #5394²¹ |
| December 22, 1852 | King County formally established; Seattle named county seat; Arthur Denny and Luther Collins appointed commissioners | HistoryLink #1755¹⁹ |
| January 23, 1853 | David Denny and Louisa Boren marry in Seattle — Seattle's first white wedding | King County History Timeline¹⁹ |
| March 2, 1853 | President Fillmore signs bill establishing Washington Territory | HistoryLink #5244²⁰ |
| March 1853 | Yesler's Mill begins operation — first steam-powered sawmill on Puget Sound | HistoryLink #5394²¹ |
| March 5, 1853 | King County Commission holds first meeting at Doc Maynard's home | King County History Timeline¹⁹ |
| November 25, 1853 | Governor Isaac Stevens arrives in Olympia | HistoryLink #5054²⁰ |
| November 28, 1853 | Stevens names Olympia as territorial capital | HistoryLink #5054²⁰ |
| January 22, 1855 | Treaty of Point Elliott signed at present-day Mukilteo; Chief Seattle and 81 other tribal leaders sign | HistoryLink #5402²²; DocsTeach²² |
| October 28, 1855 | White River massacre: 9 settlers killed; Puget Sound War begins | HistoryLink #2008²³ |
| January 26, 1856 | Battle of Seattle: USS Decatur provides artillery support; 2 settlers killed | HistoryLink #5208²⁴ |
| 1882 | Chinese Exclusion Act passed by Congress | Wikipedia²⁶ |
| September 1885 | Anti-Chinese movement goes public in Seattle; Knights of Labor mass meeting | JSTOR; HistoryLink #1057²⁶ |
| February 7–9, 1886 | Seattle anti-Chinese riot; 200+ Chinese residents forcibly expelled; martial law declared; federal troops deployed | HistoryLink #2745²⁶ |
| June 6, 1889 | Great Seattle Fire; 25 city blocks destroyed | Seattle Secrets²⁵ |
| November 11, 1889 | Washington becomes the 42nd state | Seattle Secrets²⁵ |
| 1897 | Klondike Gold Rush; Seattle becomes the primary outfitting port | Seattle Secrets²⁵ |
| January 9, 1899 | Arthur Denny dies in Seattle, age 76 | Find a Grave¹ |
Epilogue: Their Names
That first winter, the Duwamish people saved them. They brought food, taught them to build, and chose generosity when they could have chosen otherwise.
Historian David Buerge said at the 2001 sesquicentennial luncheon: "The Indians could have erased this small band of whites living among them. Instead they acted with generosity, wisdom, forbearance, and humanity." Then he added: "Their land was taken from them, and not one square inch has been returned."¹²
The women — Mary Ann, Lydia, Mary Boren, Sarah Ann, Louisa — appeared on the original 1906 memorial marker only as "and wife." Not until 2001, at Seattle's 150th anniversary, were new bronze plaques installed bearing their names, alongside the names of the Duwamish people.¹²
Sources and Footnotes
Source reliability note: HistoryLink.org is Washington State's officially recognized historical encyclopedia, written by professional historians using academic citation standards (high reliability). Primary sources (Arthur Denny's diary, William Bell's manuscript, the Daily Alta California) are firsthand records (highest reliability). All image links have been verified with HTTP status checks (HTTP 200).
ᴬ Encyclopædia Britannica, "Manifest Destiny Key Facts." https://www.britannica.com/summary/Manifest-Destiny-Key-Facts; National Park Service, "Formation of the Oregon Territory." https://www.nps.gov/places/formation-of-the-oregon-territory.htm
ᴮ National Park Service, "American Expansion Turns to Official Indian Removal." https://www.nps.gov/stories/american-expansion-turns-to-indian-removal.htm; Wikipedia, "Indian Removal Act." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Removal_Act
ᶜ Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA), "How many emigrants followed the trails to California, the Pacific Northwest, and Utah?" https://www.octa-trails.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/791_01-How-many-emigrants-followed-the-trails-to-California.pdf; data from John Unruh, The Plains Across (University of Illinois Press)
ᴰ HistoryLink Essay #5247, "Britain and the United States agree on the 49th parallel as the main Pacific Northwest boundary in the Treaty of Oregon on June 15, 1846." https://www.historylink.org/File/5247; Oregon Encyclopedia, "Oregon Treaty, 1846." https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/oregon-treaty/
ᴱ Wikipedia, "Oregon Bill of 1848." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Bill_of_1848; National Park Service, "Formation of the Oregon Territory." https://www.nps.gov/places/formation-of-the-oregon-territory.htm
ᶠ HistoryLink Essay #5257, David Wilma, "California Gold Rush spurs economic development of the Northwest in 1849." https://www.historylink.org/File/5257
ᴳ Oregon Encyclopedia, "Oregon Donation Land Law." https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/oregon_donation_land_act/; Wikipedia, "Donation Land Claim Act." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation_Land_Claim_Act
¹ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Arthur Armstrong Denny"; Find a Grave, Memorial ID 2542. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/2542/arthur_armstrong-denny
² Theresa Hupp Author, "Jumping Off with the Denny Party in 1851," April 29, 2026. https://theresahuppauthor.com/blog/2026/04/29/jumping-off-with-the-denny-party-in-1851/
³ Arthur Armstrong Denny, diary manuscript (1851), University of Washington Special Collections, Digital ID PNW00131. https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/pioneerlife/id/3388/
⁴ WikiTree, "Louisa (Boren) Denny (1827-1916)." https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boren-83; Find a Grave, Memorial ID 10774. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10774/louisa-denny
⁵ Wikipedia, "Donation Land Claim Act." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation_Land_Claim_Act; HistoryLink Essay #400, Junius Rochester. https://www.historylink.org/File/400
⁶ HistoryLink Essay #5391, Walt Crowley, "Denny Party scouts arrive at mouth of Duwamish River," March 8, 2003. https://www.historylink.org/File/5391; HistoryLink Essay #1752, Walt Crowley, "John Low and Lee Terry select claims at Alki Point on September 28, 1851." https://www.historylink.org/File/1752
⁷ HistoryLink Essay #5390, Greg Lange, "Luther Collins Party arrives at mouth of Duwamish River," March 8, 2003. https://www.historylink.org/File/5390; HistoryLink Essay #1750, Greg Lange, "Collins, Van Asselt, and Maple select first Donation Land Claims in King County on September 16, 1851." https://www.historylink.org/File/1750
⁸ Dorothea Nordstrand, "Seattle's First Christmas," HistoryLink Essay #4138, January 30, 2003. https://www.historylink.org/File/4138
⁹ KOMO News, "Seattle Marks 150th Anniversary In Pouring Rain," August 30, 2006. https://komonews.com/archive/seattle-marks-150th-anniversary-in-pouring-rain
¹⁰ William Bell, "Settlement of Seattle, 1878," P-B2, Hubert Howe Bancroft Collection, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. Cited in HistoryLink Essay #5392.
¹¹ HistoryLink Essay #5392, Greg Lange, "Denny Party lands at Alki Point near future Seattle on November 13, 1851," March 8, 2003. https://www.historylink.org/File/5392
¹² KOMO News, "Seattle Marks 150th Anniversary In Pouring Rain," August 30, 2006. https://komonews.com/archive/seattle-marks-150th-anniversary-in-pouring-rain
¹³ HistoryLink Essay #742, "Settlers begin loading logs on the ship Leonesa in King County's first export on December 9, 1851." https://www.historylink.org/File/742; HistoryLink Tours, "Yesler's Mill." https://historylink.tours/stop/yeslers-mill/
¹⁴ Daily Alta California, "Shipping Intelligence," January 21, 1852, Volume 3, Number 20. California Digital Newspaper Collection. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18520121.2.19 [Primary source]
¹⁵ Arthur Armstrong Denny, reminiscence manuscript (1896), University of Washington Special Collections, Digital ID PNW00132. https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/pioneerlife/id/3388/
¹⁶ HistoryLink Essay #2790, "David 'Doc' Maynard arrives at Alki Point on March 31, 1852." https://www.historylink.org/File/2790
¹⁷ HistoryLink Essay #5393, Walt Crowley, "Denny, Boren, and Bell select claims on Elliott Bay marking the beginning of Seattle on February 15, 1852," March 8, 2003. https://www.historylink.org/File/5393
¹⁸ HistoryLink Essay #1956, Greg Lange, "First contingent of Denny Party relocates to site of Seattle on April 3, 1852," January 1, 2000. https://www.historylink.org/File/1956
¹⁹ HistoryLink Essay #1755, Walt Crowley, "Oregon Territorial Legislature creates King County and names Seattle county seat on December 22, 1852," October 15, 1999. https://www.historylink.org/File/1755; King County History Timeline. https://data.kingcounty.gov/api/views/fuh5-64id/rows.pdf
²⁰ HistoryLink Essay #5054, Kit Oldham, "Governor Isaac Stevens selects Olympia as capital of Washington Territory on November 28, 1853," January 15, 2003. https://www.historylink.org/File/5054
²¹ HistoryLink Essay #5394, Greg Lange, "Yesler's Mill, the first steam-powered sawmill on Puget Sound, is under construction in Seattle on October 30, 1852," March 8, 2003. https://www.historylink.org/File/5394
²² HistoryLink Essay #5402, Walt Crowley, "Native American tribes sign Point Elliott Treaty at Mukilteo on January 22, 1855," March 13, 2003. https://www.historylink.org/file/5402; DocsTeach, "Treaty Between the United States and the Dwamish, Suquamish, and Other Indians Signed at Point Elliott, Washington Territory." https://docsteach.org/document/point-elliott-treaty/
²³ HistoryLink Essay #2008, Walt Crowley and David Wilma, "Muckleshoots attack settlers along White River between Kent and Auburn on October 28, 1855." https://www.historylink.org/File/2008
²⁴ HistoryLink Essay #5208, "Native Americans attack Seattle on January 26, 1856." https://www.historylink.org/File/5208; US Marines Together We Served, "Battle of Seattle 1856." https://marines.togetherweserved.com/usmc/newsletter/37/SeattleBattle1856.html
²⁵ Seattle Secrets, "Seattle Timeline 1800s." https://seattlesecrets.com/seattle-timeline-1800s/
²⁶ Jules Alexander Karlin, "The Anti-Chinese Outbreaks in Seattle, 1885-1886," Pacific Northwest Quarterly. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20698169; Wikipedia, "Seattle riot of 1886." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_riot_of_1886; HistoryLink Essay #2745, Phil Dougherty, "Mobs forcibly expel most of Seattle's Chinese residents beginning on February 7, 1886." https://www.historylink.org/file/2745; MOHAI, Scrapbook on Anti-Chinese Riots, University of Washington Digital Collections. https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/id/14836/
Local Image File List
| Filename | Content | Size |
|---|---|---|
| images/01_oregon_trail_map.jpg | Oregon Trail route map, c. 1850 | 376 KB |
| images/02_wagon_train.jpg | Wagon train on the Oregon Trail | 180 KB |
| images/03_chief_seattle.jpg | Chief Seattle portrait, 1864 | 110 KB |
| images/04_alki_landing_gustin.png | Denny Party landing at Alki Point, Paul Gustin | 192 KB |
| images/05_arthur_denny_cabin.jpg | Arthur Denny's cabin at Alki Point, c. 1902 | 103 KB |
| images/06_pioneer_square_1878.jpg | Pioneer Square area, 1878 | 226 KB |
| images/07_isaac_stevens.jpg | Isaac Stevens wood engraving, 1861 | 123 KB |
| images/08_yesler_wharf_1880.jpg | Yesler's Mill wharf, 1880 | 104 KB |
| images/09_seattle_survey_1854.jpg | Seattle survey map, 1854 | 60 KB |
| images/10_point_elliott_treaty_monument.jpg | Treaty of Point Elliott monument, Mukilteo | 93 KB |
| images/11_battle_of_seattle_1856a.jpg | Battle of Seattle, 1856 | 1104 KB |
| images/12_battle_of_seattle_1856b.jpg | Battle of Seattle illustration | 155 KB |
| images/13_anti_chinese_riot_1886.jpg | Anti-Chinese riot, West Shore Magazine, 1886 | 131 KB |
| images/14_arthur_denny_portrait.jpg | Arthur Denny early portrait | 63 KB |
| images/15_manifest_destiny_gast.jpg | "American Progress," John Gast, c. 1872 | 43 KB |
| images/16_oregon_territory_map_1848.jpg | Oregon Territory map, 1848 | 163 KB |