Blazing the Way; Or, True Stories, Songs and Sketches of Puget SoundDenny, Emily Inez
History
Blazing the Way; Or, True Stories, Songs and Sketches of Puget Sound
Denny, Emily Inez
Indians of North America -- Northwestern States; Oregon Territory -- History; Washington (State) -- History
"At that time and even after the great fire in 1889, Yesler
Avenue was known as Mill Street, the name having originated from
the fact that Yesler's mill was located at its foot. Where the
magnificent Dexter Horton bank building now stands stood a small
wooden structure occupied by Dexter Horton as a store, and where
the National Bank of Commerce building, at the corner of Yesler
Avenue and Commercial Street, stood the mill store of the
Yesler-Denny Company. S. B. Hinds, a name forgotten in commercial
circles, kept store on Commercial Street, between Washington and
Main Streets. Charles Plummer was at the corner of Main and
Commercial, and J. R. Williamson was on the east side of
Commercial Street, a half block north. This comprised the entire
list of stores at that time. The forests were the only source to
which the settlers looked for commercial commodities, and these,
when put in salable shape, were often-times compelled to await
means of transportation to markets. Briefly summed up, spars,
piles, lumber and hop-poles were about all the sources of income.
"At that time there was no 'blue book,' and, in fact women were
scarce. It is not surprising then that the arrival of William
Casto, a man aged 38 years and a true representative of the
Kentucky colonel type, with his young wife, the daughter of John
Bonser, of Sauvies Island, Columbia River, near Portland, should
have been a memorable occasion. Mrs. Casto was a natural not an
artificial beauty--one of those women to whom all apparel adapts
itself and becomes a part of the wearer. Every movement was
graceful and her face one that an artist would have raved
about--not that dark, imperious beauty that some might expect,
but the exact opposite. Her eyes were large, blue and expressive,
while her complexion, clear as alabaster, was rendered more
attractive by a rosy hue. She was admired by all and fairly
worshipped by her husband. It was one of those rare cases where
disparity in ages did not prevent mutual devotion.
"In the spring of the year that Casto came to Seattle he took up
a ranch in the heart of Squak valley, where the Tibbetts farm now
lies. Here he built a small house, put in a garden and commenced
clearing. In order to create an income for himself and wife he
opened a small trading post and carried on the manufacture of
hoop poles. The valley was peculiarly adapted to this business,
owing to the dense growth of hazel bush, the very article most
desired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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