In 1866,
King County settlers petition the Territorial Delegate to Congress, Arthur Denny (1822-1899), against the establishment of a reservation for the Duwamish tribe on the Black River. The Superintendent of Indian Affairs had proposed such a reservation to correct deficiencies in the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855. The pioneer's petition is forwarded to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the reservation is not established. There are about 156 signatures, all or nearly all King County residents, including Chas. C. Terry (first signature), John Denny, D. T. Denny, H. L. Yesler, D. S. Maynard, Chas Plummer, Jacob Maple, and J. P. Pinnell.
The Petition
To the Honorable Arthur A. Denny, Delegate to Congress from Washington Territory:
The undersigned citizens of King County most respectfully suggest that we have heard with surprise and much dissatisfaction that some person has made a representation to Wm. H. Waterman Esq., Superintendent of Indian Affairs, which has caused him to ask of the Home Department that an Indian Reservation be established on Black River, in this county.
We know your familiarity with this section of country, and that you are aware that such a Reservation would do great injustice to this section of country, and is uncalled for, and of little value to the Indians: WE, THEREFORE, have to request that you, at your earliest convenience, call the attention of the Home Department to the facts as you know them to exist, and hope that this will be sufficient to prevent this proposed unjust and unnecessary action of the Government in making a Reservation for the remnant of a band which numbers but sixteen families, and whose interests and wants have always been justly and kindly protected by the settlers of the Black River country; We therefore, most respectfully, but earnestly protest against the injury a Reservation of these Indians would be to the quiet and flourishing settlements upon the Black and Duwamish rivers, -- as being unnecessary to the aborigines and injurious to your constituents of King County.
Most respectfully, your obedient servants,
[Note: Many names are illegible and there are errors]:
|
Charles C. Terry |
William Bedellian C. Walsh Z. M. Keller A. C. Anderson ? Horton J. R. Gardner S. D. Peasley T. S. Russell H. McAleer H.A. Atkins S. T. B. Andrews A. Hulbert P. H. Lewis H. Smith Thomas Moss B. A. Young ------ David Sires Soloman Davis D. S. Maynard Chas. Plummer G. W. Harris Jacob S----y W. ? Armstrong David S. Coombs B. R. St-- S--- Cisco Preston Roberts ------ ? Pike John ------ ------ J. B. Jor--- Alonzo Russell J. Glendenning Sam'l Wakefield John Dilling W. A. Jepson John Denny Edmund Carr David R. McMillan Seeris McMillan Richard Jeffs R. C. Smith Thos. M. Alvord W. W. Judd S. W. Russell R. Russell J. P? Crow L.W. Ballard J. R. Stark M. B. Maddocks Patrick O---- L. S. Clark J. L. Holgate John Kurins Patrick Emerson Saul Grund D. V. Jost W. H. Lee J. G. Ballard |
