By Monica Wooton
Interim President, Magnolia Historical Society
Though not as well-known or talked about as Arthur or David Denny, Henry Yesler or Doc Maynard in regard to Seattle’s early history, Dr. Henry A. Smith, Magnolia’s first Euro America pioneer, was quite a contributor to the newly establishing city in the 1850’s. He is the namesake for Smith’s (Smith) Cove on Magnolia bringing with him in his westward migration a vague vision for trains that would someday occupy that place.
Smith was 22 when he went west by wagon from Ohio. Demonstrating medical and common sense, Smith brought cholera medicine with him, knowing that the disease was prevalent on the wagon trains. To his credit, his instincts and humanitarianism is said to have saved many lives. He was originally headed for “California Gold Country” to utilize those skills and perhaps strike it rich there. He brought with him his mother and sister.
The most “official” portrait used for Dr. Smith. UW Special Collections #UW 18650.
According to Magnolia: Memories & Milestones, in the chapter “Magnolia’s First Pioneer”, it was during that trip that some important information was passed on to Smith: “The Northern Pacific Railway announced plans to extend to the Puget Sound…”- a highly undeveloped part of the west. Smith did not miss the implication of the potential cash reality of railroads.
In a change of plans, Smith decided to travel from Portland to the Puget Sound in a small canoe. Some accounts say a gruff friendly pioneer named L. M. Collins told Smith to pack his duds promising “in three days’ time I will land you in the Garden of Eden…” Paddling along the south bluff of Magnolia, Smith saw a bay flanked on both sides realizing it had good possibilities for trains and docks. And, there he staked a donation claim of 160 acres in 1852.
In 1862, Smith married Miss Mary Ann Genevieve Phelan, and established a residence by Grand Boulevard (now West Dravus Street) and 15th Avenue West, as well as a medical practice, with an infirmary built on the side of his home. He was an avid gardener growing plenty of fruits, vegetables and raising animals.
He practiced medicine treating new settlers and Native peoples, farmed, and dealt in commerce, government work, and Republican politics. He was not one to seek the spotlight and worked quietly about his business. His daughter Ione Smith quotes him as saying, “No sir, I never dabbled in politics. It is true I represented King County five different times, and I was the first Superintendent of Schools King County ever had, but I never asked a man to vote for me in my life, and I never sought office. I didn’t like politics and I didn’t like to hold office, but Lord bless us when I found myself at Olympia. I did the best I could…”
As the Smiths prospered, his wife Mary Phalen Smith gave birth to seven daughters and one son. The family left Seattle to buy and develop Smith Island to the north. He began a series of experiments to reclaim tidelands as he had read they had done in Holland. Smith published articles on the subject. He also was a published writer whether it was poetry on the beauty of Puget Sound, his interpretation of the most famous Chief Sealth speech, or agricultural practices.
He left a plentiful collection of written work behind when he died some published in the Seattle Star newspaper—many under the pen name of Paul Garland. He was one of the wealthiest men in Seattle, the first Superintendent of Schools, and was one of the men who thought the Cedar River Watershed would provide the best water source for Seattle.
More than 40 years after Smith staked his claim and bought up thousands of more acres in Smith’s Cove the Seattle, Eastern, Lakeshore Railway Company did reach Seattle and settled there. The railroad and great shipping piers Smith subsequently also envisioned became a reality. He sold 9,550 acres of this land for $75,000. Because of his wealth, Smith was the largest taxpayer in King County for years.
When his wife died leaving her young and large family behind, Smith devoted himself to the care of the children in the home they referred to as: The Ranch. It was sold dilapidated and abandoned nearly 20 years after the Smiths resided there, in a tax sale, for a little more than $1,000 (on land near the soon to be the Interbay Dump). His daughter Ione Smith in a speech, recorded many memoires of her father, their family life, including the tragic death of Smith’s only son gone off to Alaska to explore over the protestations of the elder Smith ironically since Smith himself had begun his early life in exploration. These are retold in Magnolia: Memories & Milestones.
An interesting painting of Smith’s property done most likely by artist Emily Inez Denny,daughter of David and Louisa Boren Denny Note: the steam engine train. “The encroachment of industrial society is indicated by the ravaged portion of land in the foreground.” Museum of History and Industry Archive # 878/3.
The economic depression of 1893 devoured Smith’s large land holdings: his city block, island, buildings, and other property. 10 lots on Queen Anne Hill is all that was left of his holdings. He had an orchard, a vegetable patch, and flower garden. He died in 1915, at age 85, allegedly of influenza. “I would like to live a little longer, there is so much to be learned and I know so little.” Ione quoted him after he died.
2827 15th Avenue West,“The Ranch”, had seen busier, happier days. The Smiths were gone at the time this picture was taken. Museum of History and Industry Archive #SHS 4322, circa late 1940s.
Today, Smith’s (Smith) Cove is the site of a new shoreline park development and Friends of Smith Cove Park (FoSCP) are inviting the public to participate in a series of public meetings on the design. In 2016, Seattle parks will utilize $6 million dollars voted by the public to build it. For more information on the project, the citizens behind it and the first public meeting to be held May 15, at Magnolia Lutheran Church, at 7pm click here.