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Home My WebLink About1866 - Seattle Pioneers Petition Against a Reservation on Black River for Duwamish TribeSeattle ;,ieneers petition against a reservation on the Black River for the DuDuwamish tri`y a in 1866. By David Wilma Posted 1/24/2001 HistoryLink.org Essay 2955 Black River, ca. 1899 Photo byAnders B. Wise, Courtesy MOHAI (1988.33.284) The Petition 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. 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 thisproposed 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 D. K. Baxter C. Walsh Harry Smith Z. M. Keller Jeremiah Williams A. C. Anderson Richard Wallis ? Horton John Welch J. R. Gardner William B. Cheney S. D. Peasley Joseph Dillon T. S. Russell James Kirch H. McAleer F.M. Green H.A. Atkins D.W. Conklin S. T. B. Andrews T. McNatt A. Hulbert Samuel Alexander P. H. Lewis Andrew Beattie H. Smith John McCrow Thomas Moss L. B. Abbott B. A. Young Alex Missel Ryan E. C. McCoon H. Breon W.H. Weight E. M. Sammis Gardner Kellog 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 Hillary Butler ? ? Hinckley ? Pike ? ? Haines John Franklin Matthias O. C. Shorey J. B. JorD. B. Ward Alonzo Russell Martin Schmieg J. Glendenning D. H. Hill Sam'l Wakefield John Dilling John W. A. Jepson M. R. Maddocks John Denny J. S. Condon Edmund Carr A. Bissel David R. McMillan Seeris McMillan J. Jacobs Richard Jeffs H. L. Yesler R. C. Smith Rickard King Thos. M. Alvord D. T. Denny W. W. Judd Chas. Eagan S. W. Russell G. J. Seerley R. Russell John Langston J. P? Crow ? Steelman L.W. Ballard W. S. Surber J. R. Stark John Ross M. B. Maddocks Patrick O- J. C. Card ?? Rabbeson L. S. Clark ? Ohm (Dutch Ned J. L. Holgate slang) John Kurins Robt. Patrick Emerson George Austin Saul Grund A. H. Gow D. V. Jost C. C. Lewis W. H. Lee Martin Givlar J. G. Ballard Henry Adams John M. Cavanaugh A--- W Arthur Magee T. M. Stewart T. Hammond J. P. Roberts ?A. Neely Peter Dugon Theodore Russ ? Jordon Joseph B--man ? D. Kellog G. ? Keller Jefferson Smith Bernard ?? Cavanaugh Jacob Maple John K---cher J. C. Sherman H. Van Asselt J. W. Maple J.P. Pinnell ? ? Ross T. Bulfinch J. G. D. Seelys Edw. Harney W. M. -eny ? F. Putnam ? G. Mitchell ? Little George Taylor This essay made possible by: Rivers In Time Project: King County Landmarks & Heritage Commission Sources: "Petition: To the Honorable Arthur A. Denny, Delegate to Congress from Washington Territory," n.d., National Archives Roll 909, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-81 "; Pioneer Association of the State of Washington, "A Petition to Support Recognition of The Duwamish Indians as a 'Tribe', June 18, 1988, in possession of Ken Tollefson, Seattle, Washington. Related Topics Govern ent & Politics Northwest Indians Se ers Licensing: This essay is licensed under a Creative Commons license that encourages reproduction with attribution. Credit should be given to both HistoryLink.org and to the author, and sources must be included with any reproduction. Click the icon for more info. Please note that this Creative Commons license applies to text only, and not to images. 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