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Home My WebLink About1852-1903 - William Gilliam and Mary Jane Gilliam (nee Russell)Pioneers William Gilliam and Mary Jane Gilliam (nee Russell) or IIIIIIIIIII III61 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII lull October 12, 1852 -August 12, 1903 Pioneers staked piece of Tukwila BY PAT BRODIN TUKWILA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Born in Yorktown, Va William H. Gil- liam arrived into the Washington Territory on Oct. 12, 1852, at age 23. He spent the winter scouting the area and ultimately staked his claim June 1, 1853. His land claim bordered another well-known Du- wamish settler named Joseph Foster to the north and Abraham Bryant to the south. Gilliam came to Puget Sound as a skilled tradesman and a cooper (barrel maker), but engaged in farming the rich river bot- tomland and clearing the surrounding abundant timber. During the Indian War of 1855, Gilliam served as first lieutenant in the volunteer defense regiment of Captain C.C. Hewitts Company H. When Hewitt's company dis- banded, he signed up with Landers Com- pany A, which was active until July 29, 1856. Damage claim records filed with the Territorial Government showed that many Duwamish settlers, including Gilliam, had their homesteads burned by hostile Indi- ans. After the hostilities subsided, he began to rebuild and work his land claim with renewed hope for the future. Gilliam and Foster became entrepreneurs and formed their own logging company, floating the logs via the Duwamish River into Elliot Bay to Henry Yesler's Seattle mill. Still working to prove up his donation claim and complete the filing process, Gil- liam, along with neighbor and business partner Joseph Foster, appeared before D.S. "Doc" Maynard, King County com- missioner. Foster had sworn under testi- mony that William Gilliam had been living on his stated claim continuously from June 1, 1853, to June 1, 1857, 'excepting when driven off by hostile Indians" Finally on March 24, 1863, Gilliam and Foster ap- peared at the Territorial Land Office in Olympia where Foster again verifies Gil- liam's continuous occupation of his claim. Gilliam pays the filing fee and receives clear title - a patent - to 160 acres of prime White River bottom land. By 1867 Gilliam was appointed Seattle postmaster and opened the Post Office in a two- story warehouse built by Henry Yesler on the south side of his wharf. William Gil- liam was also a charter member of the Se- attle Library Association, along with fellow Duwamish settlers, Joseph Foster, George Holt and Henry Van Asselt In 1873 at 43 years of age, Gilliam mar- ried Mary Jane Russell, who was the daugh- ter of White River pioneer Samuel Russell. Mary Jane was formerly married to Charles Terry in 1856 at Point Madison on the Suquamish Reservation. Chief Seattle was one of their honored guests. Terry died of tuberculosis in 1867. Mary Jane then mar - William H. Gilliam staked his daim in 1853. Tukwila Historical Society ried Charles Murphy in 1871 who died two years later of unknown causes. On Aug. 24, 1875, Mary Jane Murphy Gilliam died of a presumed communicable disease. Certain epidemics were rampant in King County throughout that decade. Gilliam lived out his days as a single man, a respected pio- neer of the Duwamish Valley, and was bur- ied by local Duwamish Native Americans on the Black River. This months Tukwila: 's Story was written by Pat Brodin, past president of the Tukwila Historical Society. For hours and arrange- ments for a tour of the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center, call 206/244 HIST or emaiktukwilaheritagectrRtukwilahistory. org. Museum calendar •Jan.1 6, 7 p.m.: Regular monthly meeting at Tuk- wila Heritage and Cultural Center, 14475 59th Ave. S., Tukwila. All are welcome to meet the new chairperson, Joan Hernandez and hear about plans for2014. • Feb. 8, noon-4 p.m.: Open house, Tukwila Heri- tage and Cultural Center. Tour the center and bring pho- tos and stories of your family to share. • October: Military Road & Sesquicentennial Cele- bration of the Telegraph Arrival in Washington Territory. Many events are still being shed uled, with dates to be determined. The project is being co -sponsored by Feder- al Way Historical Society, Greater Kent Historical Society, Highline Historical Society and Tukwila Historical Society and has received funding from 4CuKure. Marriage Certificate dated May 1, 1873 Credit: WA State Arch lives & King County W. H. GILLIAM IS DEAL One of Seattle's EarlitSettlers Passes Away To- day. Fought Indians Here When the Place Was But a Village. William H Gilliam Birth 2 Oct 1829 Virginia, USA Death 12 Aug 1903 (aged 73) Seattle, King County, Washington, USA Burial Lake V u e w t. e irr a e c iry Seattle, King County, Washington, USA Memorial ID 32619797 • Viiew Source Credit: http<;://www lira : r ' vc.crats- llii: for the melt Iwwt ,Itntgitt „Italians before Seattle 'WRZ more titan a village tit the midtat (' mlrr1ottt furests, tiled 11110 rnertiloilit Eut the hontlit. +4rnel Hr�It I. Utr-siers,11 iittiglity mitt the enure IOC hI a4� a o:IW. L"'ltwfnl1er 1 1'IA.I.110 .b'rimil "'r1443' i'tse, atwtmn a t "'" 01YOZININCk, .'tv the Ltie,pel of the liortrwey-vt`utsort eguipaLty., wilder li thy eett.h h °tItegRoRentI. r" this. order 141r. 1:111ioanfi Wilt a, :Nevin". tien t iie. ter pears. Lr� Gilliam WAR St. ,ilhglr 31: lettives net ettial1Vto ifl thi part, of he 1,'n1t,4S°ti,rmi,„ kte was )rowlnentl ". idelitlited with, 6ea ttlerit esely history. lie tattle VeaRhin `train 1tt J.' from Selo' 'Cork „S, te_ took it liumentesti the rtie tit o f .BlgkIL is v'ieu�reti a few acre* ;l i iad and bul'l% himself a home. ,Du r littt war it tw,5, Cho rciatiV01 t1rautre 24r. Gil. ham t"rom his , I nee. During g hil h#aRe..ee they h rated 4i ittounds arid 711,44. l.iiih1 t'i llort4R, For 't„aims and, fur his awrtr i rr 11 t-Iwo WaT irruted .at that tint 1tat� rir�at the 'te etil. 1„, nit, Sutter.. O w ri ' to a t1. t t1,R,140 i�l�, � 1, r° "1'wwrrlw•`,w ytturu atgo 'lr_ WINK Irt 'he wmli the Spring i111l "tI:ut.w'r° = Company. w bursi„litg pipe a.t lbe Irt- 1..� r ih ,e 'W a hitt tun t n:1w 131 .t tr tu, lU tla'° rut, Thad In,Iwtted him se 1MM N1') tits . Iw1wr iteslith writs 'betoken front thei.t time milli. Ditastente fraternity IA t hli elt, - and the " Stout tteest. less it 'member Of St. J-hrritJ 'IgSpottle,h 11L`IR 31 a. 41er whoiit mwrs; ises item -loos. will "the :wlami i.he betty ectr atilt, .ed tu11 Ike: ity. 9797/willi3m-h oolo1010001114, 1110111, Added by Ka re n Sipe Added by NO/pioneer Mary Jane Russell Terry Daughter of Sanriuet and Jane (Sprott) Russell Wife of (1) Char .es Terry (2) Charles Murphy (3) Witham Mother of NeUe,.Bataey, Edward, Chates and .Mary Birth 12 Mar 1837 Richland County, Ohio, USA Death 24 Jul 1875 (aged 38) Seattle, King County, Washington, USA Burial 1,..akf-: \hew C,;(,.ryiratery Seattle, King County, Washington, USA Plot Memorial ID 5232077 • Vew Sou rce Credit: rat122„://wwwfindagrayecorn/rn emoria. _232077finaryjane: