February 5 – April 25, 1872
The Forgotten Wife at the Center of Seattle
1872 Dispatch reports tied a Seattle donation claim to Maynard's divorce and first wife.
3 reports in Puget Sound Dispatch, February 5 – April 25, 1872.
The story
Between February and April 1872, the Puget Sound Dispatch reported that a legal dispute over Dr. David Maynard's donation land claim—described in one report as 640 acres and in another as an 1852 claim covering much of downtown Seattle—involved the property rights of his first wife, Lydia A. Maynard. The paper said the claim was tied up in a crisis over the validity of Maynard's divorce and Lydia's arrival; one April report further said the territorial government sought to erase her existence to secure the claim for his second family. The reports are brief and do not establish the outcome or give consistent details beyond those claims.
Told from the 3 reports below. The reports are the record.
The archive grouped these reports automatically, by date, place and subject.
The reports 3
- Puget Sound DispatchThe Hidden Stakes in Seattle's Founding
A legal dispute over Dr. David Maynard’s 640-acre donation claim reveals the overlooked property rights of his late wife, Lydia A. Maynard.
- Puget Sound DispatchThe Forgotten Wife at the Center of Seattle
Dr. David Maynard’s 1852 donation land claim, which comprises much of downtown Seattle, is tied up in a legal crisis over the validity of his divorce and the arrival of his first wife, Lydia A. Maynard.
- Puget Sound DispatchThe Forgotten Wife of Seattle: Dr. Maynard’s Double Life
A landmark land dispute in 1872 reveals how the territorial government attempted to erase the existence of Dr. David S. Maynard's first wife, Lydia, to secure a donation claim for his second family.
From the pages
Puget Sound Dispatch · Feb 5, 1872
Puget Sound Dispatch · Mar 14, 1872
Puget Sound Dispatch · Apr 25, 1872
Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Public domain.