The Forgotten Wife at the Center of Seattle

The arrival of Lydia A. Maynard to attend a hearing at the Land Office in Olympia has caused quite a stir. Some have attempted to discredit her claim, while others have impugned the motives of her legal counsel. In April 1852, Dr. David Maynard settled his land claim—now an integral part of downtown Seattle—under the Donation Law. At the time, his wife was Lydia A. Maynard. In December 1852, the Doctor obtained a divorce from the Territorial Assembly of Oregon, and the following month married his present wife, Catharine. The attempt was then made to substitute Catharine for Lydia in the land claim papers, fueled by the false rumor that Lydia had died. When a purchaser recently attempted to secure a patent for the land, the Commissioner of the General Land Office refused to issue it to David and Catharine, requiring proof of the first marriage. The search for heirs led to the discovery that Lydia was, in fact, alive. The case now presents a unique legal dilemma: Did the legislative divorce divest Lydia of her estate, and if she never lived on the land, does she still hold a right to the claim? As the legal battle unfolds, the speculators who bought into a defective title are nervous, but the counsel for the Maynard claim has pledged to protect the actual settlers and laborers who hold small parcels of the land.