The City Bids Farewell to Its Founding Father
Thousands of mourners, from pioneers to laborers, gathered at the Yesler mansion to honor the man who built Seattle’s first mill and served as its patron.
The people of Seattle assembled in thousands to pay the last tribute of respect to the memory of the best-loved of the city's fathers, Henry L. Yesler. The spacious reception rooms of his late residence were filled with his friends, rich and poor. Among the mourners was Princess Angelina, who sat long looking on the lifeless face, seemingly hoping for the soul to return. Rev. John F. Damon delivered an eloquent sermon, framing Yesler’s life as the foundation of the state's industrial history. His generosity was legend—a man whose 'latch-string was always out' and who provided for the poor and the newcomer when Seattle was but a wilderness settlement.
“His latch-string was always out. It has been said he never could refuse an appeal from anyone for any purpose.”
Henry Yesler’s mill gave birth to Seattle's industrial economy, yet this eulogy captures a lost sense of civic 'family' that feels worlds away from the city's current hyper-growth. Princess Angelina, the daughter of Chief Seattle, remains a poignant, often sidelined figure in the narrative of the city's displacement and transition.
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