The Tragedy of a Lonely Settler at Hines Lake
A young Chicago transplant drowns in a remote lake after a fishing trip ends in a mysterious, fatal accident.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
James H. Cottell, a young man who recently came to this state from Chicago, was drowned in Hines lake, four and one-half miles back of Sidney, last Thursday afternoon while fishing and hunting. His remains were brought to this city yesterday afternoon on the steamer A. R. Robinson by Trusten P. Dyer and George M. Stewart, and will be shipped to his old home tomorrow morning. Young Cottell took up a ranch on the shores of Hines lake and lived alone in a little shanty. A neighbor, William Raymond, had invited him to dinner, but when Cottell failed to arrive, a search was launched. Miss Alexander, who owned a nearby ranch, accompanied Raymond; they found Cottell's boat in shoal water with his fishing tackle, but no owner. The body was discovered the next morning in four feet of water. Cottell was subject to epileptic fits, and it is thought that while fishing he was seized by one and fell into the water. The recovery of the body was difficult due to four feet of snow on the roads, requiring a harrowing trip to Sidney.
“It was no small task to bring the remains to Sidney yesterday morning through snow drifted in some places four feet deep.”
This story highlights the intense isolation experienced by 19th-century settlers in Kitsap County, where a medical emergency could easily turn fatal without witnesses. Today, while the region is well-connected, the narrative of newcomers moving to the PNW for a fresh start remains a central theme of regional life.
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