From Vera Cruz to Seattle: The Improbable Life of Levi F. Compton

Levi F. Compton, a pioneer and one of Seattle's most respected citizens, died yesterday morning at his family residence, 211 Spring Street. His death was not unexpected, as he had been failing rapidly. He caught the grippe and never fully recovered. For the past two months he had been confined to the house. He made one trip downtown against his physician's advice in order to settle a business affair. He was also, at his own request, taken to Chehalis in the hope that a change would benefit him, but the journey only aggravated his illness. The cause of death was heart failure.

Levi F. Compton was born in Virginia on May 1, 1825. His father was a planter, and the family was among the old ones of the historic state. Mr. Compton received educational advantages, but his bent was toward mechanics and he became a millwright and bridge builder. When he was 21 years of age the United States declared war against Mexico, and young Compton, full of patriotism, was among the first to enlist. From Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico he followed the victorious banner of Gen. Scott and saw much hard service. In 1848, after the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, he returned to his native state.

Young Compton's army experience had formed in him an unrest and a love of adventure which the quiet, staid plantation life of Virginia failed to satisfy. During his army life he acquired a distaste for slavery, and this he manifested by assisting some of the bondsmen to escape to the North. This he did in spite of the fact that his father and, in fact, all of his people were slave owners.

When California had been ceded to the United States by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, he went thither. He arrived in California early in 1849 and was at Sutter's Fort when Marshall made the first discovery of gold in California. Then he followed gold mining for a number of years with varying success. At one place he would take out a fortune, only to sink it in the next mining venture. When the new discoveries were made in Nevada in the early sixties, he went thither and mined for silver at Virginia City and other places in the land of sagebrush and silver. He also superintended the erection of several mills there.

In the year 1870 he came to Seattle and resided here ever since. Here he followed his occupation of millwright and bridge builder and acted as superintendent of construction of a number of buildings. When Harry White was mayor he was appointed inspector of buildings and carried on the affairs of that office in an able manner. From the time of the founding of the reform school at Chehalis he was one of the trustees of that institution. One of his hobbies was the science of phrenology, and he had a theory that a perfectly conducted reform school was of great benefit to youths. He held that they could be made grand men by proper training. The inmates of the school loved him as well as though he was a father, and well they might, for he was constantly showering favors upon them. Mr. Compton resigned the place of trustee only a few days ago, when he saw that death was inevitable.

Mr. Compton was an ardent Republican, though he was born in the South, and always stood up manfully for the doctrines of that party. He was an Odd Fellow and was several times elected an officer of the Grand Lodge. It is claimed that he was the oldest Odd Fellow on the Pacific coast, having been a member of the order for forty-five years. At the time of his death he was a member of Fraternal Lodge, No. 68, and Unity Encampment, No. 2, both of this city.

A few days since he sent Maj. W. V. Rinehart to Charles Prosch, the secretary of the Pioneer Society, with his dues. It was his desire that he should die without being in arrears to that or any other society. This was in keeping with his actions through a long and useful life.

Mr. Compton left a wife and two grown sons to mourn his departure. One of his sons, L. F. Compton, is alderman from the Seventh ward.

The funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock at the North Seattle Baptist Church, under the auspices of the Odd Fellows, Rev. John F. Damon officiating. The interment will take place in the Odd Fellows' cemetery.