The Final Journey of a Pioneer Missionary
Rev. Cushing Eells, a pathfinder who crossed the continent by horseback in 1838, passes away in Tacoma on his 83rd birthday.
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.
The Rev. Cushing Eells died this morning at the residence of his son, Edwin Eells, at 708 South I street, aged 83 years. Today was his birthday. Three or four weeks ago he felt that he was failing, and in a systematic manner he prepared for the end. The cold snap affected him as never before. Last Sunday he mounted his old sorrel horse, La Blau, which for years has been almost as familiar as the aged pioneer missionary, and rode to the First Congregational church and participated in the services. On the way home he felt chilled through and through. After dinner he went out to feed old La Blau, and in doing so fell and was unable to rise. Pneumonia seized him, and he was too feeble to throw it off. The remains will probably be buried at Lake View cemetery, in Seattle, on Monday, by the side of his wife.
“He was content with his life's work and hoped only that he might be spared until he had rounded out his 83d year.”
Cushing Eells was a foundational figure in the history of Washington state education, having helped establish what became Whitman College. His story highlights the intense missionary era of the mid-19th century and the deep connections between early settlement, education, and religious institutions in the Northwest.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.