A Pioneer's Last Entry: J. P. Stewart of Puyallup

Tacoma, Jan. 13.—J. P. Stewart, vice president of the Puyallup Loan and Trust Company and vice president of the Pacific National Bank of this city, died this morning at his home in Puyallup of apoplexy, aged 61. He was stricken Saturday afternoon on the street.

Puyallup, Jan. 13.—Special.—For the past year Mr. Stewart had been preparing a short synopsis of his life for his boys, and the following are a few extracts:

Born September 20, 1833, at Croton, Delaware County, N.Y.; graduated at the Delaware Literary Institute when 18 years of age; a year later taught school, and on the 16th of April, 1856, left Croton for the West, never having been, prior to this, fifty miles from home. On April 20, 1856, he left New York by steamer for Panama, arriving on the 29th; crossed the isthmus by rail and took the steamer Golden Gate for San Francisco, arriving there May 16, twenty-six days out from New York. On May 18 he left San Francisco by steamer for Oregon, arriving on the 24th at Portland, which then had a population of 2,000. He went by team to Corvallis by the way of Oregon City and Salem, where he met his relatives and friends. This ended the journey from Croton to Corvallis, occupying thirty-six days. Ten days after arrival he commenced teaching school and taught the years of 1855 and 1856, during the Indian war in Oregon and Washington. He taught until 1859, and also acted as sheriff of Benton County, in which Corvallis is situated.

On April 22, 1860, he started on horseback for the Sound country by the way of Portland, arriving on the seventh day in Steilacoom. He started immediately for the Puyallup Valley, which contained only three white persons, John Carson, Mark Ball and Leach, the two latter being now deceased, but Carson still lives on the same place. He arrived the same day at Carson's fort, which is situated where the Meridian Street, Puyallup, bridge now stands. He took a donation claim of 160 acres where the present city of Puyallup now stands. He then taught school at Steilacoom and Spanaway. At the last-named school Miss Margaret McMillan, later his wife, was a pupil. In the year 1862 he was elected probate judge. In 1868 J. V. Meeker took a claim adjoining Stewart's. He became county surveyor and surveyed the township. In 1863 he was appointed postmaster in the valley, which office he held for eleven years. On December 24, 1863, he was married. In the same year he ran the telegraph office and was line repairer. He was washed out in 1867. At that time the mail from Franklin, now Puyallup, was carried to Seattle by C. H. Hartford, now Judge of the United States District Court. He taught school next year at Sumner, and the following spring and summer kept books for the Old Tacoma Mill Company. In the spring of 1871 he planted one acre of hops and raised 763 pounds, for which he received 5 cents per pound. In 1886 he was elected to the legislature. Mr. Stewart expressed regret, soon before he died, that he would not be able to complete his memories.

President Elwood Evans, of the State Historical Society, says: 'Hon. J. P. Stewart was one of the substantial men of Pierce County, one of its best citizens in the best sense of the word. He has served the people of this county well and faithfully as probate judge, county commissioner and in the territorial legislature. He migrated to Pierce County from Oregon shortly after the Indian war, after it became safe to occupy claims in the Puyallup Valley, first serving his neighbors as postmaster of Franklin. He has been a successful farmer, hop raiser, merchant and banker. In every situation, in every capacity he gained the confidence of his neighbors, and acted for the best interests of the community in which he lived. He has left but few to follow that can be as useful. I feel the weakness of his sudden demise too severely to express my feelings at the deep loss his sudden death has occasioned to the state, county and community.'