Edgar Bryan (1841 - 1924)

Born 24 Feb 1841 in Lawrence, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Edna Ann (Whipple) Bryan — married 31 Aug 1865 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

Husband of Anna Mary (Smith) Bryan — married 17 Feb 1906 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

Died 19 Nov 1924 at age 83 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

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Biography

1870 and 1880 U.S. Census taker U.S. Census Takers Free-Space Profile

"Edgar Bryan, who [as of 1903] is secretary and ex-president of the Pioneer Association of the state of Washington- and makes his home in Seattle, was born in Lawrence county, Illinois,^[1] on the 24th of February, 1841.^[2][3] His father, Eli Bryan,^[1] was a native of North Carolina and after arriving at years of maturity married Nancy Laws,^[1] a native of Illinois. The former died when our subject was only seven years of age and the mother married again and reached the advanced age of seventy-three years. By her first marriage she had six children, and her second marriage was to a gentleman who had nine children. [Edgar, but none of his siblings, are shown in the household of Nathan and Nancy Wood, along with seven of Mr. Wood's children, Thomas, Freidred?, Julia, Abraham, Stephen, John, and Lewis Wood, in the 1850 U.S. Census.] Our subject and his eldest sister, Mrs. Esther Perkins, now of British Columbia, are the only survivors of the first family.

"After the mother's second marriage it seemed that the family was too large for one household, and when he was only eleven years of age he, with a younger brother and two sisters, left home and went with their grandfather, John Laws, across the plains, with ox teams, to Oregon, his grandfather being captain of a company which made the long and wearisome journey across the wide deserts of sand and through the mountain passes.^[4] The year was 1852^[3] and they were seven months and one week upon the way. Amos Pettys was the only man out of twenty-one who died during the entire trip, but difficulties and hardships were endured, such as cannot be imagined by the traveler of today who speeds across the country in a palace car. The stock was stampeded by Indians on several occasions, but the emigrants always succeeded in recovering their horses and cattle. While near Snake river Mr. Laws went on ahead of the company to look for a good place to encamp for the noon hour and was attacked by an Indian on horseback but managed to escape.

"The company settled in what was then Oregon, near Vancouver, remaining there through the first and very hard winter, and in the spring went to the beautiful Turlitin plains in Oregon.^[3] There Mr. Laws and his family remained during the harvesting season, after which they proceeded to Lynn City, opposite Oregon City. In the fall of that year he removed with his family to Olympia, Washington Territory,^[3] where he conducted a hotel during the winter of 1853-54. In the succeeding spring he secured a government land claim of three hundred and twenty acres on the Miami Prairie, which property he improved, transforming it into a rich farm and made his home thereon for many years. Energetic, industrious and honorable, his was a successful business career. He held membership in the Baptist church and died in Chehalis county at the age of seventy-four years.

"His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Goen, attained the very advanced age of ninety-three years. She was a typical pioneer woman, courageously braving the trials and dangers of frontier life and on the journey to the Pacific coast she drove her own team the greater part of the distance across the plains, and for fifteen years after arrival did her own housework on the farm, and was never known to get angry enough to quarrel with any person.

"Edgar Bryan was educated in the common schools of Olympia^[5] and at the Washington State University, the first term of which he attended, and he also attended the Puget Sound Wesleyan Institute at Olympia in early days. He first worked at the carpenter's trade and afterward engaged in teaching school for several terms.^[3] Subsequently he was employed as a clerk^[3] and filled the position of bookkeeper for the Washington Mill Company at Seabeck. The plant was a large one and an extensive business was carried on.

"[In 1862 he settled in Seattle, King Co., Washington.^[3]] In [August^[3]] 1865 Mr. Bryan was united in marriage, at Seattle, to Edna Ann Whipple, a descendant of the old Puritan family of Whipples. After their marriage the young couple took up their abode in Seattle, which was then a small town, and he followed contracting and building for ten years. He then suffered from paralysis and was obliged to retire from his business operations. Removing to Coupeville, Island county, he took charge of a large store, but subsequently returned to Seattle and received the appointment of deputy assessor of the county. He was also clerk of the Seattle school district for many years, and after serving as deputy assessor he was elected assessor of King county, serving a term of two years, during which time he manifested such ability that he was again elected and continued in the office through the second term, but declined to serve a third. Since his retirement he has been engaged in dealing in real estate, besides conducting other interests, and is now controlling the white bronze monument business....

"The home of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan has been brightened by the appearance of seven children : Albert W., who is now in Manila; Alberta, at home; Jessie, who became the wife of E. H. Crowe; Hugh L., who is a clerk in the post office at Seattle; Minnie, the wife of Samuel I. Robeson, of Seattle; Arthur A., at present a resident of Dawson, Northwest Territory; and C. Ernest, who is living at home. In 1893 Mr. Bryan was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who departed this life on the 15th of December of that year. She was a devoted wife and mother and a valued member of the Methodist Protestant church, so that her loss was deeply felt, not only in the family circle but also in the church organization and by her many friends. Mr. Bryan's daughter, Alberta, is now acting as his housekeeper, their pleasant home being located at No. 330 Fourth avenue north.

"In his political affiliations Mr. Bryan has been an active Republican since casting his first presidential vote. He was assistant United States marshal in 1870 and was postmaster while in Coupeville in 1875-76. For several years he has been a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.... Well does he deserve the honor which was conferred upon him by his election to the position of secretary of the Pioneer Association of the state for five consecutive terms after having served as its president.^[4]

"Mr. Bryan could give many interesting reminiscences of the Indian war of 1855-56 in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, but was not then old enough to join the Volunteers. He was made useful in looking after the interests of the farm, which was about five miles from the fort where all families of the neighborhood had assembled for mutual protection, and members were accustomed to visit the farms occasionallv to look after stock and other matters. On one of those trips he was detained over night and of course supposed to be murdered, but turned up all right and found a posse ready to go and search for him."^[6]

"The census of 1870 was taken under the direction of the U. S. Marshal, E. S. Kearney. He divided the Territory into ten districts, appointing an enumerator for each. King and Pierce Counties were coupled together, and to Daniel Bagley was assigned the task of counting the people, and learning what he could concerning their schools, churches, libraries, newspapers, farms, manufactures, taxes and debts. Mr. Bagley was unable to do. the work in King County and transferred it to Edgar Bryan. He found 2164 persons in King County of whom 245 were Indians. There were also 487 dwellings, 590 families, 154 farms, 11 deaths during the previous year and 41 births. In the town of Seattle were found 1142 inhabitants, including whites, blacks, Chinese and Indians. Walla Walla with 1394 inhabitants was the largest town in the Territory in 1870, and Walla Walla was found to be the most populous county, having 5302 inhabitants. Washington Territory in all had 25,955."^[7]

In 1880, while serving as King County Assessor, he also was a census taker for the Washington Territory. He reported that the 1880 census year population of King County (exclusive of Native Americans) was 6,196, an increase of 1,018 from the previous year. Also, the total value of the real property in the County was $2,509,920, an increase of $512,250 from 1879.^[8]

At age 64 he remarried, his second wife being Anna Mary Smith. The ceremony took place on 17 February 1906 at Edgar's home at 216 3rd Avenue North, Seattle, being conducted by Rev. W. S. Harrington, a Methodist Episcopal minister.^[1]

"He held several county and state positions and was for 40 years a notary public^[3] and officer of his school district."^[4]

Edgar was 83 years old when he died at his home at 1946 Sixth Avenue West, Seattle, King Co., Washington on 19 November 1924.^[4][9][2]

Burial was at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Seattle, King Co., Washington.^[2][10]

He was survived by his second wife and three of his children.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} "Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854-2013," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1329760:2378 : accessed 19 February 2023), Edgar Bryan - Anna Mary Smith, 17 February 1906, Seattle, Washington.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5209292/edgar-bryan: accessed 19 February 2023), memorial page for Edgar Bryan (24 Feb 1841–19 Nov 1924), Find a Grave Memorial ID 5209292, citing Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Seattle, King County, Washington, USA; Maintained by Carolyn Farnum (contributor 10411580).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} "Oregon, Biographical and Other Index Card File, 1700s-1900s," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/136024:9056 : accessed 19 February 2023); imaged card, Edgar Bryan, born 24 February 1841, Lawrence Co., Illinois, came to Oregon overland from Illinois in 1852, locating at Tualatin plains, then to Washington Territory, settling in Seattle in 1862, marrying first Edna Ann Whipple, then Anna M. Smith, occupations including teacher, clerk, carpenter, and notary.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Newspapers.com, images (https://www.newspapers.com/image/858032442 : accessed 19 February 2023), imaged obituary, "Former President of Pioneers Dead", The Seattle [Washington] Star, 20 November 1924, p. 3, col. 5; "Bryan crossed the plains with his grandfather in 1854 [sic], settling near Olympia."
5. ↑ Newspapers.com, images (https://www.newspapers.com/image/333123340 : accessed 19 February 2023), imaged article, "Wedding at Union City", The Seattle [Washington] Post-Intelligencer, 4 July 1897, p. 10, col. 5; "Edgar Bryan, was one of the pioneers of Olympia in the sixties."
6. ↑ A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of the City of Seattle and County of King, Washington, Including Biographies of Many of Those Who Have Passed Away (New York and Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1903), 189 - 192; imaged book, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/volumeofmemoirsg01lewi/page/189/mode/1up : accessed 18 February 2023).
7. ↑ Thomas W. Prosch, A Chronological History of Seattle From 1850 to 1897, p. 202 (file:///C:/Users/Trustee/Downloads/p15015coll6_1392-1.pdf : accessed 19 February 2023).
8. ↑ Newspapers.com, images (https://www.newspapers.com/image/333123340 : accessed 19 February 2023), imaged article, "Census and Assessment", The Seattle [Washington] Post-Intelligencer, 25 July 1880, p. 2, col. 1.
9. ↑ "Washington, U.S., Death Records, 1883-1960," database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1265334:1208 : accessed 19 February 2023); died 19 November 1924 in Seattle, King Co., Washington.
10. ↑ "Washington, U.S., Death Index, 1940-2017," database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4263015:6716 : accessed 19 February 2023).