Archives West Finding Aid

Winfield Scott Ebey (1831-1865) left Plum Grove Place, Missouri in April 1854 and settled on Whidbey Island, Washington Territory. He followed his brother, Isaac Neff Ebey, who had taken out a claim on Whidbey Island in 1850 and became the first permanent white settler there. Isaac's wife, Rebecca, and sons, Eason and Ellison, had followed in 1852. Winfield was accompanied on his trip by his sisters, Mary and Ruth, parents Jacob and Sarah, and cousins George Beam and George Ebey, both of whom settled on Protection Island, located northwest of Port Townsend.

Isaac Ebey entered politics and quickly rose to prominence. Winfield benefited from his brother's influence. In 1853 Isaac was appointed Collector of Customer on Puget Sound; after Isaac successfully petitioned for removal of the port of entry from Olympia to Port Townsend, Winfield became Deputy Collector of Customer at Port Townsend. At the start of the Indian War in 1855, Winfield, Isaac and George Beam joined the Territorial Volunteers, but did not see a single hostile Indian during their military service. That same year Winfield was admitted to the territorial bar, appointed U.S. Deputy Marshall and made a delegate to the 1855 Democratic Territorial convention. He lost his bid for a seat in the territorial legislature in 1855, but he was elected the second Supervisor of Common Schools for Island County in 1857. News of gold strikes throughout the Northwest tempted Winfield, but he remained on Whidbey Island to look after his sick father while farming and practicing law. In 1862, following the deaths of his father and sister, Winfield and his brother-in-law Urban Bozarth departed for Oregon’s John Day River to pan for gold. Between 1862 and 1863, they made a small amount of money prospecting in the John Day area and the Powder River mining district. Winfield, however, developed tuberculosis, a disease which eventually killed him in 1865.

Isaac Ebey was killed and beheaded in 1857 on Whidbey Island by a band of Indians from British Columbia or Alaska, perhaps avenging the attack of tribal members at Port Gamble by a U.S. warship the prior year. Isaac’s eldest son, Eason, also entered politics. He was elected to his uncle’s former position, Supervisor of Common Schools, and served as Supervisor of Common Schools for Island County from 1868 to 1876 and as Island County’s delegate to the territorial legislature from 1876 to 1878. After his defeat for re-election, he concentrated his energies on managing the family land, which he rented to tenant farmers.

George Beam married Almira Ebey, the daughter of his cousin (and Winfield's sister) Mary Ebey. Almira and George farmed Jacob Ebey’s old claim and also rented land. Four years after George’s death in 1866, Almira moved to San Francisco with her children Arthur, Mary, and Edith. Arthur made a fair amount of money as a realtor in Hayward. Almira eventually married a San Francisco banker, Abraham Enos. Edith also married a banker, John Allan Park of San Leandro.