Henry Allen Atkins family papers, approximately 1860-1929

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Atkins (Family : Atkins, Henry Allen, 1827-1885)
Title
Henry Allen Atkins family papers
Dates
approximately 1860-1929 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.89 cubic feet (3 boxes plus 1 oversize folder)
Collection Number
5875 (Accession No. 5875-001)
Summary
Atkins family and early Seattle materials, including photographs (1860s-1920s), correspondence, essays and other writings, Frank R. Atkins scrapbook, wallets, wills and obituaries, and ephemera.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users upon consultation with the PNW Curator until full processing is completed.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Henry Allen Atkins was born in Waterbury, Vermont, on September 18, 1827. His mother, a member of the Barr family, was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. Atkins' other ancestors include the Allen family of Ticonderoga fame. As a young child, Atkins went to live with his uncle in Ohio following his parents' deaths. After his graduation from Ohio's Twinsburg Instituite, he worked in Ohio until 1849, when he travelled to California to mine for gold. He spent nine years mining in California before travelling to British Columbia and Seattle, where he spent the remainder of his life. Atkins worked at a number of jobs in Seattle, including as a pile driver and as a clerk at Dexter Horten, which later became known as Atkins & Shoudy. In 1869, Atkins was appointed as the first mayor of Seattle. He also served as the King County Sheriff (1873), Regent of the Territorial University (1874-1878), and Master of the St. John's Lodge of Masons.

In 1867, Atkins married Mary J. Osborne, who had travelled with her son, Eben S.Osborne, to Seattle from Massachusetts on the Mercer expedition the previous year. Before her marriage to Atkins, she taught school for a short period at Chambers Prairie, near Olympia. Together, Henry and Mary had three children, Mary Emma, Persis Amelia, and Frank Rufus.

Atkins died on June 24, 1885 as the result of complications following a severe blow to the head sustained while splitting a pile in Victoria two years earlier.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Atkins family and early Seattle materials, including photographs (1860s-1920s), correspondence, essays and other writings, Frank R. Atkins scrapbook, wallets, wills and obituaries, and ephemera.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • Atkins, Frank R., 1872-1959--Archives
  • Atkins, Henry A., 1827-1885--Archives
  • Atkins, Mary Barr, 1834-1896--Archives

Family Names

  • Atkins (Family :   Atkins, Henry A., 1827-1885)--Archives

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)--History--Sources