Archives West Finding Aid

Edward Marsden, Presbyterian missionary to the native peoples of Alaska, was born in Metlakatla, British Columbia on May 19, 1869. Metlakatla was a colony founded for Christian converts from the Tsimshian tribe, by Father William Duncan. Duncan guided the spiritual, emotional and physically development of the colony, and provided its members with English names. Hence, Marsden's father, former chief Shooquanahd of the Tsimshian tribe and Duncan's first convert, was called Samuel Marsden, and his wife was named Catherine.

Edward Marsden evinced considerable talent at an early age; he played the organ for church services at age 13, learned to play every brass instrument in the band, played the piano, and became an excellent piano tuner by taking a piano apart one day to see how it worked. A mechanical genius as well, he became a licensed marine steam engineer and navigator in 1888, and had already mastered an impressive array of trades, including brickmaking, surveying, carpentry, clock and watch making, blacksmithing and machinist, to name only some. These skills were to serve him well as a missionary leader and educator in Alaska.

In 1887, Father Duncan, in an effort to avoid "British tyranny and ecclesiastical oppression," fled with the Metlakatlan colonists to Alaska. It was at this time, while attending training school in Sitka, Alaska, that Marsden attracted the notice of Dr. Sheldon Jackson. Jackson convinced Marsden to join the Presbyterian Church and to apply himself to the ministry. Under Jackson's sponsorship, Marsden entered Marietta College in Ohio in 1891, and after receiving his degree in 1895, completed his education at Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati, graduating in 1898. He paid his way through school by practicing his various trades.

After being ordained as a minister in 1898, Marsden returned immediately to Alaska. He was assigned to the town of Saxman, near Ketchikan, to minister to the Tlingit tribe. He married Lucy Kinninook, daughter of the Tongass tribal chief, and they adopted three children from her sister's family.

Marsden's work quickly expanded to include many of the small communities in southeastern Alaska. He built his own boats and averaged 5000 miles of travel a year in his efforts to service outlying areas. In addition to religious work, Marsden supervised and personally helped to build homes, churches, schools and orphanages for the people with whom he worked. A strong advocate of Indian rights, and a believer in higher education for native peoples, Marsden found himself firmly opposed by his former leader, Father Duncan. Duncan, who reportedly refused ordination for himself because it would require him to recognize a higher authority, apparently believed it was not appropriate to teach native people anything more than how to read the Bible and buy goods at the local store. Thus, he refused to allow Marsden to preach or assist in any way with the Metlakatla community. With Duncan's death, however, Marsden was able to found a Presbyterian Church in the colony (apparently by popular demand) and became a major leader. He died in 1932.

Source: "Called to Build: Edward Marsden." Reprinted from The Continent. Published by the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. New York, NY n.d. See file 4/9 for this pamphlet.