George Frederick Frye (1833-1912) was born in Germany and immigrated to Seattle in 1853 when he was 20 years old. He was first employed by Henry Yesler at his steam sawmill, and soon became friends with the Seattle pioneer family of Arthur Armstrong Denny (1822-1899) and Mary Ann Boren Denny (1822-1910). The Denny party had arrived at Alki Point on Elliott Bay in 1851, after traveling from Illinois to Oregon by wagon train with their young daughters Louisa Catherine (1844-1924) and Margaret Lenora (1847-1915). The Denny sons Rolland Hershel (1851-1939), Orion O. (1853-1919) and Charles Latimer (1861-1919) were born in Seattle. Arthur Armstrong Denny became one of Seattle’s wealthiest citizens and served as a member of the territorial legislature in Washington D.C.
Louisa Catherine Denny had just turned 17 when she and George F. Frye were married in 1860. Together they had six children: James Marion Frye (1861-1905), Marie Louise Frye Kirk (1864-1937), Sophie Frye Bass (1867-1947), George Arthur Frye (1869-1893), Roberta Gertrude Frye Watt (1875-1963), and Elizabeth Helen Frye Bogue (1878-1961). The family resided at 1306 Madison Street.
George and Louisa Frye were active business partners and started a number of successful early Seattle
companies. They built the first established theater, Frye’s Opera House, located at First Avenue and Lenora Street.
George Frye also organized Seattle’s first brass band. From 1870 to 1874, George Frye was the purser and later captain
of the
George Frye personally managed the construction of the Louisa C. Frye Hotel when he was in his late seventies. The hotel is located in Pioneer Square at Third Avenue and Yesler Way. Designed by architects Charles Herbert Bebb (1856-1942) and Louis Leonard Mendel (1867-1940), it was the finest hotel north of San Francisco when it opened in 1911. At eleven stories, it was one of the tallest of Seattle’s new steel frame skyscrapers, with an ornate Italian Renaissance design and an interior finish of mahogany and marble. It contained 350 deluxe rooms with exterior window views, 200 with private baths. President Theodore Roosevelt was a guest at the grand opening. Shortly after the Louisa C. Frye Hotel opened in 1911, George Frye died. Louisa Frye continued to manage the hotel and their other business interests until her death in 1924.
In the early 1970s the hotel was converted into low-income apartments. In 1997, the residents were at risk of being displaced by private development and signed a petition to Seattle Mayor Norm Rice to save their homes. The Low Income Housing Institute purchased the hotel and renovated the lobby and 234 units. The Frye Apartments continues to serve homeless and low-income households.
The photographs in the collection include early Seattle scenes and images of pioneer families and Native Americans. Outdoor photographs and formal portraits by noted photographers such as Edward S. Curtis depict the Arthur Armstrong Denny family and the family of George Frederick and Louisa Catherine Frye. A series of photographs of the Frye Hotel includes views of the furnished guest rooms, lobby, front desk, elevator, dining room and coffee shop. A bound album contains additional photographs of Denny and Frye family members, some identified.
The memorial scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings and articles relating to the obituaries and estates of the Denny and Frye families. A separate memorial album is dedicated to George H. Fortson, the husband of Mary Louise Frye. A carte de visite album owned by Margaret Lenora Denny contains photographs taken when Arthur Denny served as a representative in Washington D.C. Photographers include Alex Gardner and Matthew Brady. Included in the album is a photograph of Arthur Denny in front of the Dexter Horton Bank in Seattle, and of Father Chirouse with Indian pupils at Tulalip.
The Sophie Frye Bass personal papers include correspondence, maps, research data, sketches and annotated story drafts. A collection of unsigned, typewritten poems is attributed to Sophie Frye Bass.
Arranged in four series:
View selections from the collection in
The collection is open to the public by appointment.
The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
George and Louisa Frye family papers, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Gift of Patricia O. Wright, on behalf of the heirs of George & Louisa C. Frye; received in July 1990
These materials are part of a donation that also included a number of artifacts. These artifacts are cataloged and stored separately by MOHAI's Collections Department.
George F. Frye Papers, MOHAI accession no. 2005.38.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Handwritten caption on back: Louisa C. Frye in backyard of Madison St. House
Handwritten identifications on back: Sophie Frye Bass, George Frederick Frye, and Louisa Catherine Frye
Handwritten identifications on back: Rolland Hershal Denny, Orion Orvil Denny, Charles Latimer Denny, Arthur Wilson Denny, Arthur Armstrong Denny, Margaret Lenora Denny, Louisa Catherine Denny, Mary Anne Boren Denny
Handwritten identification on front: Lewis Knighton
Located at Tilikum Place, 2701 5th Ave. Seattle
Handwritten note from Lawrence D. Lindsley to Roberta on back, in part: This is a photo of the last cabin Grandpa [David] Denny worked on - he cut the shakes for the roof. Gold Creek Mines where we all worked and hoped.
Caption on photo: The Toymaker
Handwritten on mount: Listening to the "WaWa Club"
Photographic postcard
Caption on photo: Landing whale Neah Bay
Photographic postcard
Photographic postcard
Identifications handwritten on verso: Mrs. Watt, Mrs. Bass, Miss Beal, Mr. Clark, Edith Williams, Mrs. Temple, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Thompson, Barbara Bowden, Marya Nordhoff, Rosemary Bowden, Nancy Nordhoff
Heavily hand-colored photograph in oval frame.
Fortson was the husband of Mary Louise Frye.
Three quarter view in same uniform as in 1990.45.32, and with Washington Volunteers uniform coat and hat.
Card advertises "Roomy rooms with Bath $2, $1.50 without Bath."
Stamped on back: Hotel Frye, Seattle, Wash.
Stamped on back: Hotel Frye, Seattle, Wash.
Stamped on back: Hotel Frye, Seattle, Wash.
Handwritten on back: Room 910
Stamped on back: Hotel Frye, Seattle, Wash.
Stamped on back: Hotel Frye, Seattle, Wash.
Stamped on back: Hotel Frye, Seattle, Wash.
Stamped on back: Hotel Frye, Seattle, Wash.
Handwritten on back: Elizabeth Frye, daughter of Louisa C. Frye. Wedding dress, married Virgil Newton Bogue.
Elizabeth Frye Bogue, Mary Louisa Frye Fortson Kirk, Sophie Frye Bass, Roberta Frye Watt
Wife of John Denny, Sarah Boren Denny was mother to Mary Ann Boren Denny, Louisa Boren Denny and Carson Boren.
Two photos reproduced in collage, with photo of Louisa and Lenora dated 1850, and that of Rolland and Orion dated 1857.
Identifications on back of photo: (l to r) Louisa Catherine (Denny) Frye, Carson D. Boren, Mary Ann Denny, Rolland Denny, Mary Lou Sinclair
Identifications of back of photo: Lizzie Mitchell, Ollie Bartholomew, Abbie Jones, George Dittenmeyer, William Russell, Pierre Ferry, Lillie White, Emma Pritchard, Fredriea Win, Jua Hubbert, Norman Booth, Emmet Russell, Haidie Gosch, Emma Win, Lillie Piper, Matt Nunan, Frank McRae, Bert Graves, Professor E.S. Ingraham, teacher
Identifications on back of photo: Mary Ann Boren, L.L. Bacon, Agnes Bacon, Anne Williams, Elizabeth F. Bogue, Sophie Frye, Lilly Maitland, Lenora Denny
Includes separate sheet with handwritten list of names
Half-tone printed page with photo of Seattle doctor on patterned background. James B. Eagleson (1862-1928) was head of a base hospital during World War I.
Album with black leather cover and three-hole binding, containing photographs of the Frye Hotel lobby, meeting room, lounge with piano, and hotel dining room.
This cartes de visite album was owned by Margaret Lenora Denny. It includes portraits which are probably of people in Washington, D.C. when Arthur Denny served as a representative. Included in the album is a photo of Arthur Denny and Rolland Herschel Denny in front of Dexter Horton Bank in Seattle, and of Father Chirouse and Indian pupils at Tulalip.
Presented to Louisa C. Frye from George Frye, this album includes portraits of Denny and Frye family members, some identified.
Clippings, correspondence and memorabilia relating to the life and death of George Haley Fortson. Includes 12 folders of loose materials removed from the scrapbook.
Newspaper clippings, obituaries and news articles relating to members of the Denny family.
Obituaries and news stories relating to Arthur A. Denny.
Research materials relating to books Bass authored on Seattle history, aided by Kate Archibald.
Typewritten drafts not included in children's book written by Sophie Frye Bass, Auntie Opie's "Pigtail Days in Old Seattle." Stories and personal narratives relating to Howell Street, Renton Avenue, Greenwood Avenue, Carkeek Drive and Surber Avenue neighborhoods.
Written by Sophie Frye Bass, or possibly Elizabeth Frye Bogue