Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library
2011.26
Denny family
David Thomas Denny II Family Papers
circa 1890-1944
.64 cubic feet
2 boxes
Photographs, documents and scrapbook belonging to the David Thomas Denny II
family, and relating to Mt. Rainier, early Seattle history, Puget Sound maritime and logging activities
3a.4.10Collection materials are in
English.
Biographical Note
David Thomas Denny (1832-1903) traveled west by covered wagon and arrived at the future site of Seattle in
1851, shortly before the party led by his brother Arthur landed at Alki Point. On January 23, 1853, David Thomas Denny
married his stepsister and childhood friend Louisa Boren in a civil ceremony performed by “Doc” Maynard. It was the
city’s first non-Indian wedding. The young couple received a married land claim of 640 acres, situated in what is now
central Seattle. David Thomas Denny and Louisa Boren had eight children.
Their son, David Thomas Denny II (1867-1939) married Nellie Elizabeth Graham (1871-1956.) She was the
daughter of pioneers Elizabeth Crammond and Walter Graham, who came to Seattle in the late 1850s. Nellie Graham Denny
was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Washington State Pioneers Association, and Daughters of Pioneers of
Washington. Their daughter, Inez Louisa Denny (1893-1968) attended the University of Washington and married John
Charles Whiteaker (1894-1958.) Their son John David Whiteaker was born in 1926. Inez Louisa Whiteaker was a member of
the Guild of Children’s Orthopedic Hospital and the Washington State Historical Society.
The series of mounted 8x10 inch photographs is attributed to the pioneer photographer John P. Soule. It
includes a numbered series of Mt Rainier glaciers, summit views and other natural scenery, with captions. Other
photographic subjects include Native Americans, the historic Seattle waterfront, Pioneer Square, Puget Sound maritime
activities, trains, agriculture, logging and lumber mills.
The documents in the collection include a passport, property title, and City of Seattle engineering licenses
issued to David Thomas Denny II. A First Presbyterian Church Diamond Jubilee booklet and Daughters of the Pioneers of
Washington Convention Program belonged to Nellie Graham Denny. A scrapbook created by Inez Louisa Denny Whiteaker
contains clippings, photographs, invitations and certificates.
View selections from the collection in
MOHAI's
online collections.
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.
David Thomas Denny II Family Papers, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Donor received these materials when, as part of his business, he was hired to clear the basement of a house
being put on sale. The owner of the house was related to the D.T. Denny II family. It is possible that these materials
have the same provenance as those in MOHAI accession 2014.81, the John D. Whiteaker Collection on the Denny and Graham
Families.
Gift of Brad Bolger, received in 2011.
John D. Whiteaker Collection on the Denny and Graham Families, 2014.81.
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.
Denny, David Thomas, II, 1867-1939
Denny, Nellie Graham, 1871-1956
Whiteaker, Inez Denny, 1893-1968
Soule, John P., 1828-1904
United States--Washington
(State)--Seattle
Rainier, Mount (Wash.)
Lumber industry--Washington (State)
Pioneers--Washington (State)--Seattle
Waterfronts--Washington (State)--Seattle
Home and family
Photographs
Pioneers
Women
Seattle
Washington (State)
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Photographs
circa 1890-1930
2011.26.1
1/1
David Thomas Denny II passport photograph
circa 1916
2011.26.2
1/2
David Thomas Denny II home on Queen Anne Hill
circa 1890
2011.26.3
1/3
Bird's-eye view from Queen Anne Hill looking toward Fremont
circa 1900
2011.26.4
1/4
View of Mount Rainier
circa 1900
2011.26.5
1/5
Man in canoe on river
circa 1915
Lindsley, Lawrence Denny, 1878-1975
Lindsley number 2846.
2011.26.6
1/6
Portrait of David Thomas Denny II
1924
Croule-U'Renn
2011.26.7
Photograph album
circa 1890
50 photographs
Soule, John P.
This set of 50 photographs appears to be from a photograph album that was disassembled prior to being
received at the repository. Each photograph is approximately 9.5 x 7.5 inches, mounted on 13.5 x 10.5 white board, with
one photo on each side of the board. While none of the photos is signed, comparison with other photographs of his
suggests they may be the work of photograph John P. Soule.
John P. Soule was born in Phillips, Maine on October 19, 1828. He maintained photographic studios on
Washington Street in Boston from 1861-1882. In 1888, John Soule moved to Seattle and continued to work as a
photographer. Most notably, he photographed the aftermath of the Seattle Fire of 1889 and the rebuilding of the city.
He lived and worked in Seattle until his death in 1904.
2011.26.7.1
1/7
Crater Peak, Gibraltar and Cathedral
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 47
2011.26.7.2
1/7
Cliffs of Cowlitz Glacier Canyon
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 44
2011.26.7.3
1/8
Upper main Cowlitz Glacier
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 32
2011.26.7.4
1/8
Upper Cowlitz Glacier
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 35
2011.26.7.5
1/9
Lower main Cowlitz Glacier
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 3
2011.26.7.6
1/9
Mt. Adams from 10,000 foot on Mt. Rainier
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 15
2011.26.7.7
1/10
Paradise River and valley
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 54
2011.26.7.8
1/10
White River Glacier
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 42
2011.26.7.9
1/11
Snoqualmie Falls
circa 1890
2011.26.7.10
1/11
View from summit of Mt. Rainier
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 36
2011.26.7.11
1/12
Mt. Rainier from Nisqually Glacier
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 37
2011.26.7.12
1/12
Fremont streetcar along waterfront line with pedestrians on wood dock
circa 1890
2011.26.7.13
1/13
Upper main Cowlitz Glacier
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 32
2011.26.7.14
1/13
Pioneer Square street view and building construction
circa 1890
2011.26.7.15
1/14
Lumber mill and trains
circa 1890
2011.26.7.16
1/14
Canyon of the main Cowlitz
circa 1890
Caption on photo: Mt. Rainier series no. 53
2011.26.7.17
1/15
Lumber mill with floating logs and docked ships, possibly Port Blakely
circa 1890
2011.26.7.18
1/15
Unpaved Seattle street with wood sidewalk, houses and trees
circa 1890
2011.26.7.19
1/16
Seattle waterfront with steam ship approaching dock
circa 1890
2011.26.7.20
1/16
Seattle waterfront and steam ships docked at Oregon Improvement
Company
circa 1890
2011.26.7.21
1/17
Seattle waterfront with ships, trestle train dock and floating logs
circa 1890
2011.26.7.22
1/17
Seattle city view and waterfront from Denny Hill
circa 1890
2011.26.7.23
1/18
Sailing ships at dock
circa 1890
2011.26.7.24
1/18
View of Seattle from Denny Hill
circa 1890
2011.26.7.25
1/19
Lumber mill with docked ships and floating logs, possibly Port Blakely
circa 1890
2011.26.7.26
1/19
Hay field harvest with loaded wagons, workers, horses and oxen
circa 1890
2011.26.7.27
1/20
Train cars loaded with large logs and man sitting on top
circa 1890
2011.26.7.28
1/20
Floating logs at Seattle waterfront
circa 1890
2011.26.7.29
1/21
Men posing on logs with a team of oxen
circa 1890
2011.26.7.30
1/21
Men posing on logs hitched to a team of six horses
circa 1890
2011.26.7.31
1/22
Men posing at the base and climbing a large tree
circa 1890
2011.26.7.32
1/22
Large team of hitched oxen at work
circa 1890
2011.26.7.33
1/23
Waterfront view of lumber mill, ships and piers
circa 1890
2011.26.7.34
1/23
Waterfront view of docked ships and floating logs
circa 1890
2011.26.7.35
1/24
Men posing on logs, Edgecomb Lumber Company, Preston, Washington
circa 1890
2011.26.7.36
1/24
Snoqualmie Mill Company train engine
circa 1890
2011.26.7.37
1/25
Lumber mill with chute and floating logs
circa 1890
2011.26.7.38
1/25
Two men and a boy posing with large fallen tree labeled Huron Lumber
Company
circa 1890
2011.26.7.39
1/26
Edgecomb and Moore log train at Ballard trestle with men standing on
top
circa 1890
2011.26.7.40
1/26
View of Puget Sound coastline
circa 1890
2011.26.7.41
1/27
View of Puget Sound coastline
circa 1890
2011.26.7.42
1/27
Large waterfront lumber mill with docked ships and floating logs
circa 1890
2011.26.7.43
1/28
Indian camp with canoes, Ballast Island, Washington Street, Seattle
circa 1890
2011.26.7.44
1/28
Stone gateway fenced entrance to Woodland Park
circa 1890
2011.26.7.45
1/29
The Kirkland side-wheeler, docked on east side of Lake Washington
circa 1890
2011.26.7.46
1/29
Steamship moored at Oregon Improvement Company Dock B, Seattle
waterfront
circa 1890
2011.26.7.47
1/30
Seattle waterfront viewed from Elliott Bay
circa 1890
2011.26.7.48
1/30
Steamship moored at Oregon Improvement Company Dock A, Seattle
waterfront
circa 1890
2011.26.7.49
1/31
Railroad trestle bridge over river
circa 1890
2011.26.7.50
1/31
Men posing with axes and large saws while cutting a large tree
circa 1890
Scrapbook
2011.26.8
2/1
Inez Louisa Denny Whiteaker "Memory Book"
circa 1920
Scrapbook containing photographs, invitations, newspaper clippings, certificates, and other
ephemera.
2011.26.8
2/2
Loose photographs removed from scrapbook
circa 1920
Documents
2011.26.9
2/3
City of Seattle Engineer's Licenses, issued to David T. Denny
II
1905-1909
5 certificates
2011.26.10
2/4
David Thomas Denny II temporary passport certificate, Chinese
series
1916
2011.26.11
2/5
Abstract of property title held by David Thomas Denny for the
Denny-Fuhrman Addition, Seattle
1892
2011.26.12
2/6
Letter of condolence and resolution from the Daughters of the Pioneers of
Washington, addressed to Mrs. David T. Denny on her husband's death
1939
2011.26.13
2/7
Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington, Fourth Annual Convention
program
1940 May
2011.26.14
2/8
First Presbyterian Church Diamond Jubilee booklet
1944
First Presbyterian Church, Seventh and Spring Streets, Seattle