An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893 D.T. DENNY, one of the pioneers of Seattle, was born in Putnam county, Indiana, in 1832. His parents, John and Sally (Wilson) Denny, were natives of Kentucky and Virginia respectively. About 1816 they removed to Washington county, Indiana, the country then being sparsely settled. Mr. Denny sought that country for his health, and after locating his claim he devoted his time to out-of-door exercise, and from the game and bee trees in the locality he procured sustenance and regained his health. He also engaged in farming and remained in that locality to 1824; then removed to Putnam county, near Greencastle, remaining about twelve years, then located in Knox county, Illinois. He was a member of the Illinois Legislature in 1840-'41, and in 1849 was elected State Senator. In 1851, with four wagons and seventeen horses he transported his family to Oregon. Starting April 10th, they crossed the Mississippi river at Burlington, the Missouri river near Council Bluffs, thence proceeded up the north side of Platte river to the Sweetwater river, then by Fremont's Pass, by Forts Hall and Boise, and Snake river to the Dalles, where they landed after eighty-seven days of travel. They started with a company of twenty-two wagons, but, horses traveling faster than oxen, the others gradually fell behind. No trouble was experienced until arriving at Fort Hall. There the clerk of the Hudson Bay Company cautioned them that in case the Indians approached and wished them to stop, "to keep the horses moving." The following day, while approaching the American Falls of Snake river, an Indian camp was seen in the distance, and, drawing near, the Indians rushed out shouting: "How-dy-do ! How-dy-do! Stop ! Stop !" repeating their salutations as the train kept moving. They began firing from the rear, but, producing no effect, attempted to head them off. By keeping the horses in action Mr. Denny outstripped them and escaped without accident, but always felt that the warning and advice of that agent at Fort Hall possibly saved his family from massacre. From the Dalles the wagons and part of the family were freighted down the river to Portland, while others took the horses by the Barlow trail across the Cascade mountains to the Willamette valley and on to Portland. Mr. Denny then drove up the valley to Marion county, and located in the Waldo hills, remaining until 1859, then joined his sons in Seattle, where he resided to the time of his death in July, 1875. He served one term in the Territorial Legislature, and by advice and counsel was an active spirit in Republican politics. D.T. Denny was reared upon the farm, educated in the common schools of Illinois, and crossed the plains with his father in 1851, arriving in Portland on the 17th day of August. His first occupation was in assisting to unload a brig from Boston, with a cargo of merchandise for Thomas Carter, thereby earning his first $3 on the Pacific coast. Thus he labored as opportunity offered until September 10th, when he started for Puget Sound as helper to John N. Low, in driving a band of cattle. They crossed the Columbia river at Vancouver, then along the north side to the Cowlitz river, and up by the regular trail to Olympia. There they fell in with Leander Terry and Robert Fay, the latter about starting with salt and necessary utensils put up Salmon on the Dwamish river. They arrived at the point now called West Seattle September 25, 1851, then not a white settler in the locality. Terry, Low and Mr. Denny then hired two Indians with a canoe to take them up the river and round the bay, returning to camp on the 28th. Terry and Low then located claims on the Alki Point, and Denny assisted Mr. Low in building his cabin, the first started in King county, which was then a portion of Thurston county. Mr. Denny then remained to guard the claim while Mr. Low returned for his family, also carrying a letter to A.A. Denny in Portland, describing the surroundings. They then embarked with their families and friends upon the schooner "Exact" en route for the Queen Charlotte mines, and were landed at Alki Point in November, the little colony then numbering A.A. Denny, John N. Low, C.D. Boran and W.N. Bell, with their families, including the subject of this sketch and Mr. Terry. Cabins were then constructed to accommodate the several families, and in the spring of 1852 A.A. Denny, Boran and Bell located claims constituting the present site of Seattle, and D.T. Denny and Mr. Boran started for Portland for their horses. Upon their return our subject located his claim, fronting upon Elliott bay and forming the present site of North Seattle, a portion of which he platted and laid off. He was married January 23, 1853, to Miss Louisa Boran, a native of Illinois, who crossed the plains in their company. Their first log house was built near the water front on Depot street, and in 1854 they rebuilt on what is now Mercer street, between Willow and Box. Mr. Denny began clearing and improving land for farming purposes, reclaiming eighty acres for farm, garden and pasture, and as opportunity occurred he increased his acreage by purchase until he had acquired 1,080 acres adjoining and contiguous. He then continued farming up to 1883, meanwhile having cleared about 300 acres of land for city purposes, which he had laid off and platted as North Seattle, his first plat being in July, 1869, to which he subsequently made several additions. In 1880 he purchased an interest in the Western Mill Company located at the south end of Lake Union, with a capacity of 80,000 feet of lumber per day. To this and real estate interests he then gave his attention to 1889, when he organized and incorporated the Rainier Power & Railway Company, merging the Western Mill Company with the railroad franchise from Yesler avenue through the Denny-Fuhrman addition, crossing Lake Union to Ravenna park, and covering a distance of seven and a half miles. Mr. Denny was elected president and is still acting in that capacity. The road is fully completed and in operation, by electric power, the electric plant being located at the mill, and therefrom they are also supplying North Seattle with electric light for domestic purposes, and are extending their wires to other parts of the city. Mr. Denny has been an extensive builder of residences through his several additions and built his present residence, fronting on Temperance street, between Republican and Mercer, in 1890, the grounds covering the entire block. His family numbers five children: Emily Inez; Abby, wife of Edward L. Lindsley; John B., secretary of the Rainier Power & Railway Company; D. Thomas, general manager of the Electric Road & Light Plant; and Victor W.S. With the formation of King county Mr. Denny was elected the first County Treasurer, and served in that capacity for eight years, then three years as probate judge, and later as a member of the City Council. For thirty-two years he has served as Trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church, divided among the First Methodist Episcopal Church, the Battery Street Church and the Trinity charge, and for two terms served as delegate, from the Puget Sound Conference to the General Conference held in New York city in 1888, and Omaha, Nebraska, in 1892. Mr. Denny is one of the honored landmarks of Seattle, who assisted in reclaiming the land from nature's fastnesses, nurtured by advice and counsel the struggling young settlement, and by financial and physical assistance has rendered material service in developing a city which is destined to become the metropolis of the great Northwest. Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.