"Seattle and Environs, 1852-1924." Vol. 2.  Hon. C. H. Hanford, Editor. Pioneer
Historical Pub. Co., 1924.  p. 387.
 
HENRY J. MIGNEREY
 
     Left an orphan at an early age, Henry J. Mignerey has had a lite of
hardship and privation and out of the struggle with adverse circumstances he has
reached a field of broad influence and usefulness. He has overcome obstacles and
difficulties that would have utterly discouraged the average individual and
through the force of his character and the strength of his mental endowments has
established his position with Seattle's foremost business men, being widely
known as the "potato king."
 
     Henry J. Mignerey is a native of France. He was born on the 1st of August,
1859, and his parents, Frederic and Katherine (Mignerey) Mignerey, spent their
lives in that country. The father was a veteran of the Crimean war and died soon
after his return home. The mother, who was of Huguenot descent, passed away when
the subject of this sketch was a small lad and he was placed in the care of an
uncle. In 1874, when a boy fourteen years old, he came to the United States,
sailing from Havre on the French Line steamer, the City of Paris, and landed in
New York city. Mr. Mignerey was bound out to a farmer living near the town of
State Line, New York, at a wage of six dollars per month. It was agreed upon
that the boy should be allowed the opportunity of attending school, as at that
time he could not speak a word of English and was ambitious to learn, but this
privilege was never granted and Mr. Mignerey received brutal treatment from the
farmer, being flogged severely when he failed to perform satisfactorily the hard
tasks allotted him. He was insufficiently nourished, the food being of the
poorest quality, and was allowed to have meat but a few times a month. For eight
months he endured this life of hardship, at the end of which period the farmer
reduced his salary to five dollars per month, and having reached the limit of
his powers of forbearance, Mr. Mignerey left the man. Making his way to
Massachusetts, he obtained work on a farm near Great Harrington and remained
there during the winter, receiving eight dollars per month for his labor. The
following winter he worked for his board and then went into the city, securing a
clerical position with a grocer of Great Harrington, For six years he was thus
occupied, and having carefully saved his earnings, he opened a small grocery
store in partnership with a fellow clerk. This association was maintained for
one and a half years, at the end of which time Mr. Mignerey took over the entire
business and moved his stock to more commodious quarters. He then expanded the
scope of his operations and soon controlled the best trade in the town.
 
     For sixteen years Mr. Mignerey conducted that store, and having disposed of
his stock to good advantage, he came to the Pacific coast. This was at the time
of the Klondike rush and Mr. Mignerey joined the great number of gold seekers,
experiencing all of the hardships and privations that fell to them. He made the
journey over Chilkoot Pass on foot and also walked thirteen hundred miles,
driving a dog team from Rampart to Skagway, leaving Rampart on December 13, and
reaching Skagway on March 13. He returned to Seattle, and purchased a restaurant
outfit and took a steamer for Nome, Alaska, where he embarked in business. He
was the pioneer restaurant proprietor of Nome and the first post office
established in the territory was located in his building. He continued the
business until the following fall, when ill health compelled him to return to
Seattle for medical treatment, and he was carried to the steamer on a cot. On
recovering he again went to Alaska and purchased an interest in the steamer
Clifford Sifton, one of the best known river steamers in that country. With this
vessel Mr. Mignerey and his partners carried on a large transport and river
trade, purchasing air kinds of merchandise, which was sold principally to the
miners on the upper Yukon river. Late in the season of 1901 he 'disposed of his
shipping interests in Alaska and returned to Seattle, soon afterward
establishing a wholesale produce business, which has since engaged his
attention. He is at the head of the firm of H. J. Mignerey & Company, commission
merchants, and has developed the largest undertaking of the kind in Seattle.  

     Mr. Mignerey has also directed his efforts into the real-estate field, in
which he has been very successful, and has done important work in connection
with the development of the Madrona district, which through his labors has been
transformed into one of the finest residential sections of Seattle. Here he has
erected many attractive dwellings and his own home is one of the best in the
city. At the present time he is building a still finer residence, which when
completed will be one of the show places of Seattle. He is resourceful, ready to
meet any emergency, and seems quickly to comprehend the possibilities,
opportunities and difficulties of a business situation, avoiding the latter,
while improving the former to the fullest extent.
 
     At Lenox, Massachusetts, on the 19th of February, 1891, Mr. Mignerey was
married to Miss Agnes S. Bartlett. Mrs. Mignerey comes from an old New England
family and is a direct descendant of both Elder Brewster and John Alden. Her
father, Benjamin Franklin Bartlett, was a prominent farmer. He aided in the task
of building the second railroad in the United States. Three children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Mignerey: Henry Bartlett, whose birth occurred at Great
Barrington, Massachusetts, in 1892, is associated in business with his father;
Girard Frederick, the second child, was born February 6, 1896, and died January
1, 1898; and Madeline, who was born in 1907, is now a high school student.
 
     Mr. Mignerey is identified with the Masonic order, being a Noble of the
Mystic Shrine, and he is also a valued member of the Seattle Chamber of
Commerce. He reserves the right to vote according to the dictates of his
judgment and where matters of progressive citizenship are concerned his support
is never found wanting. He is a man of forceful personality and indomitable
perseverance who has taken advantage of circumstances and bent them to his will.
His efforts have been resultant factors in whatever he has undertaken and his
success has been won by honorable, straightforward dealing. He possesses those
qualities which make for leadership and is justly entitled to classification
with Seattle's builders.


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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in April 2013 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.