Another Pioneer Passes Away - Mrs. Mary A. Shead Dies at Her Home on Ford's Prairie February 24th
Mrs. Mary A. Shead died at her home on Ford's Prairie on Wednesday, February 24th, 1909, the cause of her death being old age. Mrs. Shead was born in Ohio on August 16, 1830. She settled near Puyallup at what is now Sumner. In fact, the town of Sumner received its name from Mrs. Shead's father, Thomas Sumner. On May 29, 1873, she was married in Puyallup to Mr. Oliver Shead, the ceremony taking place at the old home of Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Meeker. Mrs. Shead moved to Bucoda, where her husband was operating a waterpower sawmill and went to live in the first house built in Bucoda, which at that time was known as Seatco. In 1889 she was left a widow. Since her husband's death she has lived in Bucoda, Puyallup, and about two years ago she purchased a farm on Ford's Prairie, next to that of her adopted brother, M. A. Johnson, where she was living at the time of her death.
Perhaps a short account of Mr. Shead's life would not be out of the way at this time, as the death of Mrs. Shead calls to the minds of a great many of the old pioneers of the state some of the happenings of the early days of this state during the territorial days. Mr. Shead was born in New York January 4, 1823. In 1852 he crossed the plains in the old familiar ox team. He lived in Oregon for about a year, when he moved to Olympia, where he followed his trade of bridge-building, building many of the bridges in and around Olympia. During the first six months of 1856, from the 22nd of February to the 17th of July, Mr. Shead was captain of a company of train guards of the 2nd regiment of the Washington Territory army of the United States. After living a few years at Olympia he moved to Bucoda, where he built and operated a waterpower sawmill, one of the first in Washington. He served in some of the early Indian wars and was a member of the legislature under Isaac I. Stevens, the first governor of Washington Territory. In 1878 Mr. Shead, in company with William Billings and J. K. Smith, built the first prison in Washington. These three gentlemen received a contract to board, feed and clothe prisoners from their time of sentence for 70 cents per day. They also had the privilege of working all the prisoners they saw fit. At that time there were several coal mines in the vicinity of Bucoda, or Seatco, as the town was called at that time, and the convicts were worked in them. The contract with the government was for six years, but after the expiration of that time the buildings at Walla Walla were not yet completed, so the time went on for about three years longer, or till some time in 1887. In 1887, three men by the names of Buckley, Coulter and Davis, changed the name of Seatco to Bucoda, taking the first two letters of each of their names to form the new name. About two years ago the old penitentiary at Bucoda was destroyed by fire. During the nine years the old prison was in operation Mr. Shead held the position of superintendent.
Mr. Shead was operating his sawmill in Seatco before the advent of the Northern Pacific railway, and was able to furnish a good deal of the ties and bridge timbers to the railroad company.
Mr. Shead died April 20, 1889, in Ashland, Ore., where he had gone for his health. No children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Shead. Mrs. Shead leaves two sisters, Mrs. Ezra Meeker, of Seattle, and Mrs. A. H. Waddle, of Centralia, and one adopted brother, M. A. Johnson, of Ford's Prairie. The remains of Mrs. Shead were taken to Olympia last Friday for interment.
Source: The Centralia News-Examiner, Friday, 5 Mar 1909, page 9.
Transcribed by Diana Smith. She has no further information on this individual.