"Early History of Thurston County, Washington; Together with Biographies and
Reminiscences of those Identified with Pioneer Days." Compiled and Edited by
Mrs. George E. (Georgiana) Blankenship.  Published in Olympia, Washington, 1914.
p. 241.
 
DR. A. H. STEELE

     Dr. Alden Hatch Steele was an early pioneer of Oregon, coming to that State
in 1849 with the 1st Rifle Regiment, U. S. A., crossing the plains to Vancouver.
    He was born in Oswego, New York, the youngest of three sons of Orlo Steele
and Fanny Abbey. The oldest brother, Elijah Steele was a prominent lawyer and
for many years was Superior Judge in Siskiyou County, California.
     The other brother, William, was a graduate of West Point, and served in
both the Mexican and Civil wars.
     Dr. Steele graduated from the Medical Department of the University of New
York in 1846. At the time he reached Oregon Territory, Oregon City was the
principal town, and he settled there, marrying Hannah Hooper Bladder of
Marblehead, Mass., who came to Oregon as a teacher under the protection of Rev.
Q. H. Atkinson, a Congregational clergyman, who had been to the Eastern States
asking for volunteers for this work in the new country.
     Dr. Steele had great influence with the Indians and settled many of their
disputes. In 1857 he was physician in charge of the Grand Rounde Indian
Reservation and again in 1870 served in the same way the Indians of Nesqually,
Chehalis and Squason Island Reservations, then in charge of Col. Samuel Ross, U.
S. A. During the Civil War, Dr. Steele was post surgeon at Fort Dalles, and Fort
Stevens, Oregon, and Fort Steilacoom. Wash. This last named Post was where the
present Insane Asylum is now situated.
    In 1869 the troops at Fort Steilacoom were ordered to Alaska and Dr. Steele.
feeling he had done his share of frontier work, resigned from the army and took
up his professional work in Olympia, where he built a home at, the southeast
corner of Franklin and Tenth Streets and lived until his death in 1902.
    During the years spent in Oregon and Washington he held many places of trust
and prominence in public affairs, and was widely known as a leading physician
and surgeon all through his life. In 1852 Dr. Steele used chloroform in
amputating a limb, the first used in surgery north of San Francisco.
    He was mayor of Oregon City three terms and a member of the city council
eleven years. In Olympia he was an earnest worker for all public improvements,
helping to start the first Gas & Power Co., director for many years of the First
National Bank, and stockholder in the railroad to Tenino, and the "Olympia"
Hotel, built by the citizens by hard efforts to help keep the capital on the old
historic spot. Dr. Steele was an earnest member of the Episcopal church, and was
one of the committee that sent a request to New York in 1853, asking for a
Bishop for the Northwest. This request was answered by the election of Thomas
Feilding Scott, in 1854, as first Missionary Bishop for the Territory of Oregon,
a territory then extending over the present State of Washington. He was also a
member of the first convocation called by Bishop
Scott, to establish the church in this new field. He was always a vestryman of
St. John's Church, Olympia, and junior warden and treasurer for twenty years.
     Dr. Steele was appointed by Gov. Ferry as Regent of the University, serving
two terms. Also medical examiner of the territorial penitentiary for six years,
medical examiner of the New York Mutual Life Insurance Company for
twenty-five years, and for several other life insurance companies. He was an
honorary member of both the Oregon and Washington Medical Societies.
     Dr. Steele died at his home in Olympia, June 29th, 1902, aged 79. He left
his wife and one daughter, a son having died many years before. His daughter,
Fanny Orlo, married in 1878 Russell G. O'Brien of Olympia, who came to
Washington in 1870 with Governor Salomon, as Assistant Collector of Internal
Revenue.
      He was known as the "Father of the National Guard of Washington,"
organizing the first company of the present militia in Olympia in 1882 and
serving as Adjutant General of the State for twenty-five years. He died in
Pasadena, California, in February, 1914. Genera! and Mrs. O'Brien had three
children, a daughter, Florence Blackler, died in 1883; a. son, R. Lloyd, who was
a prominent student and athlete at the State University, where he completed his
course as a Civil Engineer, died Nov. 26, 1912. The youngest, daughter, Helen
Steele, married George A. Aetzel, vice president of the Olympia Door Company,
and resides in Olympia. One son, Charles Alden, was born in 1912 to Mr. and Mrs.
Aetzel.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios. Project in June 2007 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.