An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., 
The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 491

	AMASA S. MILLER, of Seattle, Washington, was born in Waldo county, Maine,
August 5, 1826, a son of Uriah and Mary (Stetson) Miller, natives also of that
State. The parents were descended from the early pioneers of Maine. The father
followed an agricultural life until the great gold excitement of 1849, when he
joined a company of the sturdy sons of Maine, who together erected a ship at
Bath, known as the California Packet, loaded her with necessary supplies, and
started on their long journey around Cape Horn, arriving safely in San Francisco
in April, 1850. Mr. Miller then went to the mines in Tuolumme county, and a few
years later brought his family to that State. He continued in mining for about
eighteen years, and then passed the remainder of his life on a farm.
	Amasa S. Miller improved the limited means afforded him for an education,
and remained with his parents until twenty-one years of age, when, in January,
1847, he left the old home, his capital being honesty, integrity and sobriety.
He embarked on the brig Elizabeth Watts for New Orleans, and was there engaged
as assistant overseer on a large sugar plantation two years. Mr. Miller next
followed steam boating on the Mississippi river, commencing as watchman, but, by
steady and rapid promotion became first mate. In April, 1849, he left St.
Joseph, Missouri, with the Gibson Emigrant Company, composed of fifty-two men
and a fine outfit, and crossed the plains to California, personally driving a
six-mule team. The train was well managed, and the entire distance to Hangtown
was traversed in sixty days, the party arriving in that city about July 9. He
immediately began mining, later joined his father, and they continued together
until 1853. In that year our subject went to San Francisco, took passage on the
little schooner L.P. Foster, and, after a journey of eleven days, arrived at
Port Gamble, Puget Sound. During the first two years he assisted in the erection
and worked in Pope & Talbor's sawmill, and during that time worked side by side
with Cyrus Walker. Mr. Miller was next engaged in logging for the same company,
and also by contract work, until 1879.
	Mr. Miller was one of the representative men of Kitsap county, was elected
to the Legislature by the Republican party in 1860, and was continuously
re-elected for nine successive terms. In 1879 he sold his possessions in that
county and located in Seattle, where he has since been engaged in the
real-estate business. He also conducted a grocery store about two years. In 1881
our subject was elected to the Territorial Council, has served as Government
Surveyor four years, and as a member of the Common Council of Seattle four
years. After the adoption of the new city charter, in 1889, he was elected a
member of the first Board of Aldermen, and became president of that body during
his term of two years.
	In Port Gamble, in 1858, our subject was united in marriage to Miss Margaret
McElroy, a native of Ireland, but reared from infancy in Machias, Maine. She
removed to California in February, 1858. To this union have been born six
children, Henry Walker Miller being the only one living. Mr. Miller has been
long connected with the Masonic order, in which he has risen to the
distinguished position of the thirty-second degree, being a member of both the
Scottish and York rites.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in October 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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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.