Henry Van Asselt facts for kids
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Henry Van Asselt (born April 11, 1817, in Elspeet, Netherlands – died December 7, 1902, in Seattle, USA) was a Dutch immigrant. He was one of the first people to settle in the area that is now Seattle, Washington. He arrived in 1847 and lived the longest among the first settlers of King County, Washington, passing away at 85 years old. He married Jane Maples in 1862, and they had four children.
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Henry Van Asselt's Life Story
Growing Up in the Netherlands
Henry Van Asselt was born Hendrik van Asselt. He was the oldest child of Helmert van Asselt and Adriana Drost. When he was 19, Henry joined the Dutch army. He served for a little over three years on the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. After his army service, he hunted on large estates and helped his parents farm until 1847.
Journey to America and the West
In 1847, Henry sailed from Amsterdam to America on a ship called the Suelhyd. The trip took 49 days, and he arrived in New York on July 17, 1847. He worked in New Jersey for nine months. Then, he traveled across the country by canal, lakes, and rivers to St. Louis, Missouri. He worked there for five months. Next, he moved to Bloomington, Iowa, where he stayed until the spring of 1850.
In 1850, Henry joined a group of eight people. They planned to cross the plains to California. He paid $100 for his food and travel. When they reached a fork in the road, they decided to go to Oregon instead of California. They arrived in Oregon City on September 21. Henry worked for a farmer there for two months. After that, he started making wooden roof tiles until February 1851.
Henry then went to the gold mines in northern California with his friends. They mined for about five and a half weeks until they ran out of water. They divided their gold, and each person got about $1,000. But supplies were very expensive, so Henry decided to return to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. On the way, Henry and his friends met L. M. Collins, who had a land claim on the Nisqually River in Washington Territory. Collins convinced Henry and his friends to join him. They celebrated July 4, 1851, in Oregon City. Then, they continued their journey to St. Helens, Oregon.
While crossing a river, Henry accidentally shot himself in the shoulder. He had to return to St. Helens for treatment. He stayed there for 30 days before joining his friends on the Nisqually River.
Becoming a Seattle Pioneer
While staying with Collins, Henry looked for a good place to settle. He didn't find anything he liked at first. Collins then suggested looking for farmland further down the coast, where many Native Americans lived. Henry and two friends, Samuel and Jacob Maples, agreed to go.
On September 12, 1851, they traveled by canoe to the Duwamish River. They went upstream until they reached where the White and Black rivers meet. There, they found land and marked out their claims. Henry Van Asselt's claim is now part of Boeing Field. At that time, only Native Americans lived in the area that is now Seattle. There were no other settlers in what is now King County.
Collins sold his land claim on the Nisqually River. The group bought a boat in Olympia, Washington and moved their animals and belongings to their new claims. They built log cabins, becoming the very first settlers in the Seattle area. Soon, other families like the Dennys and Terrys arrived at Alki Point. Later, Mr. Yesler built a sawmill, which gave the settlers work in logging and farming. They started supplying wood to San Francisco.
On February 13, 1854, Henry Van Asselt became a U.S. citizen. This happened during the first federal court session held in Henry Yesler's log cookhouse.
The Native Americans were curious about Henry because he still used a sling for his injured arm. They saw that he still had lead in his shoulder from the bullet wound. This made them believe he was protected from being shot. Henry was also a good hunter and very accurate with his shotgun. Because of these things, the Native Americans thought he was special. They called him "Sucway," which meant "devil," and avoided fighting him directly. This helped him during the conflicts that followed.
In September 1855, a conflict known as the Indian War started on the White River. After some settlers were killed, others fled to safety in Seattle. The fighting continued for two years. Henry Van Asselt joined a group of volunteers called Company A of the First Regiment, Washington Territory Volunteers, to fight in the conflict. When the fighting ended, Henry returned to his farm in 1857. He found all his buildings and fences destroyed. He went to the Willamette Valley to work for several months to earn money to rebuild his farm.
In 1860, Henry Van Asselt gave land for a schoolhouse. He and his neighbors built the first school in King County there. The Van Asselt Elementary School, built nearby in 1950, is named after him. There is also a playground named after him.
In 1862, Henry married Jane Maple, a neighbor's daughter. Local Native Americans were curious and attended the wedding. They walked through the cabin to see the new bride and groom. The Van Asselts had four children: Mary, Jacob, Hattie, and Ella.
In 1883, Henry Van Asselt moved to Hood River, Oregon, and farmed for six years. Then, he moved back to Seattle and opened a shop where he made cabinets. The house where Henry Van Asselt lived in Seattle was built in 1890, but it is no longer standing today.
