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The Seattle Public Library
1000 4th Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98104
Lu Jacobson Collection of Latimer and Denny Family Material,
1853‐1930
CREATOR
Lu Jacobson
EXTENT
1 box
177 digital files
COLLECTION SUMMARY
The collection includes correspondence, photographs and ephemera of the Latimer, Denny, Fowler and
Bickford families.
LANGUAGES
Materials are in English.
PROCESSING ARCHIVIST
Jade D’Addario, April 2017
Collection Details
Biographical Note
The majority of the materials focus on Alexander Latimer, his third wife, Sarah Chesney Latimer, and
their five daughters: Narcissa Latimer Denny (1851‐1900), Eliza Alice Latimer Fowler (1856‐1934),
Harriet Ellen Latimer Stephens (1859‐1938), Clara Latimer Bickford (1861‐1934), and Emma Chesney
Latimer Reynolds (1864‐1946). The descendants of the Latimer family played a significant role in the
founding of Seattle.
The Latimer and Denny families were related through the second marriage of Alexander Latimer’s sister,
Sarah Latimer (1805‐1888), to John Denny (1793‐1875). Sarah married her first husband, Richard
Freeman Boren (1788‐1827), in 1822. Their children, Mary Ann Boren (1822‐1910), Carson Dobbins
Boren (1824‐1912) and Louisa Boren (1827‐1916), were in the group of Seattle’s first settlers who
landed at Alki on November 13, 1851. Following Richard Boren’s death, Sarah married John Denny
(1793‐1875) in 1848. John Denny’s sons from his first marriage to Sally Wilson were Arthur Armstrong
Denny (1822‐1899) and David Thomas Denny (1832‐1903) who were also part of the Alki settlers. Arthur
Denny married Sarah’s daughter from her first marriage, Mary Ann Boren. Their son, Orion Denny was
the first white child to be born in Seattle. Alexander Latimer’s daughter, Narcissa married Orion Denny,
the son of Arthur Denny and Mary Ann Boren Denny in 1889. Narcissa was the cousin of Orion’s father,
Arthur Denny, and first cousin, once removed to Orion.
Collection Description
The collection includes correspondence among members of the Latimer family dating between 1853 and
1893 discussing family matters, Narcissa’s teaching work, and life in Seattle. Photographs consist of
cabinet cards, tintype portraits, and prints. While the majority of the individuals in the portraits are
unidentified, the collection does include identified portraits of Alexander, Narcissa, Hattie, Clara, Alice,
Emma, and James Smith Latimer and a group shot of Bickford and Fowler family. Additional photographs
of historic Seattle scenes are included along with a scrapbook created by Alice Latimer Fowler. The
scrapbook includes domestic scenes of the family at their home on 1108 Seneca St. as well as family
portraits and scenes around Seattle including Green Lake, Lake Washington, Ravenna Park, the West
Point Light House, Monte Cristo and the San Juan Islands. The wedding invitation of Narcissa and Orion
Denny is also included.
Arrangement Description
Items are arranged by material type. Correspondence is further organized by the writer and date.
Location of Originals
The majority of materials in the collection are copies with originals retained by Lu Jacobson. Originals for
the photographs of Seattle scenes and the Denny‐Latimer wedding invitation are housed within the
collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials donated to the Seattle Room Collection by Lu Jacobson. Genealogical records compiled by
library staff while researching the Latimer family.
Subject Headings
Latimer Family ‐ History
Bickford Family ‐ History
Fowler Family ‐ History
Denny Family ‐ Photographs
Denny Family ‐ History
Denny Family
Seattle (Wash.) ‐ History
Pioneers ‐ Washington (State) ‐ Seattle ‐ Correspondence
Washington (State) ‐ Family Histories ‐Seattle
Using the Collection
ALTERNATIVE FORMS AVAILABLE
View the fully digitized collection online.
ACCESS STATEMENT
Collection is open and available for use.
RIGHTS STATEMENT
Copyright restrictions apply.
PREFERRED CITATION
[Item description], Lu Jacobson Collection of Latimer and Denny Family Material, 1853‐1930
Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA
Collection Inventory
Box Folder Description Date(s)
1 1 Genealogical Records n/a
Correspondence
1 2 Narcissa (Nora) Latimer to Sisters 1868 November 29
1 3 Narcissa (Nora) Latimer to Sarah Latimer 1868 November 29
1 4 Narcissa (Nora) Latimer to Alexander Latimer 1869 September 19
1 5 Narcissa (Nora) Latimer to Alexander and Sarah Latimer 1884 November 17
1 6 Narcissa (Nora) Latimer to Alice Latimer 1888 February 17
1 7 Clara [Latimer Bickford?] to mother [Sarah Latimer] 1892 February 16
1 8 Clara Latimer Bickford to Alexander Latimer 1893 May 21
1 9 R.H. [?] to “Friend Latimer” 1874 February 8
1 10 William and Elizabeth Weir to Johnathan and Alexander Latimer 1853 June 29
1 11 Envelope to Mrs. A. Latimer 1891
1 12 Envelopes to Sarah Latimer 1892 June ‐
September
Ephemera
1 13 Scrapbook of Charles Fowler and Alice Latimer Fowler ca. 1895
1 14 Wedding Invitation of Orion O. Denny and Narcissa Latimer 1889 March 31
Photographs
1 15 Tintype Portraits ca. 1865
Unknown man, ca. 1865
Union soldiers, ca. 1865
Unknown girl, ca. 1865
Unknown girl, ca. 1865
Unknown couple, ca. 1865
Alexander Latimer, ca. 1865
Two unknown men, ca. 1865
1 16 Carte de Visite and Cabinet Card Portraits ca. 1879‐1885
Emma Chesney Latimer Reynolds, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Hamburg, Illinois, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Burlington, Iowa, ca. 1880
Unknown woman in Abington, Illinois, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Waterloo, Iowa, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Abington, Illinois, 1879
Unknown woman in New York, ca. 1880
Unknown woman in Hiawatha, Kansas, ca. 1880 [Narcissa?]
Two unknown children, ca. 1880
Unknown woman in Shenandoah, Iowa, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Santa Barbara, California, ca. 1880
Unknown woman in Clarinda, Iowa, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Shenandoah, Iowa, ca. 1880
Unknown woman in Galesburg, Illinois, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, ca. 1880
Arthur Bickford, ca. 1880
Two unknown men, ca. 1865
Unknown man in Seattle, ca. 1885
Unknown man in Council Grove, Kansas, ca. 1880
Emma Chesney Latimer Reynolds, ca. 1880
Clara, Alice and Emma Latimer, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Galesburg, Illinois, ca. 1880
Narcissa, Alice, Hattie, Clara and Emma Latimer, ca. 1880
Arthur A. Denny, ca. 1880
Narcissa Latimer Denny, ca. 1885
Unknown young woman, ca. 1880
Unknown woman in Galesburg, Illinois, ca. 1880
Charlie Reynolds, ca. 1880
Unknown man in Galesburg, Illinois, ca. 1880
Unknown woman in Portland, Oregon, 1881
James Smith Latimer [?], ca. 1840
Unknown man in Santa Barbara, California, ca. 1880
1 17 Seattle Scenes ca. 1897‐1930
Orion and Narcissa Denny home, ca. 1890
Couple standing next to large logs, August 1897
Boat loading for Alaska, ca. 1897
Eliza Anderson steamboat, ca. 1897
Latimer Hill, ca. 1906
Native American baskets in home of Mabel Thompson, ca.
1900
"Monterey" gunboat in Port Orchard dry dock, ca. 1896
Stetson and Post Mill, ca. 1896
"Monterey" gunboat in Port Orchard dry dock, ca. 1896
Waterfront at foot of Union St., ca. 1896
Training dogs for Alaska outside 1108 Seneca St. home, ca.
1897
Florence Wiltsie, Alice Fowler and Anita at Money Creek
Park, 1920
"Monterey" gunboat in Port Orchard dry dock, ca. 1896
Waldo Lake Or., Camp Edith, ca. 1900
Group of three Native Americans, ca. 1897
Children of Sarah Jane Latimer Dawdy, ca. 1920
Dr. and Dorothea Bickford, Joe and Ollie, Alice Fowler, Emma
Reynolds, Lillian Fowler, Florence Wiltsie and husband,
Marilyn Wiltsie, ca. 1930
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