Page 1 - 2022 Summer SWHS Newsletter

South Whidbey Historical Society

Now &TheN
Now &TheN

Late Summer 2022 www.SouthWhidbeyHistory.org www.facebook.com/SouthWhidbeyHistory

Son of South Whidbey’s first white settler and daughter of a Snohomish Tribe sub-chief
Steamboat Captain Henry Bailey made his mark on history

Born and raised at Cultus Bay on was expected to marry outside of her
South Whidbey, Henry Bailey became village as a way of ensuring friendly
one of the best-known and most re- relations and trade. As was typical of
spected steamboat captains during the that time, she married young, at age
heyday of the Mosquito Fleet. 14 or 15. Tribal marriage custom was
Not only was Bailey a pioneering an exchange of gifts.
steamboat captain on Puget Sound, but On August 5, 1855 Yabo-Litza gave
he also made his mark on the Yukon birth to Henry E. Bailey, and three
River during the Klondike Gold Rush. years later a second son, Robert F. Bai-
Henry’s father, Robert S. Bailey, was ley. She would not see them grow up
South Whidbey’s first land-owning however, as she died in 1860 at age 20.
white settler. Setting out from Virginia, When Henry was 15, his father’s
Bailey arrived in what was then Oregon new wife, Charlotte Ladue, (also
Territory in November 1851. (WA Ter- about 15 years old and a Snohomish
ritory would not be created until 1853.) Indian) gave birth to his half-brother,
He took out an Oregon Donation Capt. Henry Bailey Nathaniel.
Land Act claim of 162.5 acres that was By the time that Charlotte gave birth
adjacent to a permanent Snohomish grandfather of William Shelton, the to daughters Laura (1874) and Clarissa
Tribe village called D’GWAD’wk. (An last hereditary chief of the Snohomish (about 1875), Henry had apparently left
article about Robert Bailey will be pub- Tribe. (Shelton grew up at Possession South Whidbey to find work, as he was
lished in our next newsletter.) Shores.) no longer listed on the local census.
Though primarily a farmer, he also As a sub-chief’s daughter, Yabo-Lit- (Continued next page)
operated a trading post and served as za was ‘high-status’ or ‘high-born’ and
an Indian sub-agent. At Cultus Bay
(called Bailey’s Bay for a time) he set
down roots and married according to
local tribal custom.
Henry’s mother: Yabo-Litza
Robert Bailey’s first wife, Yabo-Litza,
was born at D’GWAD’wk in 1840.
Her father was S’Sleht-Soot (English
name Peter), one of the Snohomish
Tribe sub-chiefs.
Her five uncles were also sub-chiefs
and included: Snah-talc, an important
sub-chief known as ‘Napoleon Bona- The 1889 ‘State of Washington’ was the last Puget Sound steamboat that Henry Bailey
parte’ and Wha-cah-dub, who was the captained before running steamers on the Yukon River during the Klondike Gold Rush.
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