Henry Van Asselt

Henry Van Asselt, circa 1902 (coll. Museum of History & Industry) Henry Van Asselt (11 April 1817, Elspeet - 7 December 1902, Seattle) was a Dutch immigrant to the US, one of the first Europeans to settle the area that is now Seattle, Washington. He came to the area in 1847 and was the longest surviving original white settler of King County, Washington, dying at age 85. He married late in life, in December, 1862, to Jane, the daughter of Jacob Maples, and they had four children.

During the first session of federal court, which was held in Henry Yesler's log cookhouse on Feb. 13, 1854, Van Asselt was granted U.S. citizenship.

The Indians were curious about Van Asselt, as he still used a sling on the arm that was injured. Finding that he still carried lead in his shoulder from the bullet wound, they considered him protected from a shooting death. He was a good hunter and accurate with his shotgun, and the combination of these circumstances made the Indians superstitious about him, so they nicknamed him "Sucway" - devil, and avoided direct confrontation with him, which served him well during the ensuing Indian troubles.

In September, 1855, the Indian war broke out on White River, and after the killing of several settlers, those remaining fled to safety in Seattle. Confrontations continued in the area for two years. Van Asselt joined Company A of the First Regiment, Washington Territory Volunteers, which was formed in Seattle to fight the Indians. When the aggression settled down and Van Asselt returned to his farm in 1857 he found all buildings and fences destroyed. He went to the Willamette Valley to work for several months to earn money in order to rebuild.

In 1860, Van Asselt donated land on which he and his neighbors built a schoolhouse, the first in King County. It has been succeeded by the Van Asselt Elementary School which was built nearby in 1950.

In 1862, he married a neighbor's daughter, Jane Maple, in a ceremony which was attended by the local Indians, who were curious. They paraded through the cabin to see the new bride and groom.

In 1883 Van Asselt moved to Hood River, Oregon, and farmed for six years, then moved to Seattle and established a cabinetmaker's shop. It is no longer standing.