Seattle pioneer David Thomas Denny (1832-1903) came to the area in 1851 and with his wife, Louisa (Boren) Denny (1827-1916), staked a claim to the future site of Seattle Center. Mr. Denny pursued a diverse career as a farmer, capitalist, streetcar operator, and developer. He was also a well-regarded civic leader, serving as probate judge, King County Commissioner, Seattle City Council member, a director of the Seattle School District, and regent of the Territorial University of Washington (now University of Washington).
The stationery seen here belonged to D. T. Denny & Sons, a real estate brokerage and investment firm established by David Denny with two of his sons, David Thomas Denny, Jr. (1867-1939), and Victor Winfield Scott "Win" Denny, Sr. (1869-1921). The elaborate letterhead features a view of Puget Sound by Mr. Denny's oldest child, the painter Emily Inez Denny (1853-1918), as well as the Denny family motto, "et mea messis erit," which translates roughly to "my harvest will also arrive."
Caption by Walt Crowley, "Denny, David Thomas (1832-1903)" HistoryLink.org Essay 1729.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
