CLARENCE B. BAGLEY (27227)

It is accorded to but few men to remain active as a factor in the world's work at the age to which Clarence B. Bagley has attained, for he is now nearing the eighty-sixth milestone on life's journey, his birth having occurred at Troy Grove, near Dixon, Illinois, November 30, 1843. He lived at various times at Abingdon, La Fayette, Princeton, Chicago and other places in Illinois, for his father was a minister of the Methodist Protestant church, the itinerant custom of which caused the frequent removals of the family. On the 20th of April, 1852, they left Princeton, Illinois, crossed the Missouri river on the 22d of May, reached the summit of the Rocky mountains on the 4th of July, arrived at The Dalles, Oregon, September 3d, and eighteen days later terminated their journey at Salem, Oregon, living in that locality for about eight years.

In November, 1852, Clarence B. Bagley became a student in the Willamette Institute, later called Willamette University, in Salem, where he continued his studies until 1860. The family home was established upon a farm near Salem in 1856 and the boy thus became familiar with the various duties of farm life. In October, 1860, he accompanied his parents on the trip with horse and buggy from Salem to Seattle, Washington, then a tiny village on the Sound. His father became teacher of the village school and during his absence, covering several weeks; his son Clarence occupied the position. In 1861, however, he began clearing the timber from the site of the university, the legislature of the previous winter having designated Seattle as the city in which the school should be established. He also worked upon the building, clearing, painting, carpentering, making fences and in fact doing any task assigned. Late in 1862 he and his mother made a trip on a sailing vessel to and from San Francisco and the following year Clarence Bagley accompanied his parents to Meadville, Pennsylvania, where through the succeeding winter he attended Allegheny College. In April, 1864, the family again started for Seattle and, as on the outward bound trip, traveled by way of the Isthmus route. With his return to this city the son worked at the painter's trade.

On the 24th of December, 1865, Mr. Bagley was married to Miss Alice Mercer and for many years they traveled life's journey happily together but were separated by death when Mrs. Bagley passed away on the 9th of May, 1926. They had in the meantime celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary. Their children are: Rena, born in Seattle, August 3, 1868; Myrta, born in Olympia, December 22, 1871; Ethel W., born in Olympia, June 16, 1877; Alice Claire, born in Olympia, November 4, 1879; Cecil Clarence, born in Seattle, July 21, 1888. Rena Bagley and Frank S. Griffith were married in Seattle, January 10, 1893. A daugh­ter, Phyllis, was born to them on the 2d of September, 1896. Myrta Bagley and Earle R. Jenner were married in Seattle, April 21, 1897, and they have three sons: Earle B., born July 28, 1900; Lawrence M., born July 2, 1909; Frederick C., born July 2, 1911. Ethel W. Bagley and H. Eugene Allen were married in Seattle, March 2, 1904, and they are the parents of two sons: Richard B., born July 19, 1907; and Robert M., born May 23, 1911. Alice Claire Bagley and Frederick Dent Hammons were married in Seattle, June 24, 1900. Cecil Clarence Bagley and Myrtle Park Were married November 26, 1912, and have a son, Park Daniel, born May 20, 1914.

The year following his marriage Mr. Bagley was appointed clerk in the surveyor general's office at Olympia, where he worked for nearly three years. In 1868 he began learning the printing trade in the office of Randall H. Hewitt and was employed upon the Territorial Republican and a temperance paper called the Echo, which he purchased the following year, continuing its pub­lication until he sold in 1869. He was afterward employed upon the Commercial Age at Olympia until October, 1869, when he was elected clerk of the council of the legislature. In 1870 he and his wife returned to Seattle, where they remained until May, 1871, and in the winter of 1870 Mr. Bagley aided in developing the Newcastle coal mines, having charge of the company's store at Newcastle and the operations of the company above ground. In May, 1871, he was appointed deputy in the office of the internal revenue collector of Washington and filled the position in Olympia until 1873. In November, 1872, he was made business manager and city editor of the Puget Sound Courier, which came into existence on the 1st of January of that year. A few months later, with Samuel Coulter and Thomas M. Reed, he purchased this paper and the printing office and after a brief period became sole owner.

In the fall of 1873 Mr. Bagley was appointed by Henry G. Struve, then secretary of the territory, as territorial printer and continued to fill the office for ten years, at the same time editing and publishing the Courier and conducting a large job printing business. In 1884 he disposed of the newspaper and printing office and for several months acted as collector of internal revenue in Portland, Oregon. In 1874 he was again appointed deputy collector of internal revenue by Edward Giddings, having full charge of the office until July 1, 1876, when Major James R. Hayden became collector, retaining Mr. Bagley as his chief deputy. They served until the Washington district was consolidated with Oregon and Mr. Bagley remained as chief deputy until President Cleveland filled the office with a democrat.  At that time he disposed of his interests in Olympia and reestablished his home in Seattle, clearing a site for his residence in the northern part of the city on the old donation claim of his father-in-law, Thomas Mercer. Mr. Bagley has since occupied that home. The same year, associated with others, he bought the Post-Intelligencer, a daily and weekly paper, and acted as business manager until the property was taken over the next year by L. S. J. Hunt. At that time Mr. Bagley again entered the job printing business and soon afterward became associated with Homer M. Hill in the ownership and publication of the Daily Press but disposed of both interests in 1888. Early in the follow­ing year he became one of the organizers of a bank in the north part of the city but sold his interest in that institution a year later. In 1890 he was elected a member of the house of delegates of the city council for a two years' term. From 1890 until 1893 he made several trips to Chicago, having been appointed an alter­nate commissioner by Governor Ferry to the Columbian Exposition. In 1892 he again aided in organizing a bank established in the north part of Seattle and was in charge thereof until it failed during the widespread financial panic which carried so many banks to destruction in 1893. In September, 1894, Mr. Bagley was appointed a deputy in the office of the city comptroller and so served until October 21, 1899, when he was made secretary of the board of public works and so continues. His is a notable career of public service and on the 1st of December, 1927, the Seattle Daily Times said editorially: "Clarence B. Bagley's eighty-fourth birthday was observed Wednesday by the members of the board of public works and a few friends who assembled in Mayor Landes' office. Had some notice of the event been given there would have been a party so large that it would have overrun the executive offices. Mr. Bagley, who has spent all but seven­teen years of his long life in this city, is a walking compendium of knowledge of Seattle and Washington. His keen mind has taken note of every change and improvement here since Seattle was a struggling sawmill town. His experience covers almost the entire span of the city's history. We hope he will have many birthday parties, but at the next a lot of Seattle people will wish to be present." On the same day the Journal of Commerce com­mented as follows: "Clarence B. Bagley, a pioneer of the Sound country and one of Seattle's best known citizens, yesterday celebrated his eighty-fourth birthday, and in doing so brought official business in the city hall to a standstill. Mr. Bagley, or 'Pop,' as he is affectionately known to his hundreds of friends, has served the city for more than thirty years, the last twenty-seven years as secretary of the board of public works. There is perhaps no pioneer better versed in the history of western Washington. The volumes he has written and the countless articles contributed to magazines and newspapers have vividly portrayed the life of those who blazed the trail to and settled in this section of our state. Mr. Bagley and Ezra Meeker are close friends, and it is interesting to hear them discuss events that occurred when Seattle was only a logging camp on Puget Sound. Congratulations Pop!  May you experience many happy returns of the day. Your life has been one of service. You have been an inspiration to many who appreciate and prize your friendship."

All through the years Mr. Bagley has been a collector of data concerning the history of the state and has written perhaps more extensively for publication along historical lines than any other resident of Washington. His opinions are regarded as authority upon any question relating to the progress of the state and his collection of data is only excelled by that of the Oregon Historical Association at Portland and the library of British Columbia at Victoria. When the Republican Party became the outstanding champion of the Union cause he gave to it his support and has never deviated from that course to the present time. He is today one of the best known citizens of Seattle, his name prominently associated with its history, and the humblest and the highest of his fellow townsmen are proud to call him friend.

Source: Bagley, Clarence B., History of King County Washington, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago-Seattle, 1929, Volume II, pages 270-275.

Repository: King County Library System, Burien Branch, Reference Section.