Name |
HITE, David R. |
- David R. Hite was the grandson of Civil War veteran Riley M. Hoskinson (Jan. 26, 1819-Nov. 7, 1905) and Martha (Fisher) Hoskinson (Oct. 31, 1819-April 11, 1899). David R. Hite may have been the son of Eliza J. "Jennie" (Hoskinson) Freeman (June, 1845-March 13, 1922), the eldest daughter of Riley and Martha Hoskinson. According to the 1910 census of Yamhill County, Oregon, Jennie was married four times and was the mother of four children, three of whom were alive in 1910. According to David's obituary, Riley and Martha Hoskinson took David R. Hite in to live with them when he was only 5 years old and he lived most of his life in Kitsap County, Washington. In 1880 David R. Hite and his cousin Edith Garrison were living with their uncle and aunt, Andrew Gus and Ida L. (Hoskinson) Anderson in Port Blakely, Kitsap County, Washington. In 1885 David and his cousin Edith were living with their grandparents Riley M. and Martha Hoskinson and uncles William C. and George W. Hoskinson in Kitsap County, Washington. In the 1900 census of Eagle Harbor, Kitsap County, Washington, David R. Hite listed his father as being born in Pennsylvania. I don't know the name of David's father. In 1900 David R. Hite was living alone and was employed as a shipyard worker. On Monday, Nov. 17, 1902, David R. Hite was employed at a logging camp on Camano Island that was owned by John B. Wood, the husband of his cousin, Edith (Garrison) Wood. David was running a donkey engine when a cable broke. He was taken to Seattle and placed in Providence Hospital where he died on Saturday evening, Nov. 22, having never regained consciousness. His mother, who was living in Oregon, was informed of the accident by telegraph and arrived shortly afterward. David's funeral was held in church on Sunday, Nov. 30, 1902 under the auspices of the F. of A. of Port Blakely, of which order he was a member. His burial took place during one of the worst storms of the season. David R. Hite's obituary was printed in the "Kitsap Herald" on Friday, Dec. 5, 1902. David R. Hite was unmarried and he is buried in a single plot in Port Madison Cemetery.
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Birth |
Nov 1873 |
Kansas [1] |
EVENT |
4 Nov 1875 |
Seattle, King Co., WA [2] |
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Manifest for steamship Dakota 1875 A VERY interesting article. Indicates that Martha, Stewart Hoskinson and family were in Puget Sound, Washington Territory in 4 Nov 1875. "The following is the list of passengers of the steamship Dakota, which leaves here at 9 o'clock totnigh...Mrs. Hoskinson and infant,...S. F. Hoskinson and two children..." The infant is perhaps David Hill, whom Riley and Martha adopt at some point. He first appears with the family at age 9 in the 1883 Washington Territory census. He would have been an in fact in 1875. The two children with Stewart are presumably his sons Harry and Charles. The article is interesting because tit was published one day before the first ad for selling the Hoskinson farm in Kansas appears in the Osage County Chronicle 5 Nov 1875. The farm did not sell until 1876. Also articles written by Riley Hoskinson appearing in the The Osage County Chronicle in Dec 1876 state the family did not leave Kansas until late Oct, early Nov 1876, and then to move to California not Seattle. |
EVENT |
25 May 1877 |
Bainbridge Island, Kitsap Co., WA [3] |
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Small pox outbreak on Bainbridge Island 1877 Interesting article about a small pox outbreak on Bainbridge Island, about the same time the Hoskinson's were arriving in Seattle, and only a year before they moved to their homestead on Bainbridge Island. Stewart Hoskinson's 3rd wife Nellie Burnett Andrews lost three children ages infant, 3 and 5 years in 1878 in Seattle while with her first husband Stephen Andrews. Small pox may have been the cause. The article contains a lot of racism and fear-mongering re potential spread by local Indians: "SMALL POX - ...the outbreak of small pox at Port Orchard is proving to be quite a serious matter; like a prairie fire in the West, there is no telling where it will end....Two white men and several half-breed children at Port Orchard are down with the disease, while two Indian have already died of it....Indians often come direct from the homes of their sick friends to Port Madison and Blakely and mingle with people and other Indians (note Indians are apparently no people!) there, we are further informed...Indians are naturally very cautious in exposing themselves to contagious diseases. But though they regard such pestilence with a sort of superstitious horror, and are generally disposed to give infected neighborhood a wide berth, their fear is that of crude ignorance, and as they are entirely uncontrolled by reason, they act in such case very much on the same principle as panic stricken beast during a fire, which in their terror have been known to plunge headlong into the flames, when every effort was made to abet their escape. Therefore it is but folly to claim that the natural fear the Indians entertain of this disease will prevent a spread of it among themselves, or their communicating it to the white population...The authorities of Kitsap county should at once blockade Port Orchard harbor, and shut in the diseased Indians and white men so effectually as to prevent the possibility of their communication with other Indians in any manner. Unless this be done the smallpox is certain spread, and, as we said before, there is no knowing where it will end." The clipping goes on to relate a story about a doctor investigating a small death at Salmon Bay, north of Seattle, where another outbreak was expected.
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CENSUS |
5 Jun 1880 |
Port Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA [4] |
- Living with sister Ida (Hoskinson) and husband Andrew Anderson.
- Occupation: At home (age 6)
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 |
1880 US Census: Port. Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA, p 7
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CENSUS |
Feb 1883 |
Port Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA [5] |
- Listed as David Hill in this census vs David Hite in others.
- Back living with grandparents Riley and Martha Hoskinson vs sister Ida and her husband Andrew Anderson in 1880 US Census.
- Occupation: minor (e.g. minor child)
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 |
1883 Washington State Census: Port Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA, p 16
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EVENT |
1885 |
Port Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA [6] |
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Riley M. Hoskinson homestead and surrounding area ca. 1884-1886 This photograph was taken of the Hoskinson homestead by Riley Hoskinson's son Stewart. In the foreground left is a barn. If you look closely you can see a horse drawn buggy parked in front. The trees behind are the fruit orchard Riley planted and writes about in his many letters, particularly his letter to the Cloverdale Reveille, 30 Sep 1880: "Last spring a year planted, 200 fruit trees, of apple, Pear, Peach. Quince, Plum, Prune, and Cherry, also Currants, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and Strawberries, besides many other articles to tedious to mention." Note that the photo was likely taken in Spring as the fruit trees appear to be in bloom. The house behind is presumably Riley and wife Martha's. It looks to have been added on to several times since the Hoskinsons arrived on Bainbridge Island in 1878. To the right of the house is windmill (it looks black in this photo) with a three tiered white structure in front believed to contain Riley's instruments for recording the weather (temperate, barometric pressure, etc.) As a member of the Signal Service of the US Army and Dept. of Agriculture, Riley recorded local weather conditions and reported them to The Seattle Intelligencer and the federal government throughout his time on Bainbridge Island. There appear to be other houses behind the Hoslkinsons, presumably the homes other homesteaders. It is interesting to note the palisade-style fencing that borders the road and surrounds the barn and other buildings. This would have been quite an undertaking to construct, involving thousands of individual boards. All along the right side of the photograph the land has been cleared of trees and burned. This is perhaps the land Riley began offering for sale in Nov 1883 and was still offering for sale in Feb 1886. In 1883, he was offering 80 acres. In 1886, he offers lots of 5, 10 or 20 acres, perhaps to attract smaller buyers. Note the price has increased substantially from $10/acre in 1883 to $30/acre in 1886. The 1886 advertisement notes the land has been logged and burned, but is not yet cleared. Finally, note the tree stump in front of the barn. This gives an idea of the size of trees felled to clear the Hoskinsons land. The stump is roughly the same width as the length of the buggy in front of the barn, which would make it 10+ feet in diameter and 15-20 feet tall. The burned stump near the road at the the bottom left of the photo looks to be from a tree only a bit smaller in diameter. |
CENSUS |
Feb 1885 |
Port Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA [7] |
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1885 Washington State Census: Kitsap Co., WA
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CENSUS |
May 1887 |
Port Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA [8] |
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1887 Washington State Census: Port Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA
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CENSUS |
1889 |
Port Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA [9] |
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 |
1889 Washington State Census: Port Blakely, Kitsap Co., WA, p 31
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EVENT |
2 Aug 1891 |
Seattle, King Co., WA [10] |
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David Hite injured 1891 "David Hite, of Eagle Harbor, was brought to the Providence hospital yesterday to be treated for a severe cut across the instep, received while slashing underbrush. The wound was not dangerous, and Hite will not be confined for any length of time." |
EVENT |
18 Aug 1891 |
Seattle, King Co., WA [11] |
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David Hite released 1891 Despite the previous article's speculation that "Hite will not be confined for any length of time," it appears he was hospitalized for more than two weeks after his accident on Apr 2; "David Hite, who has been treated for an axe cut across the instep of the foot, received while grubbing, was discharged yesterday." |
EVENT |
1896 |
Eagle Harbor, Kitsap Co., WA |
 |
Riley M. Hoskinson homestead and surrounding area ca. 1896-1897 This photo was taken from the Hoskinson homestead by Riley Hoskinson's son Stewart. The camera direction is the reverse of the first photo of the Hoskinson homestead, with the camera now located behind the windmill seen in the first picture looking toward the barn (center of this photo) and beyond. Based on this photo, the camera location in the first photograph was at the crossroads to the right of the church located in the middle distance center of this photo. Riley and neighbor Ambrose Grow were driving forces behind the building the church, the Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, (left with bell tower) and school (to the right of the church.) In late 1883, took out an advertisement in The Seattle Post Intelligencer seeking a teacher for this school. The church was completed in 1896, dating the photo, per this history of the building from the Bremerton Sun. Note also this photo was taken in fall or winter, because the fruit trees in the picture are devoid of leaves. You can see in this photo some garden paths and garden plots amongst the tress. The white house to the left of the church is the church parsonage. The pole located closest to the camera is very interesting. It appears to be steel (which would have been quite expensive to buy and haul to Bainbridge Island) and quite tall, anchored at the bottom, with the angled white line that crosses the left of the photo suggesting a guy line or wire to hold the pipe steady in high winds. My guess is atop this pole would have been wind speed and direction instruments to aid Riley's weather measurements. The pole does not appear in the first photo of the Hoskinson homestead suggesting this photo was taken after the first, and the pole a later additional to the property. Was the pole perhaps provided to Riley by the Signal Service? On the far left, the deforested and burned land of the first photo is again evident. There also appears to be a large section of land deforested, but not yet burned beyond the church and the white house. You can still see the tree stumps sticking out of the ground. Behind the school the land appears to have been completely cleared except for a couple tress. Some of this land is certainly the land Riley offered for sale beginning in Nov 1883 and was still offering for sale in Mar 1895. His 1886 advertisement specifically offers land has been logged and burned, but not yet cleared suggesting the property on the left of the photo. The plat map for the Hoskinson homestead suggests all of the land in the picture may have been owned by Riley Hoskinson. Finally, note this photo shows the pallisade style fencing seen fronting that road in the first photo continues as the road extends past the church and school. You can also see it fronting the road that runs left to right in front of the white house, church and school. It would have been quite an undertaking to construct so much closed fencing, involving many thousands of individual boards. This photo appeared in the 19 Nov 2017 edition of the Kitsap Sun with the following caption: "Riley Hoskinson operated this weather station and windmill at his home just north of Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island from 1878 to 1889. He gathered weather observations every day and sent regular reports to Washington, D.C. Hoskinson's station is flanked in the distance by the Eagle Harbor Congregational Church's parsonage and church center. Madrone's second school is on the upper right.." |
CENSUS |
16 Jun 1900 |
Eagle Harbor, Kitsap Co., WA [1] |
- Living alone
Occupation: day laborer, ship yard
Months not employed: 0
Can read and write
Renting home
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 |
1900 US Census: Eagle Harbor, Kitsap Co., WA, sht 16B
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Death |
22 Nov 1902 |
Seattle, King Co., WA [12, 13] |
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Death record: David Hite 1902 Died Providence Hospital, Seattle WA
Cause: injury to brain
Residence: Madrone
Occupation: laborer |
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Death of David R. Hite 1902 "David R. Hite who was injured while running a logging engine for J. B. Wood (husband of sister Edit Garrison Wood) on Camano Island Nov. 17, died in Providence Hospital, Seattle, Saturday Nov 22. Mr. Hite was injured by the breaking of a cable, and never regained consciousness from the time of the accident. He was a resident of Kitsap county," |
Burial |
Kane Cemetery, Bainbridge Island, Kitsap Co., WA |
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Headstone: David R. Hite
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Person ID |
I1179 |
Main |
Last Modified |
16 Dec 2023 |