Secretary of State of Washington



The Ruddell Riddle: a selection of resources

That account for the Ruddell Family history in the United States

At the Washington State Library, by collection:

Northwest and Rare Collection

• Early history of Thurston County, Washington: together with biographies and reminiscences of those identified with pioneer days, a.k.a. “Tillicum Tales” / compiled and edited by Mrs. George E. Blankenship [NW 979.779 BLANKEN 1972]

Journals:

• There is a biographical sketch of Stephen Duley Ruddell in the Seattle Genealogical Society Bulletin of Spring 1983, pg. 173.

• Washington Historical Quarterly / Pacific Northwest Quarterly

o Ruddell, Mrs. W. H., 23(1):54–60

o Ruddell, Stephen D., 13(1):17–18

o Ruddell, W. H., 23(1):54–60

Manuscripts:

• Thurston County pioneer records prior to 1870, 1917-1928 [MS 134]

• Etta Balch clippings [MS 403] (note: Etta was the daughter of Catherine Balch, who was S.D.’s daughter)

• A.W.H. Ruddell is mentioned in “Told by the Pioneers” which is online at and is collected in manuscript form [MS 31]. I’m not sure if he is directly related.

• Longmire Family genealogy and records (this family joined up on the trail with a Mrs. W.A. Ruddell), [MS 80]

Genealogy:

• Thurston County Census [GEN 979.7779 EIGHTEE 1889]

• Multiple mentions of the family and Stephen in the Daughters of the American Revolution

o In the Gleanings [GEN 979.7 GENEALO]

▪ Vol. 4 mentions his stepson who was a printer on pg. 235. There is also a mention of the Ruddell Pioneer Cemetery outside of Lacey at Ruddell and Mullen Roads, noted on pg. 246

o In the Family Records [GEN 979.7 FAMILY]

▪ Vol. 50, pg. 213 through 214 mention a nomination for Stephen in the first ever voting of the Territory as a Democratic Party Representative to the Territorial Convention for Chambers Prairie. At a quick glance I noticed he received one vote. Perhaps I am misreading it?

▪ S.D. and Margaret’s marriage is noted twice; in Vol. 3, pt. 2, pg. 162 and again in Vol. 20, pg. 168

• Their land claim is in the Washington Territory donation land claims [GEN 979.702 WASHING 1980]

Digital Collections:

• Mentioned in the Bigelow Family mementos

o Available online at

Newspapers:

[Name of paper; Location; Publication dates, followed by family member and dates mentioned]

Daily Olympian

1965.05.17 pg. 4 – Report: Stephen D. profile, “The Crucible: Chambers Prairie Pioneer”

Daily Pacific Tribune

1864.12.24 pg. 2 col 6 – Marriage: Stephen L. of Chambers Prairie to Miss Amanda J. Packwood. Nisqually Bottom, Dec 18th.

1868.12.25 pg. 3 col 2 – Report: Miss Collie Ruddle conducted the private school here.

1869.10.22 pg. 3 col 3 – Report: S.D. Ruddell, in Swantown, raised a pear measuring 15 inches around, longitudinally, and 13 ¼ inches in circumference at the large end.

1870.11.26 pg. 3 col 2 – Obit: Walter, age 2, son of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Ruddle, died Nov 22 – Thurston County.

Oregonian

1953.08.02 Mag. Sect. pg. 6 – Report: Ruddell, George. Schillios, R. Harlow [author?]. Oregon’s first flying ace fights in Korea.

Pioneer-Democrat

1857.02.10 pg. 3 col 1 – Marriage: Margaret M. White and Stephen D. Ruddell. Feb 15th.

1859.May 10? – Report – Trial of Squally Jim/Yelm Jim for murder of William White. Margaret Ruddell testified an Indian came up and shot at White while they were returning from church at Chamber's Prairie. “Stephen D. Ruddell jumped out and grabbed the gun. Another Indian came up close and shot Mr. White. The Indian was dressed in a cap and blue soldier’s coat. His face was painted with red stripes . . .” Names mentioned as witnesses: Ruddell, James Pattison (Pattison Lake), James Tilton (surveyor general and adjutant general in the Indian Wars), Benjamin F. Yantis (one of the early stage owners from Olympia to Cowlitz Landing, which now is Toledo), A.B. Rabbeson (whose now-known false testimony in Chief Leschi’s trial led to Leschi’s hanging) and Samuel Davenport.

1860.06.22 pg. 3 col 1-2 – Report: Republican convention held at Olympia – list of nominations [S.D. Ruddell mentioned.]

Washington Standard

1861.11.02 pg. 3 col 2 – Report: mentions Stephen D. Ruddell

1864.02.27 pg. 3 col 2 – Marriage: Helen Z. Hines and William H. Olympia, Feb 24th.

1864.05.21 pg. 2 col 3 - Report: mentions Stephen D. Ruddell

1864.12.24 pg. 3 col 1 – Marriage: Stephen L. of Chambers Prairie to Miss Amanda J. Packwood. Nisqually Bottom, Dec 18th.

1873. May 24 – Obit: Mrs. Amanda, aged 28 yrs. In Pierce Co. May 21st.

1874.11.11 pg. 2 col 2 – Appointment: S.D. Ruddell, as farmer of the Tacoma Indian Reservation, to teach the Indians farming methods.

1875. Apr 10 pg. 3 col 3 – Marriage: Stephen L. and Emilene Fleetwood in Puyallup Valley. Puyallup Valley, Mar. 18, 1875.

1879.01.11 pg. 1 col 1 – Fire: William H. and Helen Z. residence destroyed. Open card of thanks for the assistance rendered. Repeats on 1879.01.18 pg. 5 col 4.

1884.02.01 pg. 2 col 5 – Marriage: W. Fleetwood and Miss Kesiah Belle Ruddle of Chambers Prairie. Olympia, Jan 27th.

1890.May 16 pg. 3 col 1 – Obit: Emeline (Fleetwood), wife of Stephen L. Ruddle, died on their farm a few miles east of Olympia today, age 32.

1891.06.12 pg. 3 col 3 – Obit: Stephen L. Ruddell died on his farm a few miles east of Olympia on Wednesday, age 44.

1894.May 11 pg. 3 col 2 – Obit: Mrs. Martha Ruddle, a pioneer of Thurston County, died in Eastside Monday, age 74. She crossed the plains in 1850.

Note: The state library has a great newspaper database, America’s Newspapers, which allows many of these articles to be accessed digitally by keyword or specific search strategies.

Indexes:

According to our Washington Names card index, there is a souvenir of the 2nd Annual Ruddell-Hines Family Reunion on Jul 26, 1926, that may have reminiscences of him. Where does this exist???

• So fair a dwelling place: a history of Olympia and Thurston County, Washington / by Gordon R. Newell [NW 979.779 NEWELL 1985?]

• Thurston County pioneers before 1870 [WA 021.8 L611thu c 2003 VOL c.1,2]

• Miscellaneous note: From Steve Willis’ librarian history: Urban East hicks (territorial librarian) was part of the Ruddell overland party that traveled to Oregon Territory in 1851.

• [O.P.A. [Olympia Pioneer Assoc.?] Transcript. 1925.]. Pp. 12-24. – Ruddell, Mrs. Margaret (Stewart-White). Pp. 20-21. – Ruddell, Stephen Duley [sic]. Pioneer Reminscences. Himes, George H. [editor?] Ruddell, William Hendry [sic] pp. 12-24.

• [979.705 WS] Washington Historian. Ruddell, S[tephens] D[uley], 1816-1891 [sic]. School near house 1:41; 1853 Thurston County commissioner; stepfather of U.E. Hicks. [Sean’s note: Urban East was our librarian in 1858.]

• Early history of Thurston County, Washington: together with biographies and reminiscences of those identified with pioneer days / compiled and edited by Mrs. George E. Blankenship [NW 979.779 BLANKEN 1972] (Ruddell, Helen Z.: pgs. 358, 386; Ruddell, S.D.: pgs. 41, 44, 386; Ruddell, Wm.: pgs. 30, 386; Ruddell’s Block House: pg. 31)

• A Small world of our own: authentic pioneer stories of the Pacific Northwest from the Old Settlers contest of 1892 / [compiled by] Robert A. Bennett PUB INFO Walla Walla, Wash., U.S.A.: Pioneer Press Books, 1985 R, NW, GEN 979.503 SMALL W 1985

• Pamphlet File: Washington Biography [N979.719]

o Ruddell, Clarence W.

In Washington State Libraries, Archives, and Museums:

Manuscripts

• [UW - Manuscript Collection No.: 0106] Meany Pioneer File. Ruddell, William Henry.

• [UW - Pacific Northwest Scrapbook Collection] Ruddell, William Henry. Elma citizens pay tribute. Newspaper clipping. In Bagley, C.B. Scrapbook, no. 8, p 28.

1. Indexed by article in the Regional Index, see also Wilson, Oliver. Index-abstract, Clarence B. Bagley Scrapbooks. Seattle, 1954. scpnw 979.5 B146szwi

2.

Historical Fiction

• Panther in the Sky, James Alexander Thom

• The Frontiersmen: A Narrative by Allan W. Eckert

Non-Fiction

• The Shawnee Prophet, by R. David Edmunds. University of Nebraska Press (March 1, 1985)

• Tecumseh: A Life, by John Sugden. Holt (April 15, 1999)

• Life of Tecumseh, and of His Brother the Prophet with a Historical Sketch of the Shawanoe Indians by Benjamin Drake

Online resources and Unique Items at Select Institutions Nationwide

• Thurston County History in Photos | Search online at

• Rev. Stephen Ruddell – Tecumseh backstory elements: list of resources.

• Rev. Stephen Ruddell Manuscript Narrative (primary resource): 15 pages, a part of the Draper Manuscripts: Tecumseh Papers, 2 YY 120-133, Wisconsin Historical Society. Found online at aj-155/

• Catlin’s Indians – Catlin did portrait of Prophet.

• Benjamin Drake’s “Life of Tecumseh and of His Brother the Prophet” on Google Books:

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