Carson Dobbins Boren (December 12, 1824 – August 19, 1912) was an early founder of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

(see

Denny Party The Denny Party was a group of American pioneers credited with founding Seattle, Washington. They settled at Alki Point on November 13, 1851. History On April 10, 1851, a wagon party headed by Arthur A. Denny left Cherry Grove, Illinois and he ...

). His sister Mary Ann was married to Arthur Denny, and his sister Louisa to David Denny. Boren was the first King County

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

.Junius Rochester
Boren, Carson Dobbins (1824-1912)
HistoryLink article #1936, 1998-11-31; corrected 2003-01-12, 2006-02-08. Accessed 2012-11-26. Seattle's Boren Avenue is named in his honor. Although he was an important figure in the early years of Seattle, historian Junius Rochester writes that "The pioneering contributions of Carson Dobbins Boren to the founding of Alki (in future

West Seattle West Seattle is a conglomeration of List of neighborhoods in Seattle, neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington, United States. It comprises two of the List of neighborhoods in Seattle, thirteen districts, Delridge, Seattle, Delridge and Southwest, ...

) and Seattle began and ended within a short period of six years."

Biography

Carson Boren was born in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

. He married Mary Ann Kays (November 6, 1830 – June 21, 1905 ochester 1998gives years, but not exact dates. His years are in agreement with those given here, except for the lifetime of William Richard Boren, for whom he gives 1856–1899.) on February 18, 1849, at Abingdon, Knox County,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. Their first daughter Sarah E. was born December 17, 1849, but died 17 days later and is buried in the Cherry Grove Cemetery in Knox County. A second daughter, Gertrude Livonia (December 12, 1850 – June 3, 1912), was carried as an infant on the cross-country trek in 1851 with the Denny Party. In 1852, Boren gave Henry Yesler the southern portion of his claim so as to construct Yesler's mill. After erecting the first home in what would become downtown Seattle (the previous structures had been at Alki), the couple participated in the early life of Seattle and had two more children, William Richard (October 4, 1854 – January 19, 1899) and Mary Louise (May 3, 1857 – January 1, 1926). In 1855 they sold this property, along with a claim extending uphill from the waterfront between what are now James and Marion Streets, to Edward Lander and Charles Terry. The couple argued over Carson's constant hunting trips and giveaways, and by 1860 they separated. They were divorced by

territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

legislative act December 17, 1861.CB 4. "An act to dissolve the bonds of matrimony between Carson D. Boren and Mary Boren, his wife". December 17, 1861. Washington Territorial Legislature. Found in Their children were raised by the Dennys. Mary Ann went south to

The Dalles, Oregon The Dalles ( ;) formally the City of the Dalles and also called Dalles City, is an inland port, the county seat of and the largest city in Wasco County, Oregon, Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 United ...

, and established a dressmaking business. There she had another daughter, Lydia Dell Blakeney (January 18, 1869 – October 6, 1921) with John William Blakeney, a divorced man; they married in November 1872, but separated about 1880 and divorced in 1884. Mary Ann and Lydia moved back to Seattle. Seattle - Lake View Cemetery - Denny family plot

Seattle - Lake View Cemetery - Denny family plot

Mary Ann Boren apparently kept in touch with her children by Carson Boren and lived with her youngest daughter and son-in-law in what is now the International District of Seattle. When she died in 1905, she was buried in an unmarked grave in

Lake View Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a Private property, privately owned, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Rural cemetery, garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland, Ohio, East Cleveland ...

, down the hill from where Carson Boren and their unmarried daughter (called Livonia as an adult) are buried in style with the Denny Clan.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boren, Carson 1824 births 1912 deaths People from Seattle People from Washington Territory Washington (state) sheriffs People from Nashville, Tennessee Washington (state) pioneers Burials at Lake View Cemetery (Seattle)