David P. Jenkins (August 25, 1823 – March 30, 1915), was an American attorney, soldier, businessman and
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
who
homesteaded Spokane, Washington
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the ...
.
Biography
Jenkins was born on a farm near
Mount Pleasant, Ohio
Mount Pleasant is a village in southern Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. The population was 394 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville metropolitan area. Founded in 1803 by anti-slavery Quakers, the village was an ear ...
, to orthodox
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
parents.
He was educated at the local Quaker seminary and in the high school in Mount Pleasant. He studied law in
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...
, and passed his bar exam. He moved to
LaSalle, Illinois
LaSalle is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, located at the intersection of Interstates 39 and 80. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Originally platted in 1837 over , the city's boundaries have grown t ...
, where he established a prosperous legal practice. He was an acquaintance of
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
(both men were lawyers for the Illinois Circuit Courts).
[ Chewelah Museum]
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
, Jenkins served in the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
under Generals
Grant
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
* Castle Grant
United States
*Grant, Alabama
* Grant, Inyo County, ...
,
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
,
Sherman
Sherman most commonly refers to:
*Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name)
** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
*M4 Sherman, a tank
Sherman may also refer to:
Places United St ...
and
Burnside in the
Western Theater. Initially, he was the
major of the
1st Illinois Cavalry
The 1st Illinois Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and Spanish–American War.
Civil War
Service
Companies "A" to "G" of the 1st Illinois Volunteer Cavalry were mustered int ...
. Jenkins saw his first combat action in two engagements near
Lexington, Missouri
Lexington is a city in and the county seat of Lafayette County, Missouri. The population was 4,726 at the 2010 census. Located in western Missouri, Lexington lies approximately east of Kansas City and is part of the Greater Kansas City Metropo ...
, and helped negotiate the surrender of Federal forces in that vicinity to the
Confederates in September 1861, becoming a prisoner of war.
He was exchanged that November and returned to the ranks, commanding two companies of the cavalry at
Bird's Point, Missouri
Bird's Point (or Birds Point) is an unincorporated community in Mississippi County, Missouri, United States. It lies on an island or former island in the Mississippi River, near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and is situated dir ...
, from December until the spring of 1862, when he was assigned command of a
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
of the 1st Illinois Cavalry in southern Missouri, where his men protected supply lines to the army of General
Samuel Curtis operating in
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...
. In mid-1863, Jenkins became the
lieutenant colonel and later the
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
of the
14th Illinois Cavalry
The 14th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Service
The first two battalions of the 14th Illinois Cavalry were mustered into service at Peoria, Illinois, ...
, a
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
which he helped recruit and train.

Following the war he moved to the
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from th ...
, establishing a law firm in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
in 1874 and serving as Seattle's
city attorney
A city attorney is a position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the municipality.
Unlike a district attorney or public defender, who usually handles criminal cases, a city at ...
in 1876. In 1879 he settled in Spokane,
[
Access Genealogy]
"Leading Citizens of Spokane Falls Washington"
Accessed September 3, 2013 where he became a friend to
Chief Spokane Garry and
Chief Joseph
''Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt'' (or ''Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it'' in Americanist orthography), popularly known as Chief Joseph, Young Joseph, or Joseph the Younger (March 3, 1840 – September 21, 1904), was a leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain (Wallowa ...
the Younger, whom he admired for their honesty and integrity. Jenkins kept a photograph of Chief Joseph on his mantle.
Jenkins donated part of his homestead and $5,000 for land and capital to build the
Spokane County
Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 539,339, making it the fourth-most populous county in Washington. The largest city and county seat is Spokane, the second largest ci ...
Courthouse. His daughter, Emma Rue, donated the eastern edge of their homestead to the city for the Coliseum (now the
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Spokane Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in the northwestern United States, located in Spokane, Washington. Opened in 1995, it is home to the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League.
Facility Construction
Wi ...
).
Jenkins, a strong supporter of education, attempted twice to fund the first university in Spokane, which ultimately failed due to the economic
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and ended in 1897. It deeply affected every sector of the economy, and produced political upheaval that led to the political realignment of 1896 and the pre ...
. The colonel was also concerned about young men who had to forego higher education to work to support themselves and their families, so he created a trust of $50,000 to fund Spokane's first vocational school for adults, located in and directed by the
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
. The Institute prospered, reaching its peak of popularity about the time
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
broke out.
He retired to
Chewelah, Washington
Chewelah ( ) is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States. It is located approximately northwest of Spokane. The population was 2,607 at the 2010 census, a 19.3% increase from 2000.
History
The name of the town comes from a Kalispel ...
. He is best known in Chewelah for donating the land and capital to build Jenkins High School in 1910. Jenkins loved animals; he bought land in Chewelah partly to house his many pets, including domesticated deer. He donated land in Spokane to establish a
Humane Society (on which it stands today).
He died at his daughter's home in Spokane on March 30, 1915.
[
]
See also
Notes
References
*Wilson, James Grant
James Grant Wilson (April 28, 1832 – February 1, 1914) was an American editor, author, bookseller and publisher, who founded the ''Chicago Record'' in 1857, the first literary paper in that region. During the American Civil War, he served as ...
, ''Biographical Sketches of Illinois Officers Engaged in the War Against the Rebellion of 1861''. Chicago: James Barnet, 1863
External links
Col. David P. Jenkins Collection
at the Chewelah Museum
Online exhibit of Jenkins' documents
Community Colleges of Spokane
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, David P.
1823 births
1915 deaths
People from Mount Pleasant, Ohio
Union Army colonels
People of Illinois in the American Civil War
People from LaSalle, Illinois
American Civil War prisoners of war
Businesspeople from Spokane, Washington
Illinois lawyers
19th-century American businesspeople
19th-century American lawyers