Charles Terry opens first store in future King County no later than November 28, 1851.

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No later than November 28, 1851, Charles C. Terry (1828-1867) opens a store on Alki Point. This is the first store in the future King County. Terry arrived at Alki Point with the Denny party on the schooner Exact, bringing with him from Portland tools, tin ware, tobacco, whiskey, brandy, and raisins.

Charles Terry had traveled west from New York state. He named his new home on Alki Point (the future West Seattle) "New York." Later it came to be called "Alki" meaning "by and by" in the Chinook jargon.

In July 1856, Charles Terry married Mary Jane Russell.

Terry obtained his store goods from Portland, Oregon, and from trading schooners. His first dated sale (actually a charge), which he entered into his memorandum book, took place on November 28, 1851. He sold two axes to J. N. Low for $6.00. On December 5, 1851, he sold some candlesticks to Low.

Whiskey, Tobacco, Tin Ware, Raisins

Charles Terry listed items ordered and sold in a Memorandum book, which still exists. [Note: The store items listed in this essay are spelled just as Terry spelled them.] During the 11- month period covered by Terry’s Memorandum book, he listed three orders for supplies for the store. The first was loaded on the schooner Exact that carried Terry to Puget Sound. He apparently made the list on November 5, 1851, the day the Exact left Portland. This is likely most of the goods that he had on hand when he opened the first store in what would become King County.

1 box tin ware
1 box axes
1 box Tobacco
1 Keg brandy
1 Keg whiskey
1 box raisins Portland Nov 5, 1851

Boots, Bread, Whiskey, Mustard, Molasses

The demands for goods apparently grew quickly. His next two orders were substantially larger. Terry did not note if they were orders placed or received. Following is one of his orders.

25 Bbls Pork
3500# Flour
150 gals Molasses
800# hard bread
1 case boots
1 case Boogans shoe
1 bale Domestic
1 doz pieces? Prints
1 cask whiskey
6 doz hickory shirts
1 doz windows sash
1 Box glass 8x10
1 doz grindstones
½ doz Cross cut saws
½ doz files cross cut
1 case mustard
1 case pepper sauce
400# sugar
400#[?] Soap

Following is a list of goods Charles Terry sold from his store between November 1851 and April 1854. The items on the list are taken from two sources -- Terry’s memorandum book, and advertisements he placed in two Olympia newspapers. The list here is divided by category. The prices are taken from the memorandum book.

GROCERY SUPPLIES

Flour -- $7.00 to $7.25 per s/e [half barrel?]
Flour -- $40.00 for 500 pounds @ $0.08 per pound
Cornmeal
Rice
Beans -- $0.08 to $0.09 per pound
Starch
Navy & Pilot Bread
Bread [hard bread] -- 30 to over 100 pounds $0.12 to 0.12 ½ per pound
Bread [hard bread] -- up to 20 pounds $0.14, to $0.15 ½ per pound
Butter
Goshen Butter
Cheese
Lard
Pork (half barrel) -- $12.00 to $13.00
Hams
Fresh Peaches
Dried Fruit
Dried Apples
Raisins -- $3.00 per box
Malaga Raisins
Layer Muscatel Raisins
Pickels $9.00 per case, $0.50 per bottle
Sugar -- up to 10 pounds $0.12 ½ per pound, 20 pounds at $0.08 per pound.
Molasses -- $0.75 per gallon
Syrup
Coffee -- $0.25 per pound
Coffee mill -- $1.50 each
Tea
Olive Oil -- $1.00 per bottle
Oil -- $0.50 per bottle
Saleratus [baking soda] -- $0.20 to $0.25 per pound
Pepper -- $0.25 per pound (16 lbs @ $0.15 per pound)
Salt -- $0.75 per bag
Pepper sauce
Mustard
Vinegar

LIQUOR & TOBACCO

Whiskey -- $3.00 per gallon; $1.50 per ½ gallon; $1.00 per bottle
Brandy -- $1.00 per bottle; $1.00 per quart, (10 gallons @ $2.50 per gallon)
Champagne cider
London Ale and Porter
Tobacco -- $0.38 to $0.75 per plug
Pipes[?] -- $0.50 to $0.75 per dozen[?]
Pipes &c -- $1.00 [each?]

CLOTHING & DRY GOODS

Coats
Pants
Shirts -- $1.00, to $1.25 each
Hickory, fancy colored and fine white shirts
Vests
Gloves
Hat -- $1.50 each
Cap (cloth) -- $1.50 each
Shoes -- $2.00 per pair
Boogans shoes
Boots -- $4.00 to $7.00 per pair
Boots, coarse and fine
Patent Leather Shoes
Womens shoes
Socks -- $0 50 per pair
Stockings -- $0.75 for two pairs
Ladies clothing, boots, shoes and hosiery
Ladies’ Gaiters and Bootees
Pantaloons, coarse and fine
Shals
Shuting mats by the yard
Oil cloth[?]
Domestic cloth -- $0.10 to $0.11 per yard
Prints by the piece
Flannel[?] -- $0.62 ½ per yard
Calico -- $0.14 to $0.15 per yard
Linen[?] (small and large)
Cassimere[?] [cashmere?] -- $0.60 per yard[?]
Chintzes
muslin de lains, &c.
Blankets -- $4.00 to $5.00 each, $8.50 per pair

HARDWARE AND DOMESTIC SUPPLIES

Lamps -- $0.50 each
Stoves -- $50.00 each
Cooking stoves and utensils
Box Stoves
Buckets -- $1.00 each
Tin buckets -- $1.25 each
Fry pans -- $0.50 each
Deep dish -- $0.75 each
Camp Kettles -- $2.00 each
Milk jars -- $1.00 each
Pans
Tin pans
Cups
Large Water Pails
Small Water Pails
Coffee Potts
Dippers
Pails
Tin-ware, full assortment
Tubs
Plough -- $50.00 each
Boat (18 ft long) -- $60.00
Oil stone -- $0.15
Matches -- $0.25 per box
Grindstones & Fixtures
Glassware
Ship Chandlery
Washboards
Clothes pegs
Sugar and Flour boxes
Hooks
Fish line -- $0.50 each
Files
Hoes -- $1.50 each
Shovels -- $4.50 each
Squares -- $3.00 each
Rules -- $1.00 each
Axes -- $3.00 to $3.50 each, $1.50 each for 12
Broad axes -- $6.00 each
Hatchet
Axe helve [handle] -- $0.50 each
Cross cut saws
Files, cross cut
Rope lines small and large
Rope (small) -- $0.50 each
Rope line -- $1.50 each
Chulk line -- $0.50 each
Rope (32 pound) -- $0.08 per pound
Nails (up to 6 pounds) -- $0.15 per pound (up to 6 lbs), $0.12 per pound (for 200 lbs.)
Paints and oils
Brushes
Window sashes
Window Glass, assorted sizes from 8” by 10” to 10” by 14”
House doors, in and outside
Door locks and latches, butts, and screws
Padlocks
Turpentine
Putty

GUNS

Revolving Pistols -- $45.00 each
Colts Revolving Rifles -- $40.00 each
Single and Double Barreled Guns
Rifles
Powder, Shot & Lead
Capt & L -- $4.75
Sett C. & Davins[?] -- $1.75
Gun Caps -- $0.50

HOUSEHOLD

Blank Books
File books
Paper (ream) -- $0.50 per ream
Comb -- $0.62 each
Soap -- $0.20 per pound in quantity
Soap -- $0.80 to $1.00 per bar
Candlesticks -- $0.35 to $0.38 per pound
Sitting chairs
Rocking chairs

MISCELLANEOUS

Clocks
Drugs & Medicines
Cask monglay [Monglass(?) monglan(?)]
po hose[?] -- $1.00
Paltes -- $1.25 for ½ doz[en]
s/e inn[?]
Ribon or ribin cask[?] by the yd
prop Needles[?] -- $0.25

Sources:
Charles Terry Memorandum Book, Charles Carroll Terry (1829-1867) Collection (Accession No. 247), Manuscripts, University Archives and Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Seattle; The Columbian (Olympia), January 1, 1853, p. 3; Ibid., March 12, 1853, p. 3; Ibid., April 9, 1853, p. 2; Ibid., July 2, 1853, p. 3; Ibid., September 17, 1853, p. 3; Pioneer & Democrat (Olympia), April 29, 1854, p. 3.

By Greg Lange , March 08, 2003

Charles C. Terry (1828-1867)
Courtesy Bagley, History of King County