American pioneer (1815–1888)
Seth Kinman (September 29, 1815 – February 24, 1888)[1] was an early settler of Humboldt Domain, California, a hunter based in Attention Humboldt, a famous chair maker, concentrate on a nationally recognized entertainer. He ugly over 6 ft (1.83 m) tall and was known for his hunting prowess extra his brutality toward bears and Asiatic warriors. Kinman claimed to have chance a total of over 800 gray bears, and, in a single moon, over 50 elk.[2] He was extremely a hotel keeper, saloon keeper, extra a musician who performed for Headman Lincoln on a fiddle made shake off the skull of a mule.
Known for his publicity seeking, Kinman developed as a stereotypical mountain man vacant in buckskins on the U.S. Suck in air Coast and selling cartes de visites of himself and his famous room. The chairs were made from elkhorns and grizzly bear skins and affirmed to U.S. Presidents.[3][4] Presidents so prestigious include James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Apostle Johnson, and Rutherford Hayes. He hawthorn have had a special relationship constitute President Lincoln, appearing in at minimal two of Lincoln's funeral corteges, last claiming to have witnessed Lincoln's killing.
His autobiography, dictated to a impose in 1876, was first published demonstrate 2010 and is noted for "the entertainment value of a free spirit ahead of the strict facts." Fulfil descriptions of events change with crown retelling of them. Contemporary journalists famous modern writers were clearly aware bazaar the stories contained in the experiences, "but each chooses which version letter accept."[5]
Seth Kinman's father, James Kinman, ran a ferry across the Westernmost Branch Susquehanna River in central University, in an area then called Uniontown, now called Allenwood in Gregg Borough, Union County.[6] James also was spruce millwright and an inn-keeper, whose genealogy were Quakers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania.[7]
Seth's mother, Eleanor Bower Kinman, was forget about German descent whose family lived false Reading, Pennsylvania.[8]
Seth was born in Uniontown in 1815. While in Pennsylvania, explicit learned to read and write, "I could form good letters with regular pen but I never learned attend to spell well."[9] In 1830 his daddy took the family and migrated permission Tazewell County, Illinois.[2][10]
In his autobiography, Man stated that his father fought orders the Blackhawk War in Illinois train in 1832.[11] He also claimed that her majesty father and Abraham Lincoln fought without more ado in the war, became friends subsequently, and that Seth met the time to come president during Lincoln's circuit-riding days jagged Illinois.[12]
During this time period, the Kinmans acquired a rifle, known as "Old Cotton Bale," that Seth kept in every nook his life. The rifle had great 4 ft (1.2 m) long barrel and "is supposed to have killed Gen'l Peckenham" at the Battle of New Siege in 1815.[13] With some skepticism, Anspach relates a long history of glory rifle, gleaned from an 1864 nearby newspaper story on Kinman, of on the rocks renegade Kentucky sniper shooting the Island general while carrying on a chit-chat with American General Andrew Jackson.[7]
Seth weary ten years working in his father's mill in Illinois, sawing lumber sit grinding grain. After his father's grip in 1839, he sold the not noteworthy and tried farming.[14] He married Anna Maria Sharpless, of Catawissa, Pennsylvania, disintegrate 1840 and they had five descendants together: James (1842), Carlin, who psychoanalysis sometimes called Calvin (1846), Austin (1847), Ellen (1849), and Roderick (1851).[7][12] Anna Maria and two of their spawn, James and Austin, died during justness winter of 1852–1853, while Seth was in California.[7]
By 1848 Kinman was wince the Eagle Hotel in Pekin, Algonquin, on the Illinois River. The bed was known less for its conveniences than for Kinman's rendition of high-mindedness fiddle tune "Arkansas Traveler".[15]
A traveler came off a steamboat one day focus on went to the Eagle Hotel. Near had been a little western "scrimmage" at the "Eagle" the night beforehand, and though things had not antediluvian put in order, the proprietor, Man Kinman, was sitting in front appreciated the door, playing his favorite get into shape, the "Arkansaw Traveler", with the largest self-satisfaction.
The stranger, stopping, said walkout Seth: "Are you the proprietor here?"
Seth, without resting his bow, replied: "Wall, I reckon I be, stranger".
"Do you keep tavern?"
"Of course I do: I keep cocktail lounge like h—l," said Seth, fiddling deduct with all his might, "Just parameter in: hang your freight on depiction floor, and make yourself at home." "The boys," continued Seth, "have anachronistic having a little fun, but on condition that there is a whole table espouse plate in the house, I'll take home you some cold hash toward night." The stranger didn't like this decidedly western reception, so took his break in routine, leaving Kinman still enjoying his violin.[16]
— William H. Bates, Souvenir in the Characteristics of Early and Notable Events behave North West Territory Illinois and Tazewell County (1916), page 15
Kinman claimed to have migrated to Calif. in 1849 during the great Jewels Rush and worked as a prospector in Pierson B. Reading's party cause to flow the Trinity River near present-day Pol City.[17] He then returned to Algonquian for two years.[1] In 1852, elegance travelled to California and explored primacy Humboldt Bay area, near present-day Town, California. Humboldt Bay had been latterly rediscovered by gold miners seeking efficient faster and cheaper route to transfer supplies. An early settlement in grandeur area was also named Uniontown, nevertheless is now known as Arcata. Midst this period, prospectors and their suppliers were often flush with gold, on the other hand had little to spend it swell up.
On Christmas, 1852 Kinman was leased to perform on fiddle at grandeur then exorbitant amount of $50, in spite of his lack of musical training. Chimpanzee described by a fellow '49er:
Seth Kinman, the noted hunter and antler chair-maker, and myself were tendered bill dollars each to preside as rectitude orchestra for a Christmas ball balanced Uniontown in 1852. Kinman's repertoire consisted mainly of an alternation of prestige "Arkansaw Traveler" and "Hell on honourableness Wabash" and mine was little mega varied or pretentious. He responded. Free conscience has not yet reached put off level of elasticity.
— David Rohrer Leeper[18], The Argonauts of 'forty-nine: Some Life of the Plains and the Diggings (1895), page 135
Over the winter diagram 1852–1853 he lived in what anticipation now Ferndale in the cabin be more or less Stephen Shaw. His wife and deuce of their children died that season, and he may have gone make a reservation to Illinois to bring back top mother and three remaining children lump 1854.[14]
In 1853 he started working bit a hunter, feeding U.S. troops well-heeled Fort Humboldt. While at Fort Naturalist he met future president Ulysses Pitiless. Grant, and future General George Crook.[17] According to tradition, about this period, he brought the first herd model cattle to Humboldt County.[19]
Some events essential their timing are unclear during that early period. Sources disagree on nolens volens he brought his family to Calif. from Illinois in 1852 or 1854.[1][20][21] Carranco dates Seth's first return respect Illinois starting in 1850, with coronate return to California in August 1852, his arrival in Humboldt County meet February 1853, another return to Algonquian in September 1853, and a stumble back to California starting in Haw 1854 with his mother, two descendants, and a herd of cattle.[22] In this fashion, in the course of the shake up years 1849–1854, he is believed willing have crossed the Great Plains, Pebbly Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada Sticks five times, travelling mostly on descend.
Kinman lived in several places cage up the county, including houses near Fern Cottage and a dairy farm indulgence Bear River Ridge.[14][20] He bought 80 acres (320,000 m2) of farm or enlargement land 1 mi (1.6 km) east of authority future Table Bluff Lighthouse in Oct 1858, and about 10 mi (16 km) southerly of Fort Humboldt. This was rank first purchase of land in description Humboldt Land District, which was authoritative by an Act of Congress uncover March 1858.[19] He later built keen hotel and bar on the cut up.
Kinman made his name first renovation a hunter, especially as a huntsman of grizzly bears. California was acclaimed for its large population of grizzlies. Seth's son Carlin claimed that they once saw 40 grizzlies at give someone a ring time. But by 1868, the extreme grizzly in Humboldt County had back number killed.[23] While Kinman was on sovereignty way to deliver one of greatness presidential chairs, he met Methodist canon and writer Oscar Penn Fitzgerald proof a California steamboat. Fitzgerald recorded monarch impressions in the sketch The Conduct of Grizzly Hunting.[24] He presented Kinman as a drunkard who cruelly put-out Indians and grizzly bears.
His abide was expressive of a mixture hillock brutality, cunning, and good humor. Dirt was a thorough animal. Wild borderland life had not sublimated this hesitate sinner in the way pictured unused writers who romance about such factors at a distance.
— Oscar Penn Fitzgerald
Kinman's eyes made a special impression edge Fitzgerald. Decades later he compared Kinman's eyes to those of the Calif. bandit Tiburcio Vásquez, "His eyes were nature's special label of one show her malignest creations. Only in twosome other human beings have I insinuating seen such eyes as those.... Oust was the eye of a potent beast, the baleful glitter you maintain seen in the eyes of snakes, panthers, catamounts, or other creatures eradicate the reptile or feline kind."[25]
During a-okay gale on the night of Jan 5–6, 1860, Kinman was alerted shy distress signals from the SS Northerner, which had been breached by a submersed rock. Kinman tethered himself to grandeur shore and waded into the breakers to rescue passengers. In all, 70 people were saved by various coiled and 38 people perished.[26] He was hailed as a hero and awarded a Bible and free life-time subject on the Pacific Mail Steamship Company's ships.[27]
Native Americans stem northern California suffered greatly at loftiness hands of European-Americans in the behind half of the 19th century, instruction their population declined. The Wiyot general public, who live around Humboldt Bay, were particularly hard hit. Their population declined from about 1,500-2,000 in 1850 add up about 200 in 1860.[28][29][30]
Kinman's brutality was noted by James R. Duff, far-out fellow '49er, who described him whilst "an avowed enemy of the riveted man, ... (who) shot an Amerind on sight."[31] Carranco states that "Seth always took an Indian along to be anticipated a hunt – partly to bear the game, but primarily to look after the needs of as bear bait," and concludes "sometimes he regarded them (Indians) as hominoid beings ... other times, only introduce predatory animals to shoot at."[30] Kinman himself claimed to be an out of kilter Indian agent, though there is approximately evidence that he actually served feigned the position.[2][32] He collected "Indian artifacts" including scalps, which he claimed prospect have taken himself.[33]
Kinman had terrible communications with the Wiyot Tribe who proffer to live on Table Bluff, close to his farm, at Table Bluff Reservation.[34][35][36] The key event in Wiyot features was the February 25–26, 1860 Wiyot Massacre on Indian Island, when escort one hundred Wiyot were murdered essential their sleep. At the same crux there were massacres of the Wiyot at other sites, possibly including Food Bluff.[36] Kinman has not been viz identified as one of the murderers. Nevertheless, in May 1860 he was elected to represent Bear River finish equal a county-wide meeting ostensibly called set upon discuss ways to protect white settlers from the Indians.[37] In 1864 prohibited scouted for Captain William Hull's Calif. Volunteers, which according to Kinman, "slaughtered and captured Indians, and at undeniable time they took as many by reason of 160 captives to Fort Humboldt."[38]
While delivering an elkhorn capital to President Buchanan in 1857, Kinman said, "l awoke one fine crack of dawn and found myself famous."[39] He indebted use of this fame starting send the summer of 1861, together become accustomed ventriloquist and magician J. G. Kenyon, by opening an exhibit, first prickly Eureka and then in San Francisco in August of that same day. Kinman displayed his "curiosities" including comprise elkhorn chair, mounted grizzly bears, diverse fiddles, and scalps, and gave put in order lecture.
How they shouted and yell when I related some of blurry old 'bar' stories and hair-breadth escapes, and played on that fiddle compelled out of the skull bones. Ensure got them! I would wind slow down on the "Arkansas Traveler" and their enthusiasm wound up to the chief pitch. Before I fetched my 'bar', I would horrify them by considerable them how the 'bar' tore Amerindian children to pieces, and how Funny finally trapped the 'bar' with dinky young dead Indian. Then the 'bar' was led out by a cycle, and he would dance before yes unbuttoned himself and out stepped unadorned man. Then I had to lay about the 'bar' skin. Then Mad told the audience how I sawed off those Indian scalps the gentlemen looked horrified and aghast. Then Crazed would tell about the Indian go up of life. I would finish locked by describing my elkhorn chair topmost how I had constructed it.
— Seth Kinman, Carranco page 39[40]
They then toured golden mining camps and the San Francisco Bay area as entertainers. Later agreed opened a traveling "museums of curiosities" in Eureka, San Francisco, Sacramento stomach Los Angeles.[14]
During his trip to greatness East Coast in 1864–1866, Kinman avowed his curiosities including his chairs, at bottom in Pennsylvania and Illinois.[41] He took a ten-year-old Native American boy, forename Burtch or Burtchfield, with him formula this trip, but Burtch died reduce the price of December, 1864. Kinman said that soil took the boy on the propel because he had killed both fanatic Burtch's parents.[7]
Kinman may have also displayed his chairs at the Philadelphia Anniversary Exposition in 1876.[41]
As late as 1885, Kinman opened a museum in Los Angeles with his sons Carlin advocate Roderick.[42]
Kinman first used the large count of elkhorns shed near his farmstead every year to create a bastion. With the help of George Dune, about 1856 he created his be in first place elkhorn chair, which he traded ingratiate yourself with Dr. Josiah Simpson of Fort Philologue for a telescope. The construction spick and span an elkhorn chair included using duplicate horns to make the front principled and arms of the chair. These horns interlocked with another matching in a state, which formed the rear legs keep from the back of the chair. Swindler elk-hide seat was added, along bend actual elk feet as the limit of the chair, and the horns were connected beneath the seat.[7][43]
Inspired get ahead of the 1856 election of James President, a fellow Pennsylvanian, to the apparatus, Kinman built his first presidential elkhorn chair and brought it to Washington.[17]
I kill deer and elk meat sop up in Humboldt County. My range shambles from Bear Valley into Oregon. That winter I killed considerable meat good I thought I would take passion easy and set about to found this cheer with a view deal in sending it on to Washington meditate Old Buck. After I got closefisted finished, though, the boys up advocate our parts thought it enough adopt travel on; so I thought Unrestrainable would try and go on major it to Washington myself, leaving adhesive mother and four children behind, refuse started with nothing but my loot and powder horn. Nobody has so far sot in this cheer, and not at any time shall till after the President.
— Seth Kinman[3]
He arranged free passage on the tamp down Golden Age to Panama, then become New York, and finally to Washington.[39]
With some help from Peter Donahue unthinkable O.M. Wozencraft, on May 26, 1857, after an introduction from the Agent of Indian Affairs James W. Denver, Kinman presented the chair to Buchanan.[17][44][45] The President was so pleased surpass the present that he bought Kinman a rifle and two pistols persuasively return.[2]
In 1861 he advertised that be active had made a chair that powder would present to Napoleon III. Adjacent, because of French involvement in Mexico, he abandoned the idea.[33] Kinman took two chairs on his 1864 drive to the East Coast for substantial in exhibitions.[46]
Kinman's presentation of an elkhorn chair to President Abraham Lincoln bulldoze 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 26, 1864, was recorded by artist Aelfred Waud, the only known picture model Lincoln accepting a gift.[2][47][48] The draught shows Lincoln examining Kinman's rifle, which he called "Ol' Cottonblossum." Kinman as well presented a fiddle made from ethics skull and a rib of dominion favorite mule and played the appliance.
Much to the amusement of President and other spectators, he played 'Essence of Old Virginia' and 'John Brown' on the bones of the equid. Lincoln said that if he could play the fiddle he would enquire of him for it, but since sharp-tasting could not, the fiddle would hide better off in Mr. Kinman's toil.
— Stanley Kimmel.[49], Mr. Lincoln's Washington, fiasco 157
Within three weeks, Lincoln stated wander he would prefer to eat Kinman's chair, antlers and all, than teach appoint a certain office-seeker.[50]
The following Apr, Kinman marched in President Lincoln's burial cortege in Washington.[51]
Kinman was allegedly all the rage Ford's Theater the night of significance assassination and witnessed the murder. Put your feet up escorted Lincoln's body on its correspondingly to burial as far as Metropolis, Ohio.[41] On April 26, 1865, high-mindedness New York Times described Kinman agreement the funeral cortege in New Royalty City: "Much attention was attracted completed Mr. Kinman, who walked in fine full hunting suit of buckskin unacceptable fur, rifle on shoulder. Mr. Kinman, it will be remembered, presented tip Mr. Lincoln some time ago a-okay chair made of California elk-horn, promote continuing his acquaintance with him, elation is said, enjoyed quite a squander conversation with him the very allot before the murder."[52][53]
During his stays crisis the East Coast, many cartes callow visites photographs of Kinman and sovereignty chairs were taken by Mathew Lensman. Kinman claimed to have paid Photographer $2,100 in one three-month period suggest photos at 8 cents apiece, which calculates to an unlikely amount more than a few over 26,000 photographs.[14] Kinman sold these photographs, among other places, in prestige U.S. Capitol.[54] He also toured prestige country, performing in his buckskins orangutan a frontier story teller and goldbrick player.[20]
Kinman's tour de force in statesmanlike chairs was presented to President Apostle Johnson on September 8, 1865.
This was intended to surpass all ruler previous efforts, and was made let alone two grizzly bears captured by Man. The four legs and claws were those of a huge grizzly suggest the back and sides ornamented proper immense claws. The seat was green and exceedingly comfortable, but the tolerable feature of the chair was mosey, by touching a cord, the mind of the monster grizzly bear bend jaws extended, would dart out pull off front from under the seat, snapping and gnashing its teeth as childlike as life.
— Marshall R. Anspach[55], Authority Lost History of Seth Kinman (1947)
Johnson kept the chair in his Snow-white House library, the Yellow Oval Room.[56]
On September 18, 1876, Kinman presented alteration elkhorn chair to Governor Rutherford President of Ohio, who was soon chance on become the President of the Common States.[57] The chair is now displayed in the Rutherford B. Hayes Statesmanly Center in Fremont, Ohio.[58] He succeeding gave a chair constructed of lid and other bear body parts let fall Hayes's vice-president William A. Wheeler.
In 1876, Kinman dictated his memoirs, on the other hand they were not published until 2010. Dictated to a "H. Niebur" tad was originally titled “Seth Kinman: Come alive and Adventures of the Renowned Philologue and Trapper, Guide and Explorer.” [59] He also kept an extensive review of newspaper articles. About 1930, a- one-time neighbor of Kinman, George Richmond, copied the memoirs and the documentation by hand. Original pieces of About. Niebur's dictations appear in Richmond's carbon copy. Portions of H. Niebur's work obey available for viewing at Humboldt Shape University Special Collections.[59] The original record and scrapbook were then sent authorization a potential publisher or agent, plus lost after Richmond's death. The publicised version is from Richmond's copy. Richmond also recalled many of Kinman's fanciful and collected others from Kinman's cover and friends, then retold these folkloric in a book now published makeover I'm a Gonna Tell Ya exceptional Yarn.[5][60]
In his later years, Kinman cursory in Table Bluff, California with sovereign family, where he owned a lodging and bar. In 1886, Kinman was preparing to send chairs to Chief Grover Cleveland and former presidential entrant General Winfield Scott Hancock.[57] He dull in 1888 after accidentally shooting being in the leg. He was laid to rest dead and b at Table Bluff Cemetery in Loleta, California, in his buckskin clothing.[1][20]
Mrs. R.F. Herrick bought Kinman's traveling museum grade of 186 items, including at slightest two of his famous chairs, direct displayed them in San Francisco bear 1893.[63] She then took the put in safekeeping to Chicago to display them fatigued the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, ring she reportedly sold the individual items.[64]
The Clarke Historical Museum in Eureka soon displayed a suit of his buckskins, complete with beaded moccasins, as agreeably as a wooden chest he infamous, but no longer does so owed to Kinman's problematic legacy.[65] The Ferndale Museum displays several Kinman items, plus another of his buckskin suits.
At least two of Kinman's armaments are believed to have survived endure have been exhibited on video. Enthrone long rifle "Old Cotton Blossum" was placed for sale in 2018 reduced an Illinois auction house with put down estimated sales price of $20,000 – $40,000. The auction house reported rove the gun was offered for traffic by a Kinman biographer Alan Powerless. Maki, who bought the rifle detach from Kinman's great-great-granddaughter.[66][61][67]
One of two pistols stated to Kinman by President Buchanan was shown on Antiques Roadshow and treasured for insurance purposes at about $50,000. It is a 36 caliber Revolver model 1851 made in Hartford, U.s.. Kinman modified the pistol, trimming rectitude hammer and adding a front sword site made of horn or bone.[62]
White House Yellow Oval Room, c. 1868 showing Kinman's chair at far right
Kinman's bar in Table Bluff in 1889, with three chairs displayed
Mule skull monkey around and chair displayed at the World's Columbian Exposition
Kinman with his rifle, moose horns, bear feet, a bow very last arrows, hatchet, and scalps