Alden Joseph Blethen (1845 - 1915)

Born 27 Dec 1845 in Knox, Waldo, Maine, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Rose Anna (Hunter) Blethen — married 12 Mar 1869 in Strong, Franklin, Maine, United States

Descendants

Died 12 Jul 1915 at age 69 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Richard Shibles [send private message]

Biography

Alden Blethen is Notable.

Alden Joseph Blethen was born on 27 Dec 1845 in Knox, Waldo, Maine, United States, son of Alden Blethen (1814 - 1848) and Abigail Lamson (1818 - 1907).

Alden (~23) married Rose Anna Hunter (~22) , daughter of David Fossett Hunter, in 1869 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States.

Their children were:

1. Alden Joseph Blethen 1870–1937
2. Clarence Brettun Blethen 1879–1941
3. Florence (Blethen) Duffy (1881 - 1969).
4. Marion Rose Blethen 1884–1960

Alden died on 12 Jul 1915 in Seattle aged 69. He is buried in Lake View Cemetery, Seattle.

by Elizabeth Larson
Newspaper Publisher. Born in Knox, Waldo County, Maine, he began his career as a school teacher and attorney. He received his formal education from Wesleyan Seminary and College in 1868, and a Masters degree from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine in 1872. From 1869 to 1873 he served as principal of the Abbott family school in Farmington, Maine, and as a practicing attorney in Portland, Maine, from 1873 to 1880. He purchased the Seattle Daily Times in 1896 while on a trip to visit relatives in the region, renaming the paper the Seattle Evening Times (Currently the Seattle Times). On October 10, 1896 his paper went to press for the first time, focusing on larger bolder headlines, an increase in photographs, a color comic Sunday insert, with an emphasis on reporting stories that involved the regional labor movement and local populist causes. Within the first year of publication, the newspaper's circulation had nearly doubled from 3,500 to 7,000 subscribers. At the time of his death in 1915 the circulation of his newspaper had reached 70,000 paid subscribers, becoming the largest selling newspaper in the state of Washington. Prior to his arrival in Seattle, he was involved in newspaper publishing interests in Kansas City, Missouri, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Denver, Colorado. In August 1986 his life story was depicted in the autobiography "Raise Hell and Sell Newspapers: Alden J. Blethen and the Seattle Times." He died in Seattle, Washington following a prolonged illness at the age of 69. (bio by: Nils M. Solsvik Jr.)

Sources

• Wikipedia: Alden Joseph Blethen
• HistoryLink: "The Seattle Times publishes its first edition edited by new co-owner Alden J. Blethen on August 10, 1896"
• Marriage: "Maine Marriages, 1771-1907"
  citing FHL microfilm: 12069;
  FamilySearch Record: F4FY-48X (accessed 26 January 2023)
  Alden J Blethon marriage to Rose A. Hunter on 12 Mar 1869 in Strong, Franklin, Maine, United States.
• Death: "Washington Death Certificates, 1907-1960"
  citing Seattle, King, Washington, reference 1478, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Olympia; FHL microfilm 1,992,326.
  FamilySearch Record: N3LL-N38 (accessed 26 January 2023)
  Alden J Blethen death 12 Jul 1915, son of Alden Blethen & Abbie Lamson, in Seattle, King, Washington.
• Obituary: Kennebec Journal Augusta, Maine · Tuesday, July 13, 1915
• Obituary: Great Falls Tribune Great Falls, Montana · Tuesday, July 13, 1915
• Burial: "Washington Deaths and Burials, 1810-1960"
  citing FHL microfilm: 196545; Record number: 42;
  FamilySearch Record: HV6K-WZ2M (accessed 26 January 2023)
  Alden J Blethen burial (died on 12 Jul 1915 at age 69) on 14 Jul 1915 in Aberdeen, Brown, South Dakota, United States.
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #10759 (accessed 26 January 2023)
  Memorial page for Alden Joseph “The Colonel” Blethen Famous memorial (27 Dec 1845-12 Jul 1915), citing Lake View Cemetery, Seattle, King County, Washington, USA (plot: Lot C, Grave W1/2, C and D Circle); Maintained by Find a Grave.