Benjamin Frank Dennison (1869 - 1911)

Born 8 Jan 1869 in Seattle, King, Washington Territory, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Fanny (Lawson) Austin — married 2 Apr 1896 in San Juan Island, San Juan, Washington, USA

Died 28 Jul 1911 at age 42 in At Sea, Alaska

Biography

Became lighthouse keeper at Smith Island, in the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Washington in December 1891 replacing his father in the job. While he was keeper, he courted and married Fanny Lawson who lived on San Juan Island. Two of their children, Winifred and DeWitt C. "Dewey", were born at the lighthouse. In 1905, Frank was transferred to Fairway Island light station in Alaska. He left the Lighthouse Service in 1908 and started boat building and fishing in Alaska. He was lost at sea in 1910. - Umbrella Guide to Washington Lighthouses, pages 67 and 68

1892 Island Co. Census: Dennison, Frank 23 male white Lighthouse Keeper single b. Wash.

Owned house at 455 Argyle St., Friday Harbor, WA. House was built in 1885 for Sheriff Newton Jones. Dennison was a carpenter who previously served as the lighthouse keeper on Smith Is. -- Miller, Jerome K. , Friday Harbor & San Juan Island, Umbrella Books, 1988, Friday Harbor, WA, page 46

• A 2 story salmon colored house past the Airport on Argyle St. is a house originally built on the corner of Argyle & Spring St. where it was occupied by Mr. & Mrs. Frank Dennison, then later moved. - Miller, Jerome K., Friday Harbor & San Juan Island, Umbrella Books, 1988, Friday Harbor, WA, page 48
• "No. The Sheriff's house was not owned by Frank Dennison, that's wrong. The Dennison house is a small little house on Jensen Alley." - Juanita Rouleau, June 7, 2001

"Family history has it that one of Frank's sons found his father's boat in Vancouver Harbor. His father was presumed drowned. Family lore also has it that the son [Dewitt] may have pushed his father overboard as he treated his children so poorly." - Juanita Rouleau, June 7, 2001

Frank Dennison purchased lot #65 at Valley View Cemetery for $10 on 30 Oct. 1908 -- Cemetery Records Book, San Juan Historical Museum, Drawer #7

ISLAND COUNTY, WA - DEATH RETURNS -1910-1919 INCLUSIVE [1] DENNISON, B. F., B. JAN. S, 1869 - WAS DROWNED JULY 28, 1911

Sources

Ancestry.com, including

• 1880 Whidby and Camain Island, Island, Washington US Census - Frank is 13 years old, living with his parents and siblings
• 1900 Shaw, San Juan, Washington US Census - married, two children - occupation: farmer
• 1910 Hoonah Settlement, Sitka, Division 1, Alaska Territory US Census - son Dewitt is with him - occupation is unreadable - birth date is noted as January 1871

Find A Grave: Memorial #11548337

Also:

• Descendants of Jones Dyer, Senior, written by Joseph W Pehousek, Punta Gorda, Florida. Publication: October 1999, and February 2006

Acknowledgement: Dennison-8 was created through the import of dyermaeettaaug2010.ged on 11 September 2010.