In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

[First Page [16], (1) Lines: 0 to ——— 0.0pt Pg ——— Normal Pa PgEnds: TE [16], (1) 兵 其 2 Chehalis Indian Reservation The superintendency of the Chehalis Indian Reservation, like several positions that Chalcraft would hold during his Indian Service career, was not a coveted appointment. The reservation, located about twelve miles west of present-day Centralia, was small, isolated, and a low federal priority. Its inconspicuous nature, however, may have benefited a young superintendent just learning to navigate the complex currents of the oia. At Chehalis — where he worked from early 1883 until mid-1889 — Chalcraft began to implement an administrative system that would serve him well for another four decades. Most notably, the stability and organization he brought to both his school and his reservation became a model for a branch of the federal government notoriously lacking in those qualities. The Chalcrafts, besides the boarding school under their care, assumed administrative control over the entire reservation. In the evening of Thursday, September 27, 1883, after having supper with our next-door neighbors,Reverend and Mrs. Strange,and spending the evening with them, Alice and I left Seattle to take charge of the Chehalis Indian Reservation and boarding school under supervision of Hon. Edwin Eells, Indian Agent with headquarters located at the Puyallup Reservation near Tacoma.1 We secured berths aboard the steamer “Emma Hayward,” which was to leave Seattle at 3:00 a.m., to make connection at Tacoma with the Northern Pacific train leaving there at 7:00 a.m., for Tenino. This was necessary because there was no railroad operating from Seattle 16 [17], (2) Lines: 49 to 57 ——— 0.0pt PgVar ——— Normal Page PgEnds: TEX [17], (2) at that time. We had breakfast on the boat and went aboard the train with tickets for Tenino, where we arrived at 9:00 a.m. This was a small place of one store kept by a Mr. [Joseph] Blumauer, and there were three or four dwellings. We were met by Mr. [George W.] Mills, Industrial Teacher at the school, who had come with a team to take us to the reservation. This was a splendid ride of fifteen miles across level prairie land and then three miles through heavy timber in the Chehalis River bottom. When we left the timber, the boarding school buildings came in view, situated on the north side of a small prairie. We were soon entering the school premises where we found Mr. Eells, who had come down from Tacoma to transfer the Government property from the retiring Superintendent,Mr. [J. L.] Henderson,to me.We met also Mrs. [H. E.] Henderson, the Seamstress, who was leaving with her husband; Mrs. [Isabella] Mills, the Matron; and Miss Florence Humphry, the Cook and Laundress. On Saturday, after invoicing the property, I signed for the same preparatory to taking charge on Monday, October 1st, 1883, the date we began work in the Indian Service, not thinking we would be connected with it for so long a time as proved to be the case.2 We attended the Mission Church Services on Sunday. Mr. Henderson preached a regular sermon in English, which was translated into the Indian language by an interpreter standing by his side. Agent Eells was at the organ and led the singing,which was very good. The sermon was followed by several Indians talking to the congregation, offering prayer, and singing Gospel hymns. After conclusion of the services, Indians having children in school visited with them awhile and then went home. From our experience later, we found the religious services that day were the regular Sunday Program. The religious work on the Chehalis, Nisqually, and Puyallup ReservationswassupportedbythePresbyterianBoardof Missions,of which Rev. J. R. Thompson, living in Olympia, was the Western Superintendent . Rev. M. G. Mann, living in Tacoma, was the local Missionary for the three reservations, and [he] visited Chehalis one Sunday in each month. When he was absent, the school Superintendent had charge of the religious services. During the administration of President U. S. Grant,he became conChehalis Indian Reservation 兵 17 [18], (3) Lines: 57 t ——— 0.0pt Pg ——— Normal Pa PgEnds: TE [18], (3) vinced the Indians needed more religious instruction than they were receiving and inaugurated a plan that became known as the “Grant Peace Policy.”Under this plan,he assigned different reservations to the various Church organizations that agreed to undertake mission work with the Indians, and permitted the Church authorities to submit the names of men to be...

Share