Hiram Bryant, 1823-1869

Headstone GPS Coordinates: Location in the cemetery is unknown

Birth: 1823, unknown location

Death: 26 January 1869, Seabeck, Kitsap County, Washington

Relatives in Seabeck Cemetery: None known

American Revolutionary War Patriots*: Unknown

While there are some stones still standing today, many of the graves in Seabeck cemetery are without a marker. Many of the graves were once marked with cedar slabs that stood about 3 feet tall with deeply carved letters that spelled out the name, date of death, and possibly a bit more information about where the buried person was from and how he or she died. All of the cedar markers have either rotted away or have been taken over the years, except one that is currently hanging in the Seabeck Conference Center. This marker belonged to a man named Hiram Bryant. 

Hiram Bryant’s marker reads “Sacred to the Memory of Hiram Bryant aged about 43 years who was killed in a dispute on the 26th day of January 1869.”

A newspaper article from the Seattle Intelligencer dated February 1, 1869 described the event of Hiram Bryant’s death. This excerpt is taken from Fredi Perry’s book ‘Seabeck: Tide’s Out. Table’s Set.’

“On Jan 26, 1869, a couple of local drunks were whooping it up at Seabeck’s US Hotel, run by William Warin. George Bryant ordered a drink and threw down a 50 cent piece. Sitting next to him was Hiram Bryant,no relation, who picked up the coin and put it in his pocket. Words passed between them and Hiram choked and struck George. George seized a tumbler and threw it at Hiram. As it broke, a shard struck Hiram’s jugular vein and he bled to death on the spot.”

Hiram would have been born in 1823 according to the information on his marker. Unfortunately, no other information can be found about Hiram. There were other Bryant’s in Seabeck, but none of them seem to be of any relation. Hiram’s name lives on because his cedar marker was preserved by the Seabeck Conference Center where visitors can go view his marker and wonder about who he was.