C.A. Aaseth - Passenger
C.A. Aaseth, a 23-year-old Norwegian laborer, was a second-class passenger aboard the ill-fated SS Valencia on its final voyage from San Francisco to Seattle in January 1906. Originally from Norway, Aaseth had made his home in Ballard, Washington—then an independent city northwest of Seattle (today a vibrant neighborhood within the city). He worked as a laborer and boarded with the family of S.O. Hovick in the northern part of town. He was unmarried. In late 1905, Aaseth traveled to San Francisco to visit relatives, staying for about two months. He booked passage home on the Valencia, which departed San Francisco on January 20, 1906. The ship never reached its destination.
Misidentification & Confusion
In the chaotic days following the wreck, Aaseth’s name appeared on published passenger lists as “Casetto” (or sometimes “C.A. Cosette”), due to the unusual spelling of his Norwegian surname. This error meant his identity remained a mystery for nearly two weeks, and his friends and community in Ballard had no immediate word of his fate.
His true identity was finally recognized in early February 1906 by Reverend M.A. Christensen of Zion’s Lutheran Church in Ballard. On February 2, the pastor sent a telegram to the Seattle Star newspaper. The following day, February 3, the paper published an article titled “BALLARD MAN IS A VICTIM”, which included a photograph of Aaseth and confirmed his loss. The photo shown above is a colorized version of the original black and white picture from the article. The article stated:
“Mr. Aaseth had taken passage for Seattle on the lost steamship. This was the first intimation that his friends had to the effect that he had lost his life in the wreck. Owing to the peculiar way of spelling his name, it had been given incorrectly. Mr. Aaseth had been visiting relatives in San Francisco for the past two months. He was a Norwegian laborer, 23 years of age, and resided with the family of S.O. Hovick, in the northern suburb. He was single and if the remains can be found his body will be interred in the Ballard cemetery.”
Tragically, C.A. Aaseth’s body was never positively identified among those recovered in the weeks following the disaster. Like many victims of the Valencia shipwreck—one of the deadliest maritime tragedies in Pacific Northwest history—he was lost to the sea.