Henry Nordstrom (also reported as J.P. or G.P. Nordstrom), a second-class passenger bound for Seattle, perished in the SS Valencia maritime disaster of January 22–24, 1906. He traveled with his wife Mary and their eight-year-old daughter Margaret.
The Valencia Disaster
1. The Valencia 2. The Voyage 3. The Boats 4. The McCarthy Boat 5. The Bunker Party 6. On the Valencia 7. The Rafts 8. The Turret Raft 9. The Rescue Ships 10. The Aftermath 11. The Survivors 12. The Lost
The West Coast Trail
Prologue 1: The West Coast Trail 2: When to Hike & Fees 3: Trailheads 4: Getting There 5: Considerations 6: Campsites 7: Shipwrecks 8: Routes 9: Sights & Highlights
The coastal passenger steamer ran aground in heavy fog off the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and broke apart in pounding surf. All women and children aboard lost their lives. Henry and his family had recently left Alameda, California, to start a new business venture in Seattle. His story reflects the sudden change in plans that led many Alameda residents onto the ill-fated ship.
Background and Family
Until the first of January 1906, Henry Nordstrom served as the local agent (manager) for the Singer Sewing Machine Company in Alameda, with an office at 1321 (or 1221) Park Street. His wife Mary assisted him in the business. The family lived with the T. M. Edmunds family at 2930 Central Avenue. Their daughter Margaret attended Wilson Grammar School and was close friends with the Edmunds’ daughter of similar age. Everyone in the household grew fond of the little girl, who was often left to herself while her parents worked at the office.
In early January, Henry gave up the Singer agency but stayed on for about a week to help his successor. He and his friend Frank Campbell had arranged to settle in Seattle and take charge of an agency for the Domestic Sewing Machine Company. The two families were close; Campbell, an Australian who had served in the British army during the Boer War, had also worked in the sewing machine and insurance businesses.
On Saturday morning, January 20, the Nordstroms left the Edmunds home around 8 a.m. They gave Mrs. Edmunds the impression they might go north or return to Alameda, but did not clearly say whether they would take Margaret. Mrs. Edmunds later believed the little girl was aboard the Valencia. The entire party traveled second-class.
The Valencia Disaster
The Valencia departed San Francisco on January 20, 1906. It struck the rocks late on the night of January 22 in heavy fog. Chaotic evacuation attempts and the ship’s gradual breakup over 36–40 hours claimed 136 lives. Henry is not specifically named in survivor accounts of the final hours (such as Frank Lehn’s description of the second raft and people seen on deck, which included a heavily built lady, her daughter, and a little boy—possibly the Nordstroms and Ray Ogle). This suggests he may have been lost earlier than his wife and daughter.
Valencia survivor Frank Connors from the Turret Raft later confirmed that “Mrs. Nostrum [Nordstrom] and child drowned.”
San Francisco Examiner Photos of Henry and Mary Nordstrom
Recovery and Memorial
Henry Nordstrom, his wife Mary, and daughter Margaret were listed among the lost. Their bodies were never recovered. They are commemorated in detailed victim lists of the Valencia disaster.