William P. Bonney – Pioneer of Pierce County, Now Secretary of the Washington State Historical Society and Curator of the Ferry Museum. Mr. Bonney is sitting at the desk used by Governor E.P. Ferry, first governor of the State of Washington, and in the chair made for and used by Governor Stevens, first governor of Washington Territory.
William P. Bonney, Secretary of the Washington State Historical Society, was also a member of the Advisory Committee for the Washington Pioneer Project in 1938 during the depression-era works projects that produced a number of history books from that era.
His portrait photo and signature appear in the Forward of “Told by the Pioneers: Volume II.”
Anonymous pioneer
It was difficult to find a definitive link between Mr. Bonney and the toponym in Pierce County that holds his family’s name.
The following books do NOT contain any reference to William Bonney and his connection to Bonney Lake
- Postmarked Washington : Pierce County by Guy Reed Ramsey (WSHS, 1981) – NO METION OF BONNEY LAKE TOPONYM
- Place Names of Washington by Robert Hitchman – NO MENTION OF BONNEY LAKE TOPONYM
- Washington State Place Names from Alki to Yelm by Doug Brokenshire, Caxton Printers 1993 – NO MENTION OF BONNEY LAKE TOPONYM
- Origin of Washington Geographic Names by Edmond S. Meany, 1923 – NO MENTION OF BONNEY LAKE TOPONYM
Two books had entries for Bonney Lake
Number one is: Washington State Place Names by James W. Phillips, Fourth Printing with corrections and addtions 1976
What is frustrating with this entry is that the “early homesteader” is not mentioned. Presumably with a family name of “Bonney”
The winning entry and definitive source
Finally, Origin of Geographic Names of Tacoma/Pierce County Washington by Gary Fuller Reece, Tacoma Public Library 1974 gives us definitive information on the true origin of the place name Bonney Lake:
And now we know that Bonney Lake is a town named to honor William Bonney, who was:
- Secretary of the Washington State Historical Society
- Author of “History of Pierce County, Washington vol I, II and III, Pioneer Historical Pub Co. Chicago, 1927“
- Advisory Committee Member for “Told by The Pioneers, Reminiscences of Pioneer Life in Washington, Washington Pioneer Project, 1938“
- Curator of the Ferry Museum
- Pioneer
- Namesake of Bonney Lake, Washington
It has been mentioned in online forums that his body is buried in the Sumner Cemetery.