By Muriel Bristol | April 26, 2026
Bard Plummer was born in Milton, August 16, 1817, son of Joseph and Sarah (Brown) Plummer.
He followed a business career that took him to many interesting places over the course of his life.
Anna D. Smith married in Sprague, WA, July 30, 1882, B.C. [Byron C.] Vanhouten, both of Spokane, WA.
B.C. [Byron C.] Vanhouten, an auditor, aged thirty-six years (b. NY), headed a Spokane, WA, household at the time of the Washington Territorial Census of 1885. His household included Anna D. [(Smith)] Vanhouten, aged thirty years (b. NC).
SUIT FOR DIVORCE. Anna Van Houten Asks the District Court for a Decree of Separation. The divorce case of Mrs. Anna Van Houton against her husband, B.C. Van Houten, occupied the attention of the district court yesterday, and was still unfinished when the court adjourned last evening. Mr. Griffitts conducted the case for the complainant, and Mr. Graves appeared for the defendant. The main effort of the plaintiff was to secure alimony, and the evidence on both sides was to show the possessions of each. The complaint stated that the defendant had no money or property when he married the plaintiff, but the latter contradicted this assertion when placed on the stand by adding that “he had nothing to speak of.” She also added cruelty and sued for the recovery of money which she claimed to have loaned her husband. The defendant’s answer was to the effect that he had several thousand dollars in land and money when he married Mrs. Van Houten, and his possessions in real estate and other respects, clear of encumbrances, amounted to about $8,000. Mrs. Van Houten told her story in very forcible manner, and emphasized her remarks by frequent gesticulations with fore finger pointing at the questioning attorney, Mr. Graves. The case was continued until to-day (July 3, 1888).
ABOUT THE CITY. A Large Mortgage. Anna D. Van Houten mortgaged her property in River Front addition yesterday to Asa D. Morse for the sum of $18,500 (Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), April 12, 1891).
No. 3,620 – Cambridgeport National Bank vs. Anna D. Van Houten; suit to enforce payment of two promissory notes for $3,161.34 and $64 respectively. Attachment issued against the defendant. Hamilton & Plummer attorneys for plaintiff (Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), August 5, 1892).
In one of the final phases he was a businessman in the greater Boston, MA, area. Here, for better or worse, he introduced two of his acquaintances to each other.
BROKE HER $30,000 HEART. Tale of a Spokane Damsel and a Guileless Millionaire. HE SAYS IT IS CLEAR BLACKMAIL. Rich Asa Morse of Cambridge Makes Liberal Loans to Miss Van Houten on Western Town Lots and Is Confronted With Breach of Promise Suit When He Tries to Foreclose.
[Special to the EXAMINER]. BOSTON, October 5, – Miss Anna D. Van Houten, Spokane, who is said to be both young and fair, has had her heart broken and feelings lacerated to the extent of $30,000, s0 she alleges.
She has been deceived by Asa P. Morse of Cambridge, against whom she has now entered suit, claiming the above damages upon a breach of promise to marry. The plaintiff sets forth that she had known the defendant several years, and that the defendant made an avowal of his affection and asked her to marry him. She accepted him on the same day, and they were, satisfaction of both, as far as the plaintiff has been able to observe, engaged. They continued for some time to occupy the relations to each other of engaged people, but s0 far the plaintiff asserts the defendant has refused and neglected to carry out his expressed intentions.
RICH AND PIOUS WIDOWER. The defendant is about sixty years of age, An ex-State Senator, for eighteen years a member of the School Committee of the University City, and there is a school building there bearing his name. He is a widower of a good many years’ standing, and has a large and beautiful estate at Cambridge, occupying with its house, stables and extensive grounds, an entire square.
He is an attendant at the Episcopal church. Mr. Morse is very sensitive about the notoriety he has been brought into, and to the EXAMINER correspondent to-day declared that the whole affair was a blackmailing scheme.
“This woman has swindled the out of $26,000,” he said, “and now when I endeavor to recover it she sues me for breach of promise. I have been swindled out of money on loans several times, but never had the swindlers turn about and blackmail me.
SHE WAS STUDYING MUSIC. Miss Van Houten is about thirty-three years old, and is now, I believe in Portland, Or., having left Boston six months ago. Her home is at Spokane. I first met her in July, 1890, and was introduced to her by a friend of mine, Bard Plummer, in whom I had every confidence. At that time the lady was studying music and elocution in Boston. She represented herself to me as an ardent Christian woman and devout Episcopalian. Plummer introduced her to me as a wealthy Western lady of refinement and holding real estate on the Pacific Coast. She was represented as without means and desiring some one to negotiate some mortgages. I did not want to take them and considered it a long while, but finally in November, 1890, I decided to make personal loan to her.
“She had a deed of four lots of land at Spokane, but the man from whom she purchased the land held a mortgage on it. Miss Van Houten was extremely anxious to obtain some money, as the mortgagee was about to sell the property at auction. I investigated and found the lots to be worth $60,000, and so I loaned her $5,000 and accepted a mortgage on the lots.
WORKED HIM FOR $18,500. “I saw very little of her during the next three months, and then she came to me in regard to a building which she proposed to put up on the lots. She wanted me to advance the money necessary to erect a large brick building and take a mortgage on the building. I had been assured by Plummer that she was perfectly honorable and her means and social standing were beyond question, and, as I found the lots all right, I thought it a good investment; so I agreed in the spring of 1891 to loan her the money for the buildings.
The contracts were made out by me and forwarded to her agent, and the building commenced. I sent a check for the amount necessary to begin the work, and then provided additional sums as fast as the work progressed to such stages as called for advances, according to contract.
“As soon as she received the contractor’s request for these part payments she would come to me and for the money, and I promptly wrote a check for the required amounts. In this way I paid out $18,500 before the building was completed.
THEN THEY GREW FRIENDLY. “Our business acquaintance became more intimate as she gave me charge of her property and gave me power of attorney. I visited her at 44 Mt. Vernon street a number of times when she wished to consult me upon business and on several occasions she sent down word that she was ill and required me to come up to her. I have then gone there, looked over her papers and consulted about the western property. In the course of our business relations she wrote upon such and such matters, or asking my advice on certain questions.
“I replied. Gradually this developed into a pleasant social correspondence. I suppose she will produce my letters. I don’t care; they were written in a Christian spirit. In the middle of the summer she invited me down to see her rooms, and one Sunday I went to spend the day with her. I met a number of people I knew and introduced her to them. Now when I look back on it I see how she was pulling wires to make it appear I was paying attentions to her.
NOW HE SEES IT ALL. “In October came the first act, when she applied once more for money and was given $3,000, she sending me her note. When it fell due she made no effort to pay it, and did not pay even the interest on it. When I was about to foreclose I found her $16,000 lots were assessed at $2,500. I saw the swindle then at once, but simultaneously with the discovery she disappeared from here for eight months.
“I have not seen her since. I shall contest this suit, and she may be imprisoned for obtaining money under false pretenses.”
Bard Plummer, the mutual friend, scoffs at the idea of blackmail and declares to all appearances they were engaged, and that Morse brought flowers to her daily and escorted her to theatres and suppers. He says Morse’s two daughters were the cause of the breakup, and that when Miss Van Houten was out off by him she consulted Bishop Brooks and Dr. Peabody as to what she should d0. L.M. Child and E.O. Achem are counsel for plaintiff, and Mr. Achem promises a sensation when the case comes to trial (San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, CA), October 6, 1892).
Motions and Demurrers. Cambridgeport National Bank vs. Annie D. Van Houten; motion to set aside and quash summons for publication and the return thereon overruled and defendant given to next law day to plead (Spokane Review (Spokane, WA), November 1, 1892).
B.C. [Byron C.] Van Houten married next in Tacoma, WA, July 12, 1893, Clara M. [(Gilloland)] Kent, both of Pierce County, WA.
MARRIED AT THE TACOMA. Senator Van Houton and Mrs. Kent Wedded Yesterday Morning. A surprise to the friends of both the bride and groom was the marriage of State Senator Byron C. Van Houton of Spokane and Mrs. Clara M. Kent of this city at the Tacoma hotel yesterday morning. The ceremony was performed by Rev. F.B. Cherington in parlor B and was witnessed by a few friends. Mr. B.E. Barinds of Spokane acted as best man, and State Senators Ide of Spokane and Van Deventer of King county were of the party. After a wedding breakfast at the hotel the newly married couple left for Spokane, where they will reside. Senator Van Houten, in addition to being leading politician of Spokane county, is high in the councils of the party, is a director of a bank in Spokane, is interested in a number of commercial enterprises, and is considered a wealthy man. The bride for some years has been in the employ of the United States marshal’s office as stenographer and deputy clerk of the United States circuit court. She formerly was in the land office at Spokane (Tacoma Daily Ledger Tacoma, WA), July 13, 1893).
Byron C. Van Houten appeared in the Spokane, WA, directory of 1893, as Vice President of the Citizens National Bank, and Secretary and Treasurer of the Spokane Furniture Company, with his residence at the corner of Gordon avenue and Lidgerwood, Lidgerwood Park, telephone 587.
Baird Plummer, a landlord, aged eighty-two years (b. NH), was one of three lodgers in the Boston, MA, household of William Childs, a lawyer, aged fifty-one years (b. NY).
Byron C. Vanhouten died in Seattle, WA, January 25, 1904, aged fifty-five years.
Byron C. Van Houten. SEATTLE, Jan. 26. – Ex-State Senator Byron C. Van Houten died in this city last night of general paresis, after an illness of two weeks. He was 65 years old and was a pioneer of the Coast. He came to Oregon by stage 34 years ago and ran a store at Eugene for several years. He came to this state in 1881 and represented Spokane in the first three state Legislatures; He had lived in Seattle three years and was a mining broker (Oregonian (Portland, OR), January 27, 1904).
Anna D. [(Smith)] Van Houten, aged fifty years (b. England), was the resident hotel matron at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA, at the time of the Fourteenth (1920) Federal Census. The hotel stood on Sunset Boulevard.
Anna D. (Smith) Van Houten died in Los Angeles, CA, August 27, 1923, aged sixty-six years.
DEATHS. VAN HOUTEN. Aug. 27, Anna D. Van Houten, aged 66 years. Funeral, 2 p.m. Thursday, from the M.E. Church, on N. Kingsley Drive, near Santa Monica Boulevard. J.H. Riedeman in charge (Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA), August 29, 1923).
References:
Find a Grave. (2015, June 8). Asa Porter Morse. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/147597725/asa-porter-morse
Find a Grave. (2015, August 25). Bard Plummer. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/151225373/bard-plummer
Find a Grave. (2012, April 19). Anna Vanhouten. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/88764072/anna-vanhouten
Milton Observer 