Overview

The Addington Family are considered the founding family of Gray Harbor. In Gray Harbor County, the name Addington is synonymous with wealth and political power, and family members will find that simply being an Addington is often enough to open doors that might otherwise be closed.

Think of the Addingtons as the Kennedys, writ small: They definitely have advantages simply by virtue of money and influence, but they're also often under the microscope and subject to the whims of public opinion.

Glimmer

Not everyone in the Addington Family has special abilities, but they do have a fairly high concentration overall. As such, most of those who were raised in Gray Harbor and are "special" have the luxury of having family members that could help steer them safely through the difficulties that come with their powers. Although Margaret herself hasn't gone out of her way for every Addington with gifts, she has been known to ensure that those who are struggling with their abilities are tended to, often by leaning heavily on her relatives.

While Margaret herself seems to have a great deal of information about Glimmer and The Veil, she is not inclined to share whatever secrets she's learned.

Family History

Excerpts below were taken from the text of the book Gray Harbor History - Humble Beginnings, which can be checked out at the Gray Harbor Library. Digital copies of the book do not exist.

Founding Gray Harbor

The Addington Family is considered the founding family for the city of Gray Harbor. In the 1880s, the family purchased the land surrounding what was then the Baxter family homestead. They proceeded to build the Addington Sawmill in 1885, and it remains the only still operating sawmill in Gray Harbor County.

... The Addington family was not well known until late 1884, when Irving Addington purchased all the land surrounding the Baxter homestead plot. The Baxters subsequently left town after a deal was reached between Irving and Herbert Baxter to purchase the remaining plots, though there are no records of the sale, nor any record of the Baxters settling elsewhere in the county or the state. The Baxter homestead was subsequently demolished, and the Addingtons built their home on the ashes. That home sat in the very center of what would become 'Gray Harbor', and today acts as City Hall downtown.

The Addington Sawmill, built in 1885, was almost an overnight success, spurring trade with neighboring townships and helping to create Gray Harbor as a thriving community. But the sawmill was not without controversy. From late 1898 until 1900, there were numerous reports of saw related deaths occurring in the late evenings when the workday had ceased. Nearly twenty people were killed in eighteen separately recorded incidents, though all deaths were determined to be freak accidents. Thomas Addington, Irving Addington's son, was reported saying in 1899: 'Our sawmill is, and has always been, one of the safest places to work in the great state of Washington. While we mourn the unnecessary loss of life, we take no responsibility for the carelessness of operation when there are no mill managers on site.'

Murders of Thomas Addington and Family

In 1938, Mayor Thomas Addington II, his son Teddy, daughter Abigail, and wife Marie were brutally murdered in what would later be renamed Addington Park, in memory of the deceased. The local high school was also renamed Teddy S. Addington High School, in honor of the 14-year-old Teddy, who was murdered in the summer before starting his freshman year of high school.

On June 3, 1938, a convict named Robert Baxter (of no reported relation to the original Gray Harbor Baxters) escaped Stonehill Prison approximately 20 miles north of Gray Harbor. While fleeing from pursuit of police, he took to hiding in Gray Harbor proper. On June 4, Robert Baxter came upon the Addington family, to include Mayor Thomas Addington II, his son Teddy S. Addington (age 14), his daughter Abigail Addington (age 12) and his wife, Marie, while they were picnicking in the local park. Reports claim that Baxter angrily confronted Mayor Addington, screaming nonsense, before slitting the Mayor's throat. Teddy was stabbed seventeen times, and Abigail and Marie were kidnapped. Baxter was never found. The city declared Marie and Abigail deceased, however their bodies were never identified.

Possession of Thomas Addington

Sometime in the 1960s, Thomas Addington was haunted by the ghost of William Gohl, a notorious serial killer active in Gray Harbor in the early 20th Century. The exact details of how he came to be haunted by Billy the Ghoul, as he was called, are currently unknown.

Beginning on July 2019, Thomas lost control of Billy's ghost, and he went on a killing spree, murdering Baxters and Addingtons. The killing spree lasted from July to September 2019, and included Susan Lewis-Addington, Robert and Isabel Addington, Gregory Addington, and Michael Addington.

After being separated from Billy's spirit, Thomas became mentally unwell himself. Margaret began looking after him, moving him into her house until his death in February 2020.

Family Members

Atli

Benedict

Erin

Hyacinth

Odile

Family Tree

Click here to view the Addington family tree.

Note that this is interactive, so you can click on different names. If you see anything that needs to be updated, please send a request to staff.

Business Interests

The family is deeply entrenched in the economics of Gray Harbor. They own the Addington Sawmill - the last working mill in the city - and run it as a privately owned business entity. The operations of the mill have been passed down through the family over the generations, and all of the highest level positions are invariably taken by family members or close friends of the family.

The Addington Family's current matriarch is Margaret Addington, who inherited the management of the family's business interests after the death of her father Robert in 1960. She installed her younger brother Thomas as the CEO of the Addington Sawmill, but he was essentially just a figurehead with a known drug and alcohol abuse problem. Thomas died on February 10, 2020, and the management of the sawmill has been handled by the board of directors until Margaret names a new CEO - a position that many family members are now eyeing hopefully.

In addition to the mill, the Addingtons own a good deal of real estate in and around the city. The own numerous rental properties on Maple Road, Elm Street, and Spruce Street, and they have a stake in the ownership of the Bayside Apartments.

The Addingtons sit on the board of directors for the hospital, always have at least one family member on the school board, frequently dabble in local politics - board members, elected officials, et cetera - and are generally entrenched in the city. The name "Addington" is a good way to get elected in this town. They also still own and maintain Addington House as a privately owned museum.

In spite of the family's personal and professional tragedies (such as William Addington mayorial bid loss in 1968 to up-and-comer John Bishop, who later tragically committed suicide and was replaced by William himself), the Addington family remains an integral part of Gray Harbor's history, and its future. The Addingtons continue to call Gray Harbor their home and have recently built a modern, state-of-the-art sawmill located in the industrial plaza south of downtown. Their unending commitment and valuable contributions will ensure Gray Harbor's continued success throughout the ages.