Elisha P. Ferry
Named in 38 stories. Back to all names
- Jun 6, 1876The $100,000 Gamble: Yesler’s Great LotteryTo fund a mountain road, Seattle pioneer Henry Yesler turned to a massive, state-sanctioned lottery, putting his own saw mill and downtown lots on the line.Seattle, WA
- Oct 21, 1876Preparing for the Territorial VoteGovernor Elisha P. Ferry issues a formal proclamation for the November 1876 general election, including a critical vote on whether to draft a new State Constitution.Olympia, WA
- Jun 1, 1877Governor Ferry Calls for a Special ElectionFollowing a tie vote in the November 1876 election, the Governor orders a new vote for the Territorial Assembly representative for Clallam and San Juan counties.Port Townsend, WA
- Oct 13, 1877When a Railroad Held the Territory Hostage: The 1877 Fight Over the Northern Pacific Land GrantGovernor Ferry's message to the Legislature proposes a 10-year extension for the Northern Pacific—but warns the territory will be crippled if the western terminus lands in Portland instead of Puget Sound.Olympia, WA
- Oct 13, 1877The Governor’s Call for Tax Reform in 1877Governor Elisha P. Ferry’s address to the Legislative Assembly highlights a chaotic, unfair tax landscape that echoes through modern municipal debate.Snohomish, WA
- Dec 22, 1877The Jailhouse Blunder in SeattleA man was locked away for a week without due process, exposing deep incompetence in the administration of territorial justice.Seattle, WA
- Mar 6, 1878The Constitutional Crisis of 1878Before Washington was a state, Governor Elisha P. Ferry issued a desperate call for a convention to define its future.Walla Walla, WA
- Mar 13, 1878The Call for a State Constitutional ConventionIn 1878, Governor Elisha P. Ferry issued an official proclamation calling for a special election to select delegates for a convention to draft a state constitution for Washington.Olympia, WA
- Mar 27, 1878The Forgotten Quest for Washington StatehoodA rare 1878 proclamation reveals the high-stakes, multi-district election held to draft a constitution that would finally bring Washington into the Union.Walla Walla, WA
- Jul 6, 1878The Governor and the Libel Suit: A Battle for Political CharacterWhen Governor Elisha P. Ferry sued the 'Democratic Press' for accusing him of selling pardons, he ignited a fierce debate about the limits of press freedom and the nature of public character.Seattle, WA
- Jul 13, 1878The Shadow of the Indian Wars in the Snohomish ValleyAs rumors of conflict and uprisings on the upper Columbia stir the frontier, Snohomish locals organize a volunteer militia to defend their settlements.Snohomish, WA
- Sep 14, 1878The Port Townsend Sewer of DefamationA small-town attorney attempts to build a media empire on vitriol and libel, only to be dismantled by the Governor he targeted.Port Townsend, WA
- Oct 5, 1878When Washington Voters First Weighed StatehoodIn 1878, Governor Elisha P. Ferry issued a formal proclamation calling for a territory-wide vote on the proposed state constitution and the future of regional representation.Olympia, WA
- Feb 8, 1879The Territory's Failed Constitutional BidIn a formal proclamation, Governor Elisha P. Ferry officially declared the rejection of a proposed state constitution and its supplemental articles by the voters of the Washington Territory.Olympia, WA
- Nov 10, 1880The Governor’s Vision of a Boomtown TerritoryFresh from the East, incoming Governor William A. Newell paints a picture of Washington as a land of boundless natural wealth and rapid expansion.University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Aug 17, 1889The Integrity of John Kinnear: A Political ExitAfter two terms in the legislature and a key role in the constitutional convention, one of King County’s most popular Republicans bows out of the governor’s race to keep the peace.Seattle, WA
- Sep 19, 1889The Torchlight Parade for 'Prosperity'Thousands of Seattle residents packed the streets and an armory in 1889 to cheer Republican candidates, a political display that felt more like a frantic race for jobs and survival.Fremont, Seattle
- Nov 7, 1889The Wheelbarrow PenanceA local landlord settles a lost election wager by wheeling his attorney through the streets of Yakima to the tune of a brass band.Yakima Avenue, Yakima, WA
- Mar 30, 1890Fairhaven Moves Toward Self-GovernanceWith the Municipal Incorporation Act signed, the city prepares for local administration while drawing a hard line against annexation by New Whatcom.Harris Street, Bellingham, WA
- Mar 30, 1890The First State Legislature Closes ShopAfter passing tide land bills and appointing regents, Washington's first-ever state legislature adjourns amid whispers of a necessary extra session.Olympia, WA
- Jan 9, 1891The State's First Great 'To-Do' ListActing Governor Charles E. Laughton’s 1891 address to the legislature provides a rare, wide-angle snapshot of a young Washington State struggling to build its infrastructure, protect its forests, and define its civic identity.Olympia, WA
- Jan 9, 1891The Governor’s Dilemma: The Hand-Me-Down PrisonWhen Washington became a state, the federal government tried to offload the McNeil Island Penitentiary and its prisoners to state control—but Governor Elisha Ferry wasn't having it.Steilacoom, WA
- May 28, 1891The Governor’s Office EmptiedActing Governor Laughton faces accusations of legal overreach and depletion of state funds, leading to a clash with Governor Ferry.Olympia, WA
- Dec 18, 1891The State Paid the Troops That Faced the Coal RiotsWashington's Supreme Court ruled that militia sent to Gilman, Franklin and Newcastle during the 1891 coal-mine troubles acted in the state's service — and the state, not King County, had to pay.Issaquah, WA
- Dec 22, 1891Eight Hundred Armed Men, Two Dead: The Coal War the Guard Rode All Night to StopIn the summer of 1891 the Green River coal towns of Franklin and Gilman armed themselves into rival companies. When the shooting started, a deputy sheriff wired Seattle for troops — and the colonel marched before he had orders.Black Diamond, WA
- Jan 8, 1892A Rail-and-Timber Empire Offers Its Workers a CutA new corporation tied to former governor Elisha P. Ferry acquires the Mason County Central railroad and Shelton sawmill, plans a Grays Harbor line, and sets aside $50,000 in stock for employees.Olympia, WA
- Feb 25, 1892The State Draws a Street Grid Across Olympia's Tide FlatsThe tide land appraisers lay out 150-foot avenues over the Olympia waterfront, naming them for Isaac Stevens, Governor Ferry and Columbia Lancaster, and reserving 300 feet of harbor for wharves, slips and commerce.Olympia, WA
- Feb 25, 1892A Polish Rancher in Muddy Boots Sits Down at the Piano and Steals the ShowTwo hundred people in fancy dress fill the Olympia Theater to raise $83.75 for a Sherman Valley schoolhouse — with the lieutenant governor on fiddle, the mayor managing, and the sage of the valley in blue overalls at the keyboard.Olympia Theater, Olympia, WA
- Jul 2, 1892Spokane Murder Case Ends in FinalityGovernor Ferry denies clemency to a man convicted of killing his wife.Spokane, WA
- Oct 6, 1892The Governor’s 'Health' Trip to CaliforniaAn editorial questioning whether Governor Ferry's convenient absence from the state was truly medical or a calculated political maneuver to avoid accountability.Olympia, WA
- Jan 11, 1893Olympia prepares for Governor McGraw's inaugurationAs Washington transitions from its first state administration to the next, the capital is bustling with political maneuvering and preparations for the ceremony.Washington State Capitol, Olympia, WA
- Jan 12, 1893Washington’s New Governor Takes the Oath in OlympiaA military parade and a grand inaugural ball marked the start of John H. McGraw’s term as governor of the Evergreen State.Olympia, WA
- Jan 12, 1893John H. McGraw Inaugurated as GovernorIn an ceremony marked by fair skies, John H. McGraw assumes the governorship of Washington, succeeding Elisha P. Ferry.Washington State Capitol, Olympia, WA
- Jan 15, 1893The Militia vs. The PopulistsA political firestorm erupts in the state capital after the local People's Party claims Seattle's guardsmen acted like drunken hooligans.Olympia, WA
- Oct 9, 1893A Merchant's Defiance in OlympiaA Chinese merchant addresses accusations of smuggling, asserting his identity as a successful, law-abiding American pioneer.Olympia, WA
- Jun 24, 1894The Great Canal Vision of 1894Captain Symons reports on the ambitious, multi-million dollar proposal to carve a ship canal through Seattle's south end to connect Puget Sound with Lake Washington.Beacon Hill, Seattle, WA
- Feb 3, 1895The $3 Million Scheme to Turn Seattle's Tide Flats into Dry LandA private company plans to dredge the Duwamish and fill Elliott Bay's mudflats — paid not in cash but in land and liens — while St. Louis money waits to see the ground before it bets.Seattle, WA
- Apr 24, 1895The Governor, the British Officer, and One Tiny Revenue CutterElisha P. Ferry's old colleague recalled how the territorial governor ordered a British garrison off San Juan Island—backed by a worn-out cutter and a howitzer or two.San Juan Island, WA