From Gilman Mines to the Japanese Consulate
Dr. Frank W. Harrell, a King County physician and former mayor of Gilman, secures a diplomatic post in Japan after a period of fervent local politicking.
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Dr. Frank W. Harrell, ex-mayor of Gilman, has arrived in Chicago with papers in his pocket as consul general at Kanagawa. Dr. Harrell, a man of about 35 years and a physician, had practiced in Seattle before becoming the surgeon for the Seattle Coal and Iron Company at the Gilman mines. An ardent Democrat, he was elected the first mayor of Gilman when it incorporated. Having recently visited Washington D.C. to witness President Cleveland's inauguration, he secured the appointment, which is worth $6,000 to $7,000 a year. He is noted for his ability to speak the Japanese language, which sets him apart from other applicants.
“He allied himself with the James Hamilton Lewis and John Collins wing of the King county Democracy and was one of the loudest shouters for the former gentleman.”
The town of Gilman, once a coal-mining hub, is now known as Issaquah. Harrell’s transition from a local mining doctor and small-town mayor to a high-level consular appointment illustrates the political patronage networks that shaped the Pacific Northwest’s early bureaucratic leadership.
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