Washington (State). Governor (1893-1897 : McGraw)

John McGraw was born in Penobscot County, Me., in 1850. After only the most elementary education he became the manager of a general store at the age of 17 and was a partner at 21. However, the store failed during the 1873 depression, and McGraw left for the Far West in 1876. After first going to San Francisco, he arrived in Seattle in Dec. 1876, penniless. His first job in Seattle was as a clerk at the Occidental Hotel. Not long afterwards he became the proprietor of the American House near Yesler's Wharf. After losing his property in a fire, he subsequently became a policeman, city marshall, Seattle Chief of Police, and King County Sheriff. McGraw was re-elected sheriff a number of times. During his tenure, the 1886 anti-Chinese riots occurred in Seattle. McGraw tried to protect the rights of the Chinese and as a result he lost popularity. He was defeated in his next bid for re-election as sheriff. He had studied law while sheriff and after his defeat at the polls, he became a member of the law firm of Greene, Hanford and McGraw. In 1888 McGraw was again elected sheriff and also became president of the First National Bank of Seattle shortly thereafter.

In 1892 McGraw was persuaded to run for governor and won; he took office in 1893. He was in office throughout the severe economic depression of 1893 to 1897. Widespread unemployment and commercial failures were intensified by the poor financial condition of the state which had resulted from the extravagancies of the first sessions of the legislature. The Panic of 1893 made it necessary for the state to reform its financial methods and Governor McGraw in his message to the 1895 legislature stated that the state's finances had to be put on a better foundation. McGraw insisted on rigid economies in the state departments and vetoed a number of appropriation bills. Improvements followed upon the governor's recommendations, but he lost much of his popularity. A major issue was the Deficiency Judgment Bill, which meant that in any property foreclosure the creditor would have to refund the debtor's equity. It was a popular bill and the legislature passed it, but the governor vetoed it on the basis that it would cause wholesale repudiation of debts and drive capital investment from the state.

The character and experience of Governor McGraw were tested when an army of men supporting social reformer Jacob Coxey assembled in 1893 in Puyallup to hijack a train to take them to Washington, D.C., to protest the inaction of the government in the face of the depression. With the experience of the anti-Chinese riots behind him, the governor was not intimidated. He marched into the mob and persuaded them to go home peacefully. In spite of the hard times, Washington made some economic progress during this period. In 1895 over half a billion board feet of lumber was cut, nearly half of which was shipped out of state. The competition of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Great Northern Railroad resulted in lower freight rates, and by 1895 more than 3,000 miles of track had been laid. Shipbuilding was also a major growth industry, and Puget Sound became renowned for its shipyards. The expansion of transportation facilities promoted agriculture and settlement. Agriculture expanded greatly, especially in irrigated fruit farms, and six years after achieving statehood, Washington's population was approaching the half-million mark.

However, many voters were not satisfied with McGraw's conservative approach to the problems of the depression. They wanted immediate action, and in 1896 the social unrest culminated in a fusion of Populists, Silver Republicans, and Democrats. McGraw's administration was brought to a close by the "Free Silver" campaign of 1896, in which the Republicans were thoroughly beaten in all the state and congressional elections. When John McGraw left office in Jan. 1897, he found himself bankrupt. He obtained a small loan for a grubstake, and with his son he struck out for the Klondike to regain his fortune. He returned to Seattle with enough money to get out of debt, and he became active in the real estate and insurance businesses. He was president of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce from 1905 to 1909. He died in Seattle on 23 June 1910. After his death the citizens of Seattle erected a statue of him in McGraw Place.

From the description of Governor John H. McGraw papers, 1893-1897. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70977463