Washington Territory. Governor (1872-1880 : Ferry)

Elisha P. Ferry was born in Monroe, Mich., in 1825. He studied law and was admitted to the bar at Fort Wayne at the age of twenty. In 1848 he moved to Waukegan, Ill., where he practiced law and became the first mayor of Waukegan. In 1852 and 1856 he was presidential elector for his district. He was a member of the constitutional convention in Illinois in 1861, and from 1861 to 1863 he was bank commissioner for that state. During the Civil War he was on the staff of Governor Yates of Illinois, serving as assistant adjutant general with the rank of colonel and assisting in organizing, equipping, and sending into the field a large number of the Illinois regiments. In 1870 Ferry was appointed surveyor general for Washington Territory, and in 1872 he was appointed governor of Washington Territory by President Grant. His reputation and popularity are attested to by the fact that when Washington's citizens were at last allowed to elect their own governor, they chose Ferry.

In his message to the legislature in 1873, Governor Ferry reviewed the history of the San Juan dispute and suggested that a new county be formed in the San Juans, which was done immediately. On that and other issues, Ferry demonstrated an understanding of the needs of the territory. He constantly emphasized the importance of sound legislation in regard to railroads, finance, agriculture and education. In Dec. 1873, the Northern Pacific Railroad finally completed its line to Tacoma, barely meeting the deadline necessary to hold its huge land grants. At the same time, however, the Northern Pacific went bankrupt and the railroad workers went on strike for their back pay, forcing Governor Ferry to call out the Territorial Militia to maintain order.

Through the 1870s the foremost issues in Washington were statehood, prohibition and women's suffrage. In spite of several memorials to Congress, statehood was postponed until Washington met the population requirements. The issue of prohibition was somewhat related to the statehood issue, in that the general impression of lawlessness on the frontier made the West less attractive to new settlers, limiting the growth of population. Regarding women's suffrage, in 1871 the legislature passed a resolution denying the vote to women until otherwise directed by Congress, but the issue was far from dead. In 1876 the citizens of Washington voted to call a convention to frame a constitution for Washington as a state. The constitution was submitted to the voters in the fall of 1878 and approved, but in spite of pressure brought to bear in Washington D.C., Washington was again denied statehood. After serving as territorial governor until 1880, Ferry moved to Seattle and became a member of the law firm of McNaught, Ferry, McNaught & Mitchell. In Sept. 1887 he retired from the practice of law and became the vice-president of Puget Sound National Bank. In Sept. 1889, he was nominated by the Republican Party for the position of Governor of Washington State, and on the first day of October he was elected Washington State's first governor.

From the description of Territorial Governor Elisha P. Ferry papers, 1872-1880. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70977456