Washington's 1st Legislative Assembly

The following data is extracted from Bancroft Works, Volume 31, History Of Washington, Idaho, and Montana, 1845-1889, Hubert H. Bancroft, 1890. The History Company, Publishers, San Francisco..

The first legislative assembly was composed of nine councilmen, as follows:

Clarke County, Daniel F. Bradford and William H. Tappan;

Island and Jefferson County, William T. Sayward;

Lewis and Pacific County, Seth Catlin and Henry Miles;

Pierce and King County, Lafayette V. Balch and G. N. McConaha; Thurston, D. R. Bigelow and B. F. Yantis.

H. M. Frost of Pierce County was elected chief clerk, and

U. E. Hicks of Thurston County, assistant clerk. Hicks was County Clerk of Thurston. He figured a good deal in polities, served in the Indian war of 1855-6, and afterward edited one or more newspapers. He immigrated to Washington from Missouri in 1850, with his young wife, who died Nov. 16, 1853, aged 21 years. He married, Jan. 21, 1855, India Ann Hartsock.

Frost served but a part of the term, and resigned, when Elwood Evans was elected and served from March 8th to May 1st.
-
J. L. Mitchell of Lewis County was elected Sergeant-at-Arms

W. G. Osborn of Thurston County Doorkeeper.

The council being divided into three classes by lot.

D. R. Bigelow, Seth Catlin, and W. H. Tappan drew the three years term;

B. F. Yantis, Henry Miles, and G. N. McConaha, the two years term;
W. T. Sayward, D. F. Bradford, and L. Balch, the one year term.

The House of Representatives consisted of seventeen members:

One from Island County County, S. D. Howe (Whig);

Five from Clarke County, J. D. Biles, F. A. Chenoweth, A. J. Bolan, Henry R. Crosbie, and A. Lee Lewis (Whig);

One from Lewis County, H. D. Huntington (Whig) John R. Jackson and F. A. Clarke received the same number of votes, and the second member from Lewis was not elected;

One from Jefferson County, D. F. Brownfield;

One from King County, A. A. Denny (Whig);

Three from Pierce County, L. F. Thompson, John M. Chapman, and H. C. Moseley;

Four from Thurston County, Leonard D. Durgin, David Shelton, Ira Ward (Whig), and C. H. Hale (Whig);

One from Pacific County, Jehu Scudder, who died before the legislature convened.

Scudder was one of the first settlers in Pacific county, and was much regretted. A singular fatality attended the representatives from Pacific.

In the first instance, J. L. Brown was nominated, and died before the election. His successor, Scudder, who was nominated after his death and elected, did not live to take his seat.

Henry Feister was then chosen to fill the vacancy, but died of apoplexy on the evening of the day on which he was sworn in. Feister also left a family.

Another election being ordered, James C. Strong was chosen, and took his seat April 14, 1854.
Olympia Pioneer and Dem., April 15, 1854.

B. F. Kendall was elected Chief Clerk

J. Phillips Assistant Clerk

Lower House;

Jacob Smith of Whidbey Island Sergeant-at-Arms

J. H. Round tree Doorkeeper
Olympia Pioneer and Dem., March 4, 1854.

Source: Bancroft Works, Volume 31, History Of Washington, Idaho, and Montana, 1845-1889, Hubert H. Bancroft, 1890. The History Company, Publishers, San Francisco.

  Go Back