Henry McBride (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry McBride
4th Governor of Washington
In office December 26, 1901 – January 11, 1905
Lieutenant	Vacant
Preceded by	John Rankin Rogers
Succeeded by	Albert E. Mead
4th Lieutenant Governor of Washington
In office January 16, 1901 – December 26, 1901
Governor	John Rankin Rogers
Preceded by	Thurston Daniels
Succeeded by	Charles E. Coon
Personal details
Born	(1856-02-07)February 7, 1856 Farmington, Utah, U.S.
Died	7 October 1937(1937-10-07) (aged 81) Juanita Beach, Washington, U.S.
Resting place	Washelli Cemetery, Seattle.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Alice McBride (married in 1884 – 1925)
Children	None
Education	Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut Hobart College, New York

Henry McBride (born February 7, 1856 – died October 7, 1937) was an American politician. He served as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Washington from 1900 to 1901. Later, he became the fourth governor of Washington from 1901 to 1905.

McBride moved to Washington State in 1882. He worked as a teacher while studying law. He became a lawyer in 1884. In 1888, he was elected as a Prosecuting Attorney for several counties. These included Skagit, Whatcom, and Snohomish counties.

In 1891, he became the first main judge for the new judicial district of Skagit and Island counties. He tried to be re-elected in 1896. However, he lost to a candidate from the Fusionists party. This party was a mix of Populists, Democrats, and Silver Republicans.

McBride was elected lieutenant-governor in 1900. He became governor in 1901 after Governor Rogers passed away. McBride was the first Washington State governor born in the western U.S.. He was also the first to become governor because the previous one died. And he was the first to move up from the lieutenant-governor role.

As governor, McBride wanted to create a State Railroad Commission. He also wanted new rules for railroads. He believed politics should be separate from business. He especially wanted to stop railroads from having too much control in the Legislature. This put him against powerful railroad lobbyists. They had a lot of control over the Legislature. McBride didn't get re-elected in 1904. But eventually, the commission was created. The Legislature also became more independent from railroad influence.

After his time as governor, McBride's political influence lessened. He still supported the Republican party. But he started a new career in banking and law in Seattle. He was a partner in a law firm. Later, he became someone who helped solve problems between workers and companies. Before he retired, McBride was president of a savings and loan association. He had helped start this company.

Early Life & Family History

Henry McBride was born in February 1856. His birthplace was Farmington, Utah. His mother was Ruth Ann Miller, from Indiana. His father was George McBride, from New York. Henry's family had roots in Scotland, Ireland, and England.

In 1858, Henry's father passed away. This happened at Fort Lemhi, Idaho. Henry then lived with his mother. His family was known for living a long time. His grandmother on his mother's side lived to be at least 100 years old.

Education & Early Career

Henry McBride started school in Utah. He went to an Episcopalian high school in Logan. He wanted to become an Episcopal minister. So, he went to a special school at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He planned to study theology after that.

While at Trinity College, Henry got sick. He was later moved to Hobart College in New York. This was another Episcopalian school. His health got worse there. The college president told him he might not live long. He advised Henry to go back home to the west.

Henry left Hobart College and returned home. In 1880, he moved to California. He spent two years there getting better. In 1882, he moved to Washington Territory. He wanted to become a lawyer. He went to La Conner to find better chances for his education. He had already been studying law for three years.

Teaching & Becoming a Lawyer

When McBride arrived in Washington, he worked hard to make a living. He passed a teacher's test. Then he started teaching in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. He also worked at a telegraph office there. Later, McBride moved to Skagit County. He settled in La Conner and became a school teacher. For three years, he taught and studied law at the same time. He also helped with the first teacher's exam in Skagit County.

In 1884, McBride became a lawyer in La Conner. He was approved by Judge Roger S. Greene. He joined experienced lawyers. This helped him gain important skills in the field.

Legal Career in the Late 1800s

In 1886, McBride ran for Probate Judge in Skagit County. He was a Republican candidate. But he lost the election. He continued his law work. The next year, he moved to Mount Vernon. He joined a law firm there. He managed their office in Mount Vernon for two years.

In 1888, McBride became the Prosecuting Attorney. He worked for Skagit, Whatcom, and Snohomish Counties. He served one term in this role.

In 1891, McBride helped start the Bar Association of Skagit County. That same year, a new court district was formed. It was for Skagit and Island Counties. McBride was chosen to be its first main judge. He was appointed on March 10, 1891. He served until 1892. Then he ran for re-election. He rode his bicycle around the counties to campaign. He won and stayed in office for four more years, until 1896.

At the end of his term, McBride ran for re-election again. But he lost. Many Republican candidates lost that year. This was because of a "fusion" of different parties. After leaving the court, he focused on his law practice in Mount Vernon. Over the years, McBride became well-known in the state. He was involved in many important court cases.

Political Career

From the start of his law career, McBride was active in politics. He was a member of the Republican party. He attended party meetings and promoted the party. By 1888, he was a "recognized leader" in Washington State politics.

In 1884, McBride was on the Republican Central Committee. He was involved in a competition between La Conner and Mount Vernon. Both towns wanted to be the county seat of Skagit County. Mount Vernon won the most votes.

In 1898, McBride became the chairman of the Republican County Central Committee. He led a county campaign. His work was praised as "well planned and efficiently carried." That year, the Republican party won every election.

Lieutenant-Governor & Becoming Governor

In 1900, McBride was considered for governor of Washington State. But at the party meeting, John M. Frink was chosen instead. McBride then ran for lieutenant-governor. He won the election by a large number of votes.

Before 1900, other parties controlled most state offices. But in 1900, Republicans won almost every office. Only Governor Rogers, a Democrat, won. His victory was a surprise to Republicans.

Governor Rogers passed away on December 26, 1901. By law, McBride became the 4th Washington State governor. He didn't find out right away. A storm had cut off communications. McBride officially started his term as governor in January 1902. This gave the Republican party full control of state offices.

Serving as Governor (1901–1905)

McBride was the first governor of Washington State born in the western U.S.. He was also the first to become governor from the lieutenant-governor position. And he was the first to become governor because the previous one died.

When he started as governor, McBride believed that "certain interests" controlled the Legislature. He thought "business meddled too much with politics." His goal was to stop lobbyists from having too much power. He also wanted to keep politics out of schools. But he was most known for fighting against railroad companies. He wanted to reform how railroads were regulated. He followed his former law partner, Harold Preston, who also wanted new railroad rules.

Fighting for Railroad Reform

In the 1890s, many politicians wanted to regulate railroads. But it was seen as a big challenge to the way things were. By the time McBride became governor, many railroad companies were in the state. They competed to control the state government. Railroad control of the Legislature was a major political issue. McBride strongly opposed it.

He pushed for a State Railroad Commission. He said it was his "first priority." Both Democrats and Republicans first supported this idea. But powerful railroad lobbyists and politicians stopped the Legislature. They prevented any action on the commission. Many bills for the commission failed to pass. Some decisions that favored the anti-commission side even caused near-riots.

McBride's fight against the railroad lobby was a big deal. It led to a meeting of "famous transportation chiefs" in August 1902. They talked about how to lessen McBride's impact. They also wanted to calm public anger about regulating railroads. McBride hoped to convince the Republican state meeting in September 1902 to create the Railroad Commission in 1903. This was a key part of the Republican plan that year. However, this promise was removed from the official report. It was replaced with a promise for "fair railroad laws."

McBride kept pushing for state regulation. He wanted to separate railroads from politics. His stand at the 1903 Legislature meeting was "resolute and uncompromising." He was ready for a strong fight. He built his campaign for the Railroad Commission carefully. He convinced many groups that the commission was needed. He showed the public how railroads were "brazenly interfering with politics." This made the public angry. McBride attended every meeting to defend his idea. He also discussed strategies for the commission. The Legislature didn't create the commission in 1903 as McBride wanted. But the railroads eventually agreed to create it. They postponed it until the next year's legislative session. McBride was seen as a winner in this fight. The whole campaign was called the "hardest floor battle" for Republicans in a decade.

1904 Election & Defeat

McBride decided to "take the issue to the people." He made railroad regulation and the commission the main topic of his 1904 election campaign. At first, McBride had strong support for governor. Most Washington State Republicans supported him. Especially in eastern Washington, many groups strongly favored him.

However, several railroads in Washington State still had strong ties to politics. They had a lot of influence. They "controlled" the Republican party. They opposed McBride. They planned to remove him from politics. They wanted to nominate their own Republican candidate. McBride's opponents controlled many votes in some counties. They encouraged western counties to drop McBride. McBride was supported by most counties, but had fewer votes.

McBride's team tried to make a deal with the King County group. They wanted to win more votes. J. D. Farrell, a railroad leader, found out about the deal. He rushed to the Tacoma meeting to stop it. The next day, the meeting was held. McBride's nomination for governor was rejected. Instead, Albert E. Mead was nominated. He later became the new governor of Washington State. That year, all Republican state candidates won. They formed the new Legislature.

Results of McBride's Time as Governor

During the 1904 election, Albert E. Mead said he would approve the Railroad Commission. This was if the Legislature passed it. Right after McBride's defeat, the railroads agreed to accept the Railroad Commission. They also agreed to keep their lobbyists away from the Legislature in Olympia.

In early 1905, Mead created the commission. But it was not based on McBride's original ideas. It mainly favored the railroads. Even though McBride didn't fully achieve his main goal, the railroads did step back. They removed their lobbyists from the Legislature. They accepted the Railroad Commission. For years, it was seen as the strongest organized lobby in the state.

Later, the Railroad Commission's duties were given to the Board of Public Works. This board had power over all public service companies, not just railroads. Even later, this responsibility moved to the State Department of Public Service.

During McBride's time as governor, he was described as "careful" and dedicated to the state. Years later, he was seen as "one of the most independent" figures in state politics. He was a pioneer in Washington State. He was also a leader in progressive Republican ideas.

Other Governor Activities

On July 4, 1902, the first Washington-built battleship began construction. It was the USS Nebraska. A special ceremony was held. McBride attended with Governor Savage of Nebraska. Both governors gave speeches. They also drove the first rivet into the ship's bottom. The ship was built in Seattle. It was launched on October 7, 1904. It later served in World War I.

For years, the Washington State Good Roads Association wanted to improve state highways. In 1903, the Legislature passed a bill for state roads. On March 21, 1903, Governor McBride stopped many spending bills. This included the road bill. He did this because their costs were too high. Governor Mead later approved these bills in 1905.

Later Life & Career

After losing the 1904 election, McBride continued his political career. He ran for governor again in 1908. He was a top candidate for the Republican nomination. But he lost to Samuel G. Cosgrove.

In 1912, McBride led the Republican State Convention. This was before the National Convention in Chicago. McBride supported Theodore Roosevelt for president over William Howard Taft.

In 1916, McBride ran for governor again. He lost to Democrat Ernest Lister. McBride thought the new direct primary elections were causing problems in politics. He felt they led to too much public spending. He was against the new governor. He complained about how politics and elections had changed. In his later years, McBride still followed politics closely. He actively supported the Republican party.

Banking, Law & Timber

In 1907, McBride became president of a timber company. It was called Lake Goodwin Shingle Mill Company.

Between 1913 and 1918, McBride became known in Seattle for banking and law. He worked at a law firm. At the start of World War I, McBride left his law practice. He became a labor conciliator. This meant he helped solve problems between workers and companies.

Later, McBride went back into the lumber business. He made shingles and lumber. He partnered with Herbert S. Conner. They later left that business. They started the Provident Savings & Loan Association in Seattle. McBride was its president.

McBride officially retired from business by 1933. But he still went to meetings for the Provident Savings & Loan Association. Around 1935, he started to step back from his duties. This was because his health was failing.

Other Activities & Personal Life

McBride was a major owner of the La Conner Water Works Company. This company managed all the water services in La Conner.

From 1885 to 1887, McBride was a co-editor and manager of a newspaper. It was called the Puget Sound Mail. This was the oldest newspaper in western Washington. In 1891, McBride published another newspaper, the Birdsview Bell. It closed quickly. In 1902, McBride became a co-owner of the Republican newspaper.

Family & Home Life

McBride married Alice Marie Garrett on February 7, 1884. They married in La Conner, Washington. Alice was born in Coupeville, Washington on February 27, 1864. Her father was a "prominent pioneer" from Island County. Henry was the first Washington State governor born in the west. Alice was the first Washington-born First Lady.

The McBrides did not have any children. They were both members of the Episcopal Church. Alice McBride passed away on August 15, 1925. She died at their home in Seattle. She was buried in Washelli Mausoleum.

After his wife's death and his retirement, McBride moved to Kirkland, Washington. He spent his later years living with friends, the Bouchard family. They lived on their ranch at Juanita Beach near Lake Washington. He enjoyed walking with his three collies: Laddie, Bonnie, and Sandy.

Hobbies & Groups

When bicycles became popular, McBride rode them often. He rode from town to town for campaigns and for fun. He once said he would leave court at 4 PM and ride 50 miles before dinner. He also enjoyed fishing. He would wake up early to go fishing for trout with a friend.

McBride was a member of several groups. These included the Masonic fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Death & Legacy

After a long illness, Henry McBride passed away on October 7, 1937. He died near Juanita, where he had lived for eleven years. His last wish was to be buried near his wife in Washelli Cemetery in Seattle.

McBride's funeral was held on October 11, 1937. Many friends and colleagues attended. This included Roland H. Hartley, who was the only living former Washington State governor at the time. His former colleague, Harold Preston, also attended.

At the time of his death, McBride's estate was valued at $11,000. In his will, he left $7,500 to the Bouchard family. He also mentioned his two sisters-in-law, his brother William, and his niece, Alys Garret.

See also

• List of governors of Washington
• Lieutenant Governor of Washington
• John Rankin Rogers
• Albert E. Mead
• Samuel G. Cosgrove
• Ernest Lister