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Tag: President Benjamin Harrison

From the Archives: key letter leading to statehood

From the Archives: key letter leading to statehood

With Washington’s 125th birthday celebration as a state just a week away, our State Archives is bringing out key historical documents that led to that triumphant day in 1889 when WA reached statehood. What many people don’t know is that Washington could have become a state even sooner if not for a miscue. The state constitution sent to President Benjamin Harrison in the fall of 1889 lacked Territorial Governor Miles Moore’s signature. The constitution sent to Harrison only had the…

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From the Archives: Anniversary of letter leading to WA statehood

From the Archives: Anniversary of letter leading to WA statehood

(Courtesy of Washington State Archives) With Washington’s 125th birthday celebration on Nov. 11 just days away, we’re always looking to highlight key documents that led to our becoming the 42nd state. This letter certainly qualifies. It was sent on Oct. 23, 1889, by Washington Territorial Gov.  Miles C. Moore to President Benjamin Harrison, requesting “to be admitted to the Union on an Equal Footing with the Original States…” Apparently, Harrison liked what Moore wrote. On Nov. 11 of that year,…

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From Digital Archives: 1889 WA constitutional convention begins

From Digital Archives: 1889 WA constitutional convention begins

The mere mention of July 4 automatically conjures up thoughts of barbecues, parades and fireworks, but most importantly America’s Independence Day. Unbeknownst to many, it also marks a key date in the Washington history, 125 years ago. It was on July 4, 1889, when 75 elected delegates assembled in the Territorial Capitol Building in Olympia to draft a state constitution that would form the basis for all future Washington laws.  The delegates worked several weeks before the convention wrapped up…

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November Archives treasure #1: Statehood telegram

November Archives treasure #1: Statehood telegram

Happy belated birthday, Washington! Last Sunday marked The Evergreen State’s 123rd birthday (and a good-looking 123 at that!) It was on Nov. 11, 1889, when Washington joined the Union as the 42nd state.  That was the date when President Benjamin Harrison signed the proclamation declaring Washington a state. Since this was before even phones were around, official word about statehood came in the form of a Western Union telegram sent that day to Washington’s first governor, Elisha P. Ferry. But…

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