Eugene Semple

Eugene Semple

Eugene Semple (born June 12, 1840 in Bogotá , Colombia , † August 28, 1908 in San Diego , California ) was an American politician and the 13th governor of the Washington Territory from 1887 to 1889 .

Early years

Eugene Semple was born to James Semple from Illinois , who was the American ambassador to Colombia at the time. At the age of five, Eugene Semple returned to Illinois with his parents. There he attended the local schools in the winter months, while in the summer he helped out on the surrounding farms as a helper. From 1856 he studied at the University of St. Louis . After studying law and graduating from Cincinnati College, he was admitted to the bar.

Political rise on the west coast

In 1863, Eugene Semple fulfilled his long-cherished wish to move to Oregon . Until 1869 he worked as a lawyer in Portland . From 1869 he was also in the newspaper business, first as a reporter and then as a publisher of the "Daily Oregon Herald". This newspaper was then the leading organ of the Democratic Party in the northwestern United States. The newspaper and Semple were against Chinese immigrants. The wave of immigration from China represented a social problem on the west coast of the USA in those years and led to social tensions. Semple supported the construction of the railway, but demanded that the railway should benefit the people more. Between 1870 and 1874, Eugene Semple was the head of the Oregon State Printer . He then bought property, began working as a farmer and traded in cedar shingles. Eventually he moved to Vancouver , Washington Territory.

Political career in Washington State

In 1887, President Grover Cleveland appointed Semple as the new governor of the Washington Territory. During his tenure until 1889, preparations were under way for the area to become a US state. After the end of his term, Semple ran unsuccessfully for the office of the first regular governor of Washington state . After that he was, among other things, police chief of Portland and head of the state printing company. He caused a special stir with a project to improve the waterways in Washington. The Columbia River and its tributaries should be made navigable as transport routes and some canals should be built. He took part in the construction of such a canal, for which he received a grant from the government. The course of the canal was politically controversial. After long sensational discussions, Semple's project was abandoned.

Private life

From 1870 Semple was married to Ruth A. Lowsdale. The couple had three daughters and one son. His wife died in 1883. Eugene Semple died in San Diego in August 1908 .

Web links

• The governors of Washington (English)
• Eugene Semple in the database of Find a Grave (English)