John Leary (politician)
John Leary was an American businessman and politician who was a key civic leader in Seattle, Washington. He made contributions to virtually all civic and business activities during the city's early years.
Leary started as a small lumber merchant in New Brunswick at 17. A successful entrepreneur, he accumulated "a modest fortune" and traveled to Seattle in 1869 in search of greater opportunities. Leary died one of the richest person in Seattle with a net worth of $2 million, most of which was acquired through real estate deals in Seattle and her vicinity. He participated in many other Seattle projects, including railroads, mining, banking, water and gas works, steamship operations, law, and others, many of which were unprofitable, but at the time, served an important public purpose. He was also known for his extensive charitable activities.
Leary served multiple terms as Seattle councilman and as Seattle mayor in 1885. He was one of the founders of Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Rainier Club, and of First National Bank of Seattle – Seattle's first bank. In 1878-1890, Leary played one of the most prominent roles in Seattle's battle with Northern Pacific Railroad for an independent railroad connection, a key element of Seattle's subsequent commercial success and leadership in Washington State.
Leary financed the construction of the steamwheeler Bailey Gatzert, the finest ship in Puget Sound of the time. His mining operation led to the founding of Ravensdale, Washington. Leary's home, the most expensive residence in the city of the time, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A street in North Seattle, Leary Way and Leary Avenue, bears his name.
East Coast career
Leary was born on November 1, 1837, to a family of Irish descent Saint John, New Brunswick on the Eastern coast of Canada. He soon demonstrated an "unusual aptitude for business," and at 17, started a successful lumber trading business in St. John. This business soon expended into the neighboring town of Woodstock. By the age of 30, he had accumulated a "modest fortune," and by 1868, Leary ran his own lumber camp on the banks of the Meduxnekeag River.The Meduxnekeag riverbed spans from the confluence of its North Branch and South Branch near Houlton, Maine, in United States, to Woodstock in Canada. When the Canadian–American Reciprocity Treaty expired in 1866, the change resulted in substantial losses to Leary's business. Initially, he moved to Houlton in an attempt to run his business from Maine, but soon decided to take his chances on the Western frontier, as Puget Sound offered excellent opportunities in the lumber business.
West Coast career
In 1869, Leary arrived in Seattle, then a village with unpaved streets supporting a population of less than 1,000 people. Unlike the typical Washington Territory entrepreneur of the time, Leary didn't limit himself to a particular area of business, but instead engaged in a panoply of activities. In the words of Samuel L. Crawford, a Washingtonian journalist of the time, "Mr. Leary had an unusually active mind and was a great promoter. His great 'stunt' was to start some big enterprise and, after it was well under way, drop out of it himself. In this manner, he fathered many of the big schemes of the day."As a result, over the next twenty years, Leary was involved in multiple operations simultaneously. He "touched every line of public progress" of Seattle, often at personal loss. Nevertheless, by the beginning of the 20th century, Leary had accumulated a fortune estimated at $2 million, mostly from his investments in Seattle real estate. He died one of the richest people in Seattle.
Law practice
One of Leary's most consistent occupations in Seattle was law; he was active in this area for eleven years. After studying law, he was admitted to the bar in 1871, becoming a "pioneer lawyer" in Washington Territory. That same year, Leary became a junior partner in McNaught & Leary law firm. In 1872, McNaught & Leary was one of five law firms in Seattle and one of the six most active law firms in Washington Territory.In 1878, James F. McNaught became an attorney for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, and the law firm dissolved. Leary initially started his own law practice, but then formed another firm with Henry G. Struve. The Struve & Leary Company was organized in 1879, and in 1880, when J.C. Haines joined the firm, it was renamed Struve, Haines & Leary. Leary stayed with the firm until 1882, when he left to devote himself fully to his business and civic activities.
Mining
Leary opened the Talbot coal mine in 1874, with partners John Collins and James F. McNaught. This operation brought first coal to Seattle. To expose a vein of coal, the company constructed a tunnel long, wide, and high. To ship the coal to Yesler's Wharf in Seattle, they laid of railroad track towards Black River. However, as the bed proved to be badly faulted, the mine closed after a few years.Between 1878 and 1880, Leary financed several geological expeditions in Washington in an effort towards the general development of the region. The parties explored the west coast towards Cape Flattery, the Skagit and Similkameen rivers, and parts of Eastern Washington. The expeditions confirmed the presence of rich coal and iron deposits, and the reports were made available to the public.
In 1884, together with J.M. Colman, Leary took part in the opening of the Cedar River mines. He was also an early stockholder of other mines in Renton area.
Leary's most substantial mining effort was the creation of the Leary Coal Company, which developed the Ravensdale coal mines in Ravensdale. This mining town was founded by Leary, and initially called "Leary." Its initial initial output of 48,000 tons in 1900 increased to 185,000 tons by 1905. The large coal shipments were made possible by a dedicated railroad line, which was financed by other railroad projects with Leary's involvement, and connected the mines to the Northern Pacific Railway. After Leary's death, the mine was sold to Northern Pacific, which maintained yearly output of 120,000+ tons of coal through 1915, until a mining accident killed 31 miners and prompted the company to abandon the mines.
Utilities
Leary organized various ventures, often without regard for their potential profitability, that helped build Seattle's infrastructure.In November 1881, Spring Hill Water Company was the first to lay water pipes along Seattle streets, pumping the water from Lake Washington. This created Seattle's first water system, and by 1886, its capacity reached. In 1890, Leary and his partners sold the company to the city for $352,000.
Leary also helped organize the city's first gas company, and served as its president until 1878.
Banking
In September 1882, Leary participated in the founding of Seattle's first bank, the First National Bank of Seattle. Among Leary's partners in this enterprise were William S. Ladd, a famous banker from Oregon; Henry Yesler, Seattle's richest citizen; C.L. Dingley; G.W. Harris; and J.R. Lewis. The bank opened on November 15, 1882, with the capitalization of $150,000.The bank's solvency and stability helped the city withstand the Panic of 1893. Leary served as the president of the bank, but later "was obliged to resign … owing to the pressure of his other business interests." The bank later merged into Seafirst Bank, which was eventually acquired by the Bank of America.
Media
In 1878, Leary founded The Seattle Post, the city's second daily newspaper alongside The Seattle Intelligencer. Leary was the main stakeholder in The Post, and built the new Post building, a modern office building at a prime location. The newspaper never became profitable, and in 1881, Leary engineered a merge of the two dailies into The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. By 1884, he sold all interest in the combined paper.In 1890, together with several partners, Leary purchased the Seattle Trade Journal, which was established in 1888 by Edmond S. Meany and Alexander Begg. A year later, he sold it to The Seattle Telegraph.
Real Estate
Leary's multiple investments in real estate were based on his firm belief in the future of Washington Territory, and in Seattle in particular. These convictions proved accurate, and his real estate investments became the main source of his accumulated fortune.For example, in 1883, together with Judge Thomas Burke and William R. Ballard, Leary purchased of land on Salmon Bay. It was later divided into individual plots and sold to new settlers, forming the city of Ballard, now a Seattle's suburb.
Among Leary's other notable investments were the Cosmopolitan Hotel, the Seattle Post building, and the "Yesler-Leary Block," the most prestigious piece of commercial real estate in Seattle at the time. The Yesler-Leary Block had a long facade facing 1st Avenue and a facade facing Yesler Way. Constructed in a joint venture with Henry Yesler in 1883 at a cost of over $100,000, this office building was destroyed by the Great Seattle Fire on June 6, 1889.
Politics and civic activism
Like the majority of Washington Territory settlers of the time, Leary was a Republican. His contemporaries described him as an "outstanding civic leader,", a "natural leader," and "a pioneer among pioneers."Leary served three terms as councilman, in 1873, 1875, and 1876. In 1884, he was elected mayor of Seattle, receiving 1311 votes. Seattle citizens cheered for him during one of the biggest political meetings ever held in Occidental Square. At the time, the position of mayor wasn't salaried, but regarded as a civic duty. Leary was the first mayor to hold regular office hours. He also pleasantly surprised Seattleites by investing his own money to plank 1st Avenue, Seattle's first street-paving project.
In 1890, Leary was an incorporating member of the board of trustees of Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He was the Chamber's first president, and later served as a president once more.
In 1892, during an economic downturn, Leary ran for mayor again, but lost to Democrat Judge James T. Ronald.
Transportation
Seattle's first railroads
The Northern Pacific Railroad was the first transcontinental railroad to reach Puget Sound. In 1873, after a few years of surveying, it unexpectedly decided that Tacoma, not Seattle, would be its western terminus. That decision would direct most of the commercial traffic to the Port of Tacoma, condemning Seattle to a subservient position in the region. Dependent on commerce, the Seattle population panicked and started planning to relocate their businesses and families to Tacoma.Leary managed to curtail the panic with a characteristic stunt. He sold one of his hotels for $600 and used the proceedings to purchase a large quantity of piles, sinking them in straight lines along a potential railroad bed, leading into Seattle. The resulting illusion of someone building a railroad into Seattle led to multiple rumors that stopped the initial panic and thus the exodus of people from Seattle.
To resolve the problem in the long term, however, Seattle desperately needed a railroad connection. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that Northern Pacific Railroad had invested massively in Tacoma real estate, and was actively luring Seattleites to relocate there.
Leary's stunt led to the inception of the Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad, which planned to connect Settle to Walla Walla via Snoqualmie Pass and to direct at least some of Washington Territory commercial traffic into the Port of Seattle. Several prominent citizens backed the project financially, including Arthur Denny, John Collins, Franklin Mathias, Angus Mackintosh, Henry Yesler, James McNaught, J. J. McGilvra, J. M. Colman, and Dexter Horton, but Leary wasn't among the investors. It soon became apparent that Walla Walla had little interest in the project, and Seattleites' resources alone were insufficient. Nevertheless, the construction of the railroad began in 1874, but never went beyond King County.
In 1881, a temporarily leadership change at Northern Pacific led the company to build a connection to Seattle and Walla Walla railroad at Black River. The service to Seattle began in 1884; however, Norther Pacific continued using its monopoly power in favor of its Tacoma business interests and discriminated against Seattle merchants.
The problem wasn't resolved until Seattle commenced another railroad – Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway – which would connect Seattle via Snohomish, Sedro-Woolley, and Sumas to Canadian Pacific Railway, thus circumventing Northern Pacific entirely. Leary was one of the organizers, incorporators, and investors into SLS&E, but the bulk of the needed investment came from New York bankers under specific and strict conditions.
Leary played a part in the final stage of the battle for Seattle's independent railroad connection. As the construction of SLS&E proceeded in 1885 to Snohomish, a Tacoma judge issued a writ on behalf of Northern Pacific, ordering Snohomish authorities to stop the construction of the key Snohomish bridge. An ensuing legal battle would have resulted in a delay, leading to the violation of the financial agreement with New York bankers, and thus endangering the entire operation. Along with Judge Thomas Burke, another principal investor in SLS&E, Leary commandeered a SLS&E railroad engine and rushed it to Snohomish. They arrived before the writ did, and convinced local sheriff and deputies to "disappear for a couple of days," so no one could enforce the writ until the matter could be resolved in court. Putting all available personnel to work on the bridge, SLS&E completed the bridge on time.
Maritime transportation
With Seattle railroad connections secured, the Port of Seattle experienced a boom of maritime transportation. About $1 million worth of new steamers were added to the fleet of companies operating from Seattle in 1890, and Leary contributed by organizing the Seattle Steam Navigation & Transportation Company, incorporated with $500,000 of capital stock. Leary served as the company's first president, alongside other principal investors Jacob Furth, Edward Neufelder, W.R. Ballard, and H.G. Struve.Leary built the steamer Bailey Gatzert for the company. One of the finest steamers of her time, it was named after Leary's friend and close business associate Bailey Gatzert, and cost between $100,000 and $125,000.
In 1891, steamboat operators consolidated into the Columbia River & Puget Sound Navigation Company. The president of the new company was Captain Uriah Bonsor Scott, and Leary became the vice-president. The company owned various steamers, including the steamers The Telephone, The Fleetwood, The Flyer and Leary's Bailey Gatzert. They operated between Puget Sound and Victoria, British Columbia.
Leary also played a significant role in organizing the first mail route from Seattle to Alaska.
Other activities
Leary organized and served as the president of West Coast Improvement Company, Seattle Land & Improvement Company, Seattle Warehouse & Elevator Company. He was also one of the directors and promoters of the James Street & Broadway Cable & Electric line and of the West Street & North End Electric Railway Company.Personal Life
Family
John Leary was married twice, but had no children from either marriage. His first wife, Mary B. Leary, died on July 17, 1890 in San Francisco, "after a short illness."On April 21, 1892, Leary married Governor Elisha P. Ferry's daughter, Eliza P. Ferry.
The family resided on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Madison Street. In 1903, Leary started the construction of a new family home at a prime location in Capitol Hill, overlooking Lake Washington. At the time, it was estimated to be the most expensive private residence in Seattle. The architects were John Graham and Arthur Bodley.
The new house wasn't fully completed before Leary's death, but remained the residence of his widow and a famous place for social and charitable gatherings until Eliza Leary's death in 1935. In 1948, Episcopal Diocese of Olympia purchased the house which remains its headquarters in 2020. The house was added to National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
At the time of his death, two of Leary's relatives were known to be still living: his sister Margaret Leary Baker of Philadelphia, and Jane Leary of Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Charitable activities
Leary was known for a broad spectrum of charitable activities. His associate, Alfred Battle, described Leary as "...the most charitable men I ever knew. He gave money to everybody he thought needed it."Both of Leary's wives were actively engaged in charitable activities and donated to notable causes. Mary B. Leary was the founder and the president of the Ladies relief society of Seattle, organized in 1884 to help unfortunate families and individuals. Eliza P. Leary was an active member of Seattle's Sunset Club and a member of the local chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution.
Organizations
Leary was among the original founders of the Rainier Club, one of Seattle's most prestigious organizations. He served as its president in 1890.In addition, Leary was an officer in Seattle's chapter of the Royal Arch Masons and a member of a local chapter of Odd Fellows.
Death and legacy
Leary suffered from liver decease in the last three years of his life. He withdrew from most of his business activities and spent substantial time in Southern California. He also made two trips to Carlsbad, Germany.Leary died of heart failure in Riverside, California, on February 9, 1905. His body was transported to Seattle, and his funeral took place on February 15. He was buried at Lake View Cemetery on Capitol Hill.
Leary died one of the wealthiest person in Seattle, leaving a fortune valued at $2 million. It was almost entirely left to his wife Eliza. One of Seattle's streets, Leary Way, was named after him.