Victor Capron


Victor J. Capron was an American politician in the state of Washington. He served as a Friday Harbor Town Council member, 1911–1912; as mayor, 1912-1914 and 1930–1932; member of the Washington House of Representatives, 1913–1917, 1923–1927; and member of the state Board of Health, 1919–1934.
He was born in Rome, New York; graduated in 1888 from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia; served as resident physician of St. Luke's Hospital in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and surgeon of the Norwegian Deaconess Home and Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.
In 1893, he became government physician in Kau, Hawaii, where he was credited with containing a cholera epidemic; and in 1898 became town doctor at Roche Harbor, Washington. He opened a hospital in Friday Harbor; established the island's first telephone system so he could better respond to medical needs in Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor; invented an X-ray machine powered by his vehicle so he could assess injuries on site; and invested in agricultural enterprises.
His most well-known legacies as a legislator include Trout Lake Dam, the town's fresh water system established when he was mayor of Friday Harbor; and the Capron Fund, which returns to Island and San Juan counties a portion of gas tax revenue and vehicle registration fees they generate to help fund road maintenance and construction. Those counties are separated by water from the state's road network.
Dr. Capron married Fanny Kirk, daughter of steel manufacturer Peter Kirk, founder of Kirkland, Washington. The Caprons' son, Victor Jr.,, served on the Friday Harbor Town Council from 1934–1941. A grandson, Victor Capron III, served on the Friday Harbor Town Council from 1976-1979 and on the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee.
Dr. Capron is the subject of chapter five in the book "Roche Harbor".