From the Archives: key letter leading to statehood
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With Washington’s 125th birthday celebration as a state just a week away, our State Archives is bringing out key historical documents that led to that triumphant day in 1889 when WA reached statehood.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 signature of O.C. White, the last secretary of Washington Territory. Apparently, President Harrison didn’t think that the key document was authentic sans Moore’s signature. As a result, Harrison refused to declare Washington a state until he received a certified copy of the state constitution.
On Nov. 4, 1889, Territorial Governor Miles Moore sent a set of documents, including the constitution and certificate of election earlier that fall, that tried to expedite Washington’s admittance as a state. Harrison received it on Nov. 9. Two days later, Harrison proclaimed Washington as the 42nd state.
Just think: If not for that foul-up, Washington might have become the 41st state, not Montana, which was admitted on Nov. 8 of that year, only three days before WA.
Here is page one of Moore’s letter to Harrison and here is page two.
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Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
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